71 family heirloom

[Daddy Bartholomew]

I've got a 1971 GMC 1500 (350/350, 1/2 ton, 2wd, no extras) that has been in the family since maybe 1973 or so. My future brother-in-law was the second owner, and he originally got it to use in the family concrete business - which he did, with a vengeance.

When he eventually married my sister (30+ years now, and he's quite possibly the only suitor of any of my sisters that I approved of), my mother insisted on continuing to pay for my sister's student loans. BIL did NOT approve, but really, really couldn't afford to insist otherwise.

So he gave Mom the truck, which she promptly put a camper onto.

By now, the truck was a completely worn out shell of its former self. Transmission needed new clutch packs, suspension totally worn out, steering so loose you could turn the wheel a full quarter turn without causing drift, body banged up, bed planks shedding chunks, side mirrors hanging from loose holes, tailgate rusty... It was just pretty far gone. About the only thing that could be said for it was that it was still drivable, although on a full tank of gas it wouldn't go more than 120-140 miles.

Mom, with her fox-like cunning, suggested that I go through the local community college auto mechanics program, and I could use the truck as my project rig. Since everything was shot, I could repair everything!

That was the beginning. Now, 30 years later, I've got the truck, and won't be getting rid of it till Mom is gone where she won't know that I sold it.

I even tried to once, when I was sick of working on it and yet another nightmare scenario was forcing me to replace the engine again; she told me, "Oh, don't get rid of it! Give it back to me, if you don't want it anymore!" Took me about half a second to realize that I would then be doing all the work, and not getting the use of the truck.

So, being stuck with the truck, I decided I would at least have fun with it. Now it's got a small-block 400, 700R4, 3.73 posi with beefed-up leaf springs, tilt-wheel, tach dash, Edelbrock intake, HEI ignition, power brakes, headers and dual exhaust, front sway bar, and not a damn thing ever done to the body. We can haul a trailer with two horses without strain, or a trailer with two tons of hay and another 25 bales in the bed, or peg the speedometer on the highway -- all in something that looks like it should be taken in for some well-earned TLC.

Best of all, after tweaking the carb, I just got back from a 110-mile round trip and only managed to squeeze 5.5 gallons back into the tank.

Maybe this summer I'll put in shoulder belts, replace the oak floorboards, and move the gas tank back there while I'm at it...