Shared by @s_white77
What Year Is Your Truck?
1969
How long have you owned your truck?
1 year
When you purchased your truck, what kind of truck were you looking for?
When I purchased it, it was in great condition since it was originally from California. It had minimal dents on the body. My dad wanted this truck since the day he saw it because it reminded him of the first truck he owned. This truck was 2-wheel drive, and he had in mind to find another truck to make it into a 4-wheel drive Highboy.
If you could only share one story or experience with your truck, what would it be?
I also own a 1977 Ford truck, and every time my dad helps me work on it, he mentions how much he wants this 2-wheel drive bumpside truck that he once saw sitting in a yard. For years, he talked about it and asked his friend (who knew the owner) to try to talk him into selling it. My dad would always say, “When am I getting my truck?” and the friend would answer, “I’m working on it.” But year after year, he had no luck.
One day, a coworker gave me the idea to surprise him. I texted my dad’s friend, and to my shock, he told me the owner would only sell it to me. I almost couldn’t control my excitement.
That same night, my dad admitted to me with a sad look on his face, “I’m giving up on trying to buy that truck. I’ll look elsewhere.” I came so close to telling him the surprise.
The next day, I showed up with a trailer and cash in hand. When my parents came outside, they were equally shocked to see the truck he had dreamed about for years. Before I could blink, my dad was already power washing it and tearing into the interior, ready to build it exactly how he’d always envisioned.
It was one of the most exciting days of my life — surprising my dad with the truck he thought he’d never own. My dad helped build my dream truck, and now I’ve helped build his.
What upgrades have you made to the truck?
We swapped the 2-wheel drive frame to a 4-wheel drive.
What are your future plans with the truck?
We are looking to fully restore it with paint and new exterior chrome.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We found a clean Highboy frame from Colorado, fixed it up, and added the body and a rebuilt 390 GT motor. We worked on it every single day and had it on the road in less than 2 months — just in time for the 4-Wheel Jamboree. We drove both of our trucks more than 700 miles that weekend, even though his had only 8 miles on it from a single gas station run. We hit a small hiccup on the way, but after a few calls to auto parts stores, we were back on the road.
It was an unforgettable weekend — two trucks, two dreams, and one father-daughter build we’ll never forget.
