Help me find my dad's old truck please!

[bcwilson_1]

Hey everyone! Ok, so I have one of those stories where I want to find my dad's old truck. I've been trying for the last 4+ years with no luck. This is sort of my last resort. It was a 72 C10 short bed 350. It was last seen (owned) by my dad in Tarrant County (Irving) Texas in the early 80's. I'm just praying that quite possibly the current owner might be on here or in some way someone might know something.

The pros: some specific mods when he had it were a "high-rise" intake, headers, stock white 16" wheels, an aftermarket chrome rear bumper, possibly exhaust work, original wood steering wheel, and the most noticeable of all that hopefully would make it stick out...reversed "baby blue" and white two-tone paint job.

The cons: I have no VIN record or Plate# to go on. I have even called all the insurance companies my mom thought they had with no luck. The DMV and DPS in Texas are no luck and won't play ball.

As soon as my mom finds the one picture they have of my dad sitting in the truck I will post it. Unfortunately, it only shows a portion of the cab.

[72 Super]

I hope you can find your dads truck, that would be cool. Wishing you the best of luck on your search.

Ray

[bcwilson_1]

Thanks!

[special-K]

Not to shoot it down, but after 30+ years with no VIN info or the name of who he sold it to I don't see how you could ever find it... or know you actually did when it's right in front of you.

[bcwilson_1]

Originally Posted by special-K

Not to shoot it down, but after 30+ years with no VIN info or the name of who he sold it to I don't see how you could ever find it... or know you actually did when it's right in front of you.

Ya its a shot in the dark for sure. Really I'm hoping the last know location, rare color combo, and time frame will help with something.

[special-K]

It would be nice if whoever bought it stashed it for 30 years to preserve it in the state it was when your dad had it.

[FRANK70]

I bought my truck in Dallas about 7 years ago when i lived in San Antonio. Its had a ton of owners before me. Its currently in the shop getting completely redone, Body work, Paint, Upholstery, electric, engine. When we sanded it down there were 4 colors of paint before mine. white, baby Blue, yellow, black.
No clue who owned it before me.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Wow, this will be a needle in a huge haystack. I've owned my C10 for 20 years and it's been redone 3 times already...

When it was sold 30 years ago, do you know if your dad was selling it as a "restored classic" or a "used truck?" These trucks weren't exactly a collectors item in the 80's, it may have been bought by someone to actually use as a daily work truck, etc.

You never know... my dad found his red 1968 Firebird that he sold in 1982 a couple years ago. It was the same paint job and it had the same ugly ass wheels it had when he sold it (it's basically been sitting in a garage since the other guy bought it). He didn't ask if it was for sale (he didn't really want it back) but enjoyed seeing it again. There's a picture of my dad holding me on the fender when I was a baby.

[bcwilson_1]

Originally Posted by FRANK70

I bought my truck in Dallas about 7 years ago when i lived in San Antonio. Its had a ton of owners before me. Its currently in the shop getting completely redone, Body work, Paint, Upholstery, electric, engine. When we sanded it down there were 4 colors of paint before mine. white, baby Blue, yellow, black.
No clue who owned it before me.

Haha that's probably what I'm up against!

[bcwilson_1]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Wow, this will be a needle in a huge haystack. I've owned my C10 for 20 years and it's been redone 3 times already...

When it was sold 30 years ago, do you know if your dad was selling it as a "restored classic" or a "used truck?" These trucks weren't exactly a collectors item in the 80's, it may have been bought by someone to actually use as a daily work truck, etc.

You never know... my dad found his red 1968 Firebird that he sold in 1982 a couple years ago. It was the same paint job and it had the same ugly ass wheels it had when he sold it (it's basically been sitting in a garage since the other guy bought it). He didn't ask if it was for sale (he didn't really want it back) but enjoyed seeing it again. There's a picture of my dad holding me on the fender when I was a baby.

Oh man that would be cool. Ya who knows my dads truck may be sitting in a pile in someone's garage or sitting untouched in a junkyard or field for the last 30 years. I don't know if he would have sold it as a classic. Like you're saying back then he probably just sold it as a regular titled vehicle. He has no clue who he sold it to either.

[Mollzyie]

Got me thinking . Be cool to find my moms gold 79 Fire bird . Good luck w truck . You'd need atleast a vin number . Could be in Mexico ... My grandpas old f100 became an irrigation pump .

[special-K]

I want to find my dad's '36 Ford Coupe he had when I was born. It was black with flathead V8 dual carbs & exhaust, Zepher transmission, Columbia 2spd rear, and of course a 3/4t grind cam. Would like to also have his '49 Ford wagon. I know he sold it because the wood was rotting away in the late-50s. Who knows, did it become mulch or is it sitting on the warf at the Santa Cruz show every year? I'd like to have about every vehicle I ever owned, but I'd be happy just to be able to find the same vehicle and fix it up just the same. The only difference would be the VIN and me knowing it's some other vehicle. I guess that's why you see people wanting a specific vehicle from their past. To be the exact same one is outrageously cool.

