Tribute

[circa73]

The project link is at the end............This begins in October 2012. We flew Dad down from Massachusetts to visit us in Virginia. A little over 2 years earlier, I had bought my daily driver, a 1971 C10 shortbox. It took a long time to find what I wanted, a 69-72 model shortbox, with a straight 6.

After looking for a few years I found her, and after 6 hours driving and $4500 it was mine. I tinkered around when I had time, got her running smooth and driving straight. The rot wasn't "as-bad" as many other trucks from this year I'd keep telling myself...and my wife.

It reminded me of Moms 1970 K5 blazer from my childhood. I always loved the look of it pulling into the driveway. It just looked cool. It was a hotrod. She drove a 1960 Bel Air when I was about 5. I used to call it the "Speeder Car" because it looked like it was built for trouble. Hotrods were part of everyday life. I thought everyone had one.


My Dad was a bodyman by trade, and a hotrodder by birth. I grew up in his garage and at the drag races, car shows and cruise ins. He used to race his 1955 Chevy 210 every summer. He had that car before I was born. Mom said he found it and spoke about it being perfect for a hotrod build. When he took her with him to load it up for home, she was shocked to see it was a chicken coop for some years.

When I was little, we camped out and raced at New England Dragway pretty much every weekend in the summers. When I go to the drags with my family now, the smells bring me back to those summers as a kid. Man those were the days, and I was lucky to have that life.


So back to October 2012, the old man and I were in my garage hanging out. Dad was looking at the truck and talking about how I should have noticed some previous hack work on the body (I did I just didn't care). He said it was a shame I didn't have his garage down here so I could really fix her up. Then he looked at me and said, "I'm driving it home and fixing her up right. Jimmy, he said I don't want this thing half-assed". He was right, I didn't have the shop to fix her up the way it needed to be.

Now mind you ........was a 1971 C10 (worn) inline 6 (1-bbl) in October driving 600 miles north to the South Shore of Mass. The trip home is another story. I hope he writes a short story one day.

Two months later in December, I was working three weeks in Boston at a power plant on night shift. After work I drove an hour south to Dads house and saw the truck in the garage untouched. That very month just 5 years earlier, a man blew through a stop sign at an intersection in our little town and t-boned Mom's car on the drivers door. She died on the helicopter ride to Boston. My brother and I lived in different states. Dad was still trying to keep busy and having a hard time of it, we all were. I needed to do something. I started unbolting parts.

Over the next few days after work I removed the front clip with Dad pointing and telling me how to do it. I was 10 years old again working in his shop. Ha!!!

Over the next couple years my total involvement was about a solid week if you added up all the hours. Not much hands on unfortunately. My job took me all over the country, but tearing off that front end was the start of it. Dad did the rest. I just had the boxes and boxes of parts shipped to him direct.
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This album link is 300+ photos I took during the time we worked together. My son even helped working with his "Pop" or "Pup" was the accent allows in New England. It was priceless to see them together working together. Dad would ride me like a skateboard... "pay attention", "do it right"...."make sure you're doing it right Jimmy"...... after a weary session, I looked over and saw my son grinning at me. "He only does it because he loves you". LOL!!! Little SOB.

Over 50 years my Dad has worked miracles with cars that should have met the crusher. Most of that time he was self employed. There was one time I remember Mom being angry that someone skipped out on paying their bill. One customer gave Dad an envelope with their payment as they left for vacation to Florida. He gave it to my Mom that night so she could deposit it in the bank. In it, she found a thank you card (no $$ in it of course). The people must have enjoyed Florida, because they never came back.

2016!!! My best friend loaded up the truck in April this year and drove down to Virginia to visit for a week. We took her for a ride down the county roads where I live. That truck is absolutely amazing. I can never thank my Dad enough for what he's done for me. Old Blue is better than when she rolled off the line in 1971.

Robert J. "Jimmy" Stewart has fixed the unfixable, straightened the unstraighten-able and atoned for the biggest hackjobs ever committed against cars. He has turned garbage into glory. I wish I had half his talent and ability. Thanks Dad. I love you.


His 55 is in the garage now, needing some TLC. He's finally selling the old house and moving south to warmer weather soon. He plans to bring the 55 down to my place where we can all work together to restore her to former glory.

..................God I hope so.

Enjoy the pics.


Link to the album:

https://goo.gl/photos/RfpVXBkFL5XfEkZL8

[raggedjim]

Great write-up, you're lucky to have him. My dad got early onset alzhiemers at 62 and died of a stroke at 70.

Nice truck, probably not a lot of turbo'd sixes out there, I like it!

Good luck, Rg