Hey all-
Back home from the car show, and feeling just great. Not to sound too dramatic, but this weekend was truly a dream come true. Not only the past three and a half years, seeing Marvin get torn apart and pieced back together - it goes back way farther than that. Probably back to early teenage years when I really started to get interested in cars and started dreaming about someday turning Marvin into a little bit of a street rod.
While it is definitely true that I love my family, my girl, and my kids more than an old truck, I probably wasn't thinking much about those types of things in my early teens. So seeing Marvin all back together again and looking so sharp - that's really the closest thing I've ever had to a "lifelong" dream! I think all the elements really came together well to create something special.
I feel so amazingly fortunate to have been able to get in touch and work with some truly fantastically talented shops during this build. The shops are their people, and I got lucky to find some true craftsmen and artists. In so many ways, Marvin is their truck too. Kurt and the crew at Creative Metalworks, Ron and the guys at Unique Body & Paint, Brian and the team at Premier Upholstery, Bob Peterson, and Bruce Horkey - these guys all played huge roles in making my dream come true and I count them as lifelong friends. I will be forever grateful for their hard work, talent, and careful attention to detail. For a guy like me that doesn't know jack about turning a wrench, it was truly a joy to work on this project with a group of guys that valued my input and let me be involved in every step of the design and decision-making process.
I think Marvin had a lot of fun at the show. I know I did! Couldn't stop staring at him from every angle. I think the best part, though, was watching other people stopping to enjoy having a look. Had some great conversations with a lot of very nice people. Big thanks to Root2812 for coming down and saying hi! Really looking forward to the next show we get to go to.
I'll stop rambling now and get onto the photos. No play-by-play commentary this time, just the pics! Marvin is about 99% complete, although there is a short "to-do" list of small items to still take care of back at the body shop. Hope to have him here at home in about a month. Then the fun really begins! Please don't mind the trailer in the outdoor photos. Marvin isn't going to be a trailer queen, but the Minnesota roads still have a ton of salt and sand on them, so we gave him another comfy ride back to the shop. Will be hitting the road soon, though! Love how the sun came out for a couple of the outdoor pics - you can really see how the paint jumps off the truck in the sun!
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