All Smiles
I have been following, with a lot of interest and an equal amount of amusement, your continuing saga of the rebirth of the '60 F-100. Why am I smiling?
Years ago, I spotted a rusted-out Ford pickup in a farmer's field near where I live. After thinking about it, I tracked down the owner, made a deal, and hauled the wreck home. Having had experience rebuilding Chevy cars, I had never handled a Ford before...and what a job it entailed.
That was '82. It was finished in '06. Everything from the cab corners to designing and building a new stake side, finding a big-block Ford '65 T-bird 390 and matching it up to a C-6 tranny (with a floor-mount slapstick B/M shifter), to buckets, console, A/C, power windows, antenna, locks, to removing vent windows, shaving door handles, and putting a 30-gallon fuel tank between the 'rails (including a hidden fuel cap), to a hidden rear license plate, stainless steel rear panel that incorporates LED taillights, and finally, the '40s exterior sunvisor. It's a good-looking vehicle that goes like a bat outta hell to boot.
Now, instead of friends and strangers laughing at me during the years I hunted and searched for parts in my attempt to rebuild and enjoy this truck, they ask for rides. Every month when I receive my subscription to Classic Trucks, I feel vindicated.
No, friends and strangers don't laugh at me anymore as I drive around in my one-of-a-kind cowboy Cadillac. Now you guys have even caught up to me by discovering that what was once thought to be an ugly duckling can be converted into the class of the show.
Thanks, Rob, for the great articles on a GREAT vehicle, but I think mine is still Number 1!
John G. Stirling
Via the Internet
John, thanks for the encouraging letter. Except I can't really take much credit for the recent "ugly duckling" series on the '60 F-100, well, other than a little encouragement. Though my GM blood runs pretty deep, that has no effect on the material we run in the magazine, but it does determine what trucks I own-or in this case, don't. I've had untold numbers of potential deals on Ford trucks come my way over the years, but they've always been passed on to others. When my previous boss-who has been responsible for passing along word on quite a few of the aforementioned deals-told me he was contemplating purchasing a '57-up F-100, even with my stout Bow Tie beliefs, I made sure he understood one thing: It had to have a Ford under the hood-when it was done, too! While he never claims to be from one camp or the other, he did really want to put a Chevy in it, but, as you've witnessed, he went Blue. Fortunately, while Grant does have a pretty big Cadillac tattoo on his forearm, he isn't relegated to one particular brand or another either when it comes to trucks, so he gladly headed up the project and has managed it flawlessly through to this point. With but a wiring and plumbing job, the '60 ought to be roadworthy here before the new calendars go up (yeah, I realize the cover says April, but I'm still Christmas shopping as we wrap this issue-no pun intended).
Who's the King?
So, Rob, you think Rene Martinez is the king of C-10s just because he's owned 14 of them? I don't know how many he has right now, but I only saw four of them in your photos. The real king would be Dick "Poor Richard" Auld in Kennewick, Washington. Last time I talked to him, he had about 30 1967-72 Chevy and GMC trucks. You can see photos at http://community.webshots.com/album/96136195zCeEAG. I took all of those photos in one day. Almost all of them are under one roof, too, either in his shop or under the shed roof attached to the rear of his shop. Granted, they're not all C-10s, some being 3/4-ton models, 4x4s, or GMCs, but he's definitely got more C-10s than Rene does.
Keep up the great work on the magazine-I look forward to getting it in the mail every month.
Ed Snyder
Jacksonville, Oregon
Ed, it goes without saying (or maybe not) that the title used in the cover features on Rene's trucks (Feb. '07) was done so primarily to make a point. Looks like we may have gone just a bit far in doing so, as you have clearly proved otherwise! It also looks like we may have to take a little trip up to the Pacific Northwest once the weather warms up again. Thanks for the e-mail, Ed.