[69RAT]

After having 10 or 12 of these trucks over the years (some of which I really kick myself for getting rid of) I finally got the only one I hadn't had and had always wanted. 25 years ago a guy worked for me that had bought a 69 CST 396 w/air new. Needless to say I bugged him for the 10 years he worked for me to sell it to me. In the meantime his daughters learned to drive in it etc etc. I lost track of him in the early 90's when I moved to Boise Id., there I bought a 69 GMC Sierra Grande and drove it several years. I moved back and sold it (like a dummy) because my new wife couldn't start it with a manual choke. After a year I started looking for another truck in earnest, I'm hopeless on 67-72's. Anyway, through a friend of a friend of a friend, Gary found me. He called on thursday eve and asked jokingly if I still wanted his truck (he remembered promising me first shot at it). I couldn't get off work early enough on Friday!!!! I drove the 3 hours and there sat the 69 CST in her faded black original paint, NO RUST (dry eastern Washington), 102,000 original miles, one small dent, and WORKING AC! He said "I rebuilt the engine about 10,000 miles ago, and was going to repaint her. My wife came down with cancer 4 years ago and I need a newer truck to take her and the trailer south for the winter". As we reminisced about old fishing trips we'd taken in the truck came the bombshell. "If you'll keep it black, modernize it a little-but keep it basically stock, you can have it for $1500". I got home at 1:00 in the morning and left at 6am with my son to go get it! Drove it home in 95 deg weather in comfort with the ac on and no problems. It's been a long slow process to redo suspension, steering, adding disks, rewiring, power windows and doors, lowered2-1/2 and 4, and replacing the interior. Next comes a new tranny and rear end, then paint and she'll be done hopefully this year! My wife has complained about the "money" I'm putting in it but when she remembers what a new truck payment is, and that mine will be "NEW" when done she quiets down. Now she wants a green 68!