For the readers who’ve been studying my ideas for the previous few years, you’ll be comfortable to know that my previous ’56 Ford F-100 is lastly on the street. After all, it isn’t utterly completed as I would really like it to be someday sooner or later, however it’s street worthy and protected to drive on our advantageous California highways.
I had already completed arguing with my real love about my Harley and I gave that up a number of years in the past. It was one of many hardest issues I’ve ever carried out. Nonetheless, with the inflow of all the brand new residents of our advantageous state, I had really misplaced the joys of driving down our highways that appear to be extra crowded day-after-day.
Too many people, women and men, have a tough time estimating the pace or distance of a motorbike. I received’t even start to inform you of the instances somebody pulled proper out in entrance of me requiring a lane change or standing on the brakes to permit a wayward driver to flip left proper in entrance of me. This isn’t the identical roads that I realized to drive on. I nonetheless shiver a little bit after I take into consideration driving residence from Monterey after a gathering or throughout the rush hour on any of the roads we’ve got.
I let the bike go together with tears in my eyes, however with the hope that the brand new proprietor will perceive that driving shouldn’t be a proper to imagine the opposite man will perceive {that a} bike is sort of a bit lighter than a automobile, and any automobile can destroy a motorcyclist and break his or her day. I liked that bike, however I needed to admit that the enjoyable had grown stale. I pray that the brand new proprietor will expertise the surprise of driving safely and that he might be as comfortable as I used to be whereas driving.
I used to have a contract with a Florida purchaser to examine his order of tomatoes as soon as every week throughout tomato season. It was 100 miles from my entrance door to the cooler over in Newman. If I left early sufficient, I just about had an open street. Then the season completed and I needed to make up issues to do or locations to go so I may experience my Harley. It simply wasn’t as a lot enjoyable anymore. However hey! Our Savior doesn’t shut a door with out opening one other escape route for a man who has carried out the issues I’ve carried out in my life.
I nonetheless had my previous 1956 Ford F-100 that I purchased from a preacher down in Paso Robles who had constructed his motel simply earlier than the State modified the trail of Freeway 101 and bypassed his motel. That was over 50 years in the past. My dad had purchased a 1956 Ford F-100 simply earlier than I joined the Military, and I used to be at all times on the lookout for one other one to maintain my Pop in my reminiscence. I had joined the Military reserve after my final journey to Southeast Asia and I used to be on my summer season camp, two weeks of obligation after I noticed the truck I’ve now.
I needed to borrow the $300 that I paid for it from my brother, and to offer my brother credit score he by no means bugged me for the cash, however he at all times instructed everybody that he gave the truck to me.
This was again within the days when any of the Ford F-100 collection of vans have been extremely popular to people that have been as enamored with the physique type as I used to be. I lived in San Jose on the time and joined a truck membership after which grew to become president of the membership, and my truck was featured within the second subject of the Trucking Journal. Oh my goodness! These have been the times!
Then there have been the years between shopping for my truck and dealing on my truck. As extra people purchased any F-100 Ford pickups the worth of something associated to that truck received increasingly more costly and more durable to seek out. Married males and people who discovered that coping with something associated to the F-100 was simply too costly, slowly however certainly bought their vans or had an issue getting elements for his or her truck, and the golf equipment closed and nobody stored up the seek for new sources for elements. They have been provided by some who paid excessive costs for something F-100 and truly had new elements fabricated and opened companies supplying previous guys like me who had a historical past of conserving their vans on the street.
Then, it received so costly that males who had households needed to let their household wants get in the way in which and it will tear at your coronary heart to see a 1956 F-100 sitting on blocks within the storage or driveway of a former younger man who needed to lastly develop up.
I used to be a little bit completely different in that I by no means wished to let my F-100 go. I may nonetheless keep in mind my dad coming residence in that pickup painted a lightweight blue and the large again window that was forward of the Common Motors copies of their C-10 pickups that simply didn’t have the love of a F-100.
My truck stayed within the storage and I stored looking for cool elements to maintain it trying new. My beautiful bride certainly felt the love I had for that previous truck and by no means bugged me to promote it or to not spend cash on it that we didn’t have. Slowly however certainly, I stored on the lookout for elements or previous vans until it grew to become apparent that my truck was one of many previous ones, and that if I wished to maintain it fashionable I needed to design elements to maintain it on the street.
I can nonetheless keep in mind laying on my again beneath the truck and turning my head to see the place I’d repair no matter was unsuitable. In case you didn’t know, there are NO mushy elements beneath an previous pickup. It received so each time I turned my head I’d open one other wound on my head. My Angel would get a little bit incensed as she needed to maintain placing Band-Aids on my noggin.
I lastly received in contact with a fellow named Alex, who runs an organization referred to as Huge Bear Automotive. They took all the warmth off me by setting me up with model new suspension. So my truck is residence and working and sitting within the storage. I might be driving it much more now and my Angel approves of my endeavor. It’s humorous how life goes round prefer it has with me and my F-100. You’ll quickly see it in native parades.
God Bless.
