A labor of Love....

When I started looking for a pickup, I was looking for one already restored. In the process of looking and bidding I came across this project in Ohio. I can't explain what made it the one I wanted, but sometimes things just happen and you get a new project. I'm not a mechanic or a body man and yet I'm in my garage about every day. I've said elsewhere in this blog that I enjoy working on things. To keep from being overwhelmed, I don't think about trying to build/restore a truck, I pick one thing at a time and fix it.

Last week my daughter moved away to finish her college degree. The same night I attended the open house at my son's kindergarten. It was a day filled with lots of emotions. It reminded me of the day I sold my '31 Model A street rod. The way it looked on the trailer was incredible. I had signed the title so there was no turning back. I had invested lots of time and energy into that car and I stood watching it drive away. At the time I also owned a '49 ford panel truck that had been sub-framed from a Chevy Nova. It was a drivable project that would now get my day to day attention. I knew if I'd put enough effort into it, I'd be just as proud when the day came and I let it go.

So I guess being a dad and working on old cars has a lot in common. If you look at the project as a whole it can be overwhelming. You just spend time in the garage every day, doing the things you can with the abilities you have, knowing someday you'll watch it drive away. As for the time and energy, it's definitely a labor of love.....