Me & My Truck

Hello everyone - my name is Matthew, and I have a truck.

Specifically, I have a red 1980 F-150 Custom.  The truck was originally my grandfather's. For as far back as I can remember, my grandfather was a Ford man. Every three years or so he'd buy himself a new truck; he raised horses and cattle on his land in rural Oklahoma, so for him a good truck was a necessity. I can remember him owning a blue truck, and then an orange truck, but the last truck he purchased before retiring from his day job as a welder in a metal shop was a red 1980 F-150 Custom (300cid engine, C6 transmission, 2WD). According to the invoice in the glove compartment, he paid $6300 for it in March of 1980.

I suppose he didn't see the need for a regular new truck after he stopped driving to work every day, or maybe he just liked that truck so much he didn't want a new one, but that truck served him, the livestock, and my grandmother for the rest of his days. In 1996 (at the ripe old age of 80) he tripped and fell while getting off his riding mower and broke his hip. That led to several years of limited mobility and poor health, and he passed away in November of 2000.

Even though they got rid of the livestock after my grandfather was no longer able to get around, my grandmother kept the truck for sentimental reasons. However, she didn't drive it enough to keep it running smoothly, and it began to molder. Finally, in 2010 she agreed that it needed a better home, and gave it to my father and brother (who are both mechanics by trade) to repair. They took care of the larger items that needed fixing (new brakes, carb rebuild, fuel pump and lines), and now the truck is mine.

Since that time I've been maintaining it on my own.  After catching up on a lot of deferred maintenance and parts that had just plain aged out, the truck is running pretty well - the only remaining issue is that the transmission is slow to go into gear the first time it is driven on a cold day, but a future rebuild will take care of that.  I wouldn't call the truck a daily driver, but it is driven regularly - mostly for Home Depot runs and the like, but sometimes for more serious work:



Side note: my grandmother (who is now 93 and going strong) is moving here from Oklahoma, and my parents are building her a little house to live in.  The wood that my son is clowning around on was all cleared from her property, so 38 years on the truck is still working for her.

Speaking of my son (who is 12)...someday the truck will be his, so he spent part of his spring break this year learning how to maintain it:



So that's my story.  It's great to be here, and I look forward to interacting with you all.

Matthew!  That is a wonderful story, and is even better this time around.  (Matthew and I've "known" each other for several years on a different forum.)  I'm glad your grandmother is doing so well, and that you and your son are keeping the truck in the family.

Why not bring it back to its old stomping grounds in September for the show?  

You know, that's something to think about doing - it'd be a long drive in an old truck, but probably lots of fun.  The only problem is that I am working on another degree, and depending on class schedule in the fall it may be out of the question.

828 miles and 12 1/2 hours.  Jonathan has 1049 miles and 15 1/2 hours.  

828 miles in 12.5 hours?  That's an average speed of 66+ MPH...and given that my truck has a maximum sustainable speed of ~65 MPH on the highway, I'm guessing the trip would be 15 hours or so all up, stops included.

Which isn't really bad...back before US 78 through Alabama was improved, that's about how long it took us to drive there when I was a kid.  We usually stopped for the night in Conway AR westbound, and Tupelo MS on the way back east.  The timing is unlikely to work out, but it's something for me to think about. :)

Well, I hope everything works out so you can come - assuming that is the best for you.  But keep it in mind.

<quote author="Dorsai">
Hello everyone - my name is Matthew, and I have a truck.

What a great opening, kind of like when Johnny Cash introduces himself on stage!
Also, cool story.

Well, my first thought was an AA meeting: My name is Matthew and I have a problem - a truck.  

That crossed my mind also.