I owed my dad money and I gave him my first car, a '56 VW bug, because it was something he would like and could use. The agreement was I'd buy it back some day. Well, my little sister ended up needing it so she got it. Same deal, still in the family and I'm next to own when the time comes. Then she met and married a guy who didn't want her driving one of those dangerous things so he bought her a CJ5 J-turn special and the car got sold to someone who took it back to Germany. Anyone seen it, it was blue

[tdangle]

I have my dad's truck. People ask why I bother with it, it is not worth much and needs work. I figure once it's gone it is gone forever. Even though I have made some changes it will always be my dad's truck and I get a special feeling when I work on it and drive it that I can't explain.

Good luck with your search.

[aharper33]

Originally Posted by tdangle

I have my dad's truck. People ask why I bother with it, it is not worth much and needs work. I figure once it's gone it is gone forever. Even though I have made some changes it will always be my dad's truck and I get a special feeling when I work on it and drive it that I can't explain.

Good luck with your search.

Same thing, got my grandpas truck. Its just a 2000 Silverado work truck with about 50 dents from rounding up cows. Not worth a dime to anyone else, but worth a million dollars to me. It has a tape player in it and when we were cleaning it out after he passed away we found 2 polka tapes. When ever I am having a bad day I get in it and drive around listening to those tapes and it makes me feel like hes there riding around with me. I also know where my other grandpas 1964 GMC Stepside truck is and have talked to the owners and they said I can have it when they are ready to sell it.

[bcwilson_1]

Ok so here's the truck! I guess it was actually a longbed from the looks, but maybe this will be a little more helpful.

[weim55]

1960 Buick hubcaps on that truck, recognize 'cause I also have a '60 Buick LeSabre. If it means anything ya I know of a long shot but possible solid white '70 Custom 10 W/250 six and a three speed stick in New Mexico. I know it's a different year and engine but it is a damn nice original truck.

Steve weim55 Colorado

[Nh4clo4]

Good luck,

That smile is all of us in our trucks!

[Ken B]

I do hope you find it. I don't want to be negative but chances are real slim it still exists... I certainly hope I'm wrong!
Are you open to a tribute truck? Recreating yours Dads truck could be rewarding and a lot of fun...

[bcwilson_1]

Originally Posted by Ken B

I do hope you find it. I don't want to be negative but chances are real slim it still exists... I certainly hope I'm wrong!
Are you open to a tribute truck? Recreating yours Dads truck could be rewarding and a lot of fun...

I've thought about it. I'm actually getting ready to buy a 72 c20 as a daily driver. Went and looked at a 72 c10 the other day and took him with me. It was a 3 on the tree so I've never driven that type of manual, so he drove the first test drive and then we switched. I could see his face light up with memories haha.

[BILT4ME]

Good Luck on finding your Dad's truck!

It's tough to do. Look in your Dad's old paperwork and insurance policies to find a VIN number.

Start hanging out at the DMV (courthouse) in your county. Bring in donuts every week. Make friends.

Then after some time, see if someone will do a search for the VIN on the truck. The only down side is that if it ended up in a salvage yard, they are not required to record the VIN of every vehicle they "process".

I have been looking for one I sold in 1999 to a local guy, but now he is in jail, and none of his relatives want anything to do with him or anything he owned, so I've hit a dead end.

I have a suspicion that my truck has ended up in a salvage yard or the bottom of a mountain in CO. When he bought it from me at age 18, his friends' comments were "Man I bet that can do some serious mudding!!!", so I'm guessing he tore it up.

I'll keep looking , as I built the truck when I was in HS and it was a very specific custom. I won't hijack your thread with it.

Good Luck!

[davepl]

Good luck! I still have my first car which was my Dad's first new car, 48 years later! But his 1968 GMC 910 pickup got sold off to a neighbor who flipped it (grrr), so it's long gone.

Do you have photos of it at all? That's a start.

A VIN is really going to be key. You'd be surprised what you can find. I don't have the Protecto-Plate for the above-mentioned car, but in digging through my mom's junk I found a copy of a bill from the dealership for warranty work that had an imprint of it, so now I "have" the protect-o-plate. Hopefully you can luck into something similar, finding the VIN on an old receipt or something.

[bcwilson_1]

Originally Posted by davepl

Good luck! I still have my first car which was my Dad's first new car, 48 years later! But his 1968 GMC 910 pickup got sold off to a neighbor who flipped it (grrr), so it's long gone.

Do you have photos of it at all? That's a start.

A VIN is really going to be key. You'd be surprised what you can find. I don't have the Protecto-Plate for the above-mentioned car, but in digging through my mom's junk I found a copy of a bill from the dealership for warranty work that had an imprint of it, so now I "have" the protect-o-plate. Hopefully you can luck into something similar, finding the VIN on an old receipt or something.

Ya the only picture they have is the one I posted earlier. I know the friend of his who took that picture but unfortunately he doesn't remember anything as he was a Ford guy. And unfortunately the friend took the picture at just the wrong angle where you can't see all of the license plate, doh!