Quote:
Originally Posted by sodly
Good thread, Markeb01. Musta missed it. I'm really kinda shocked there aren't more folks that are into originality. Seems there are just a very rare few of us. All-original trucks seem to about be one in a million, too, from what I can tell. Too bad. Is it that guys just don't like the factory stock look or are correct parts just too hard to find... or what? No offense to the modified crowd but I'm curious. With almost any other make of antique vehicle I've been around the owners are generally all about bringing them back to stock configuration as much as possible. That sure doesn't seem to be the case with post-1960 pickups, though. They are almost universally heavily modified. Very odd.
I also dig your Ford Camper Special. I have a '66 F100 Camper special very much like yours with 47k miles and completely original. My only wish is that it was a Chevy c20 but I'm happy to have anything that's so original and in nice condition.
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Speaking from my own perspective, I think the reason so few of the 60-66 series have been restored to pure stock is because of what they represent. They aren’t small, cute and primitive like those from the 30’s to the mid 50’s, which is the age group I would focus on if I wanted to do a restoration. They also don’t have the creature comforts and safety features of modern trucks. The lack of power steering, brakes, and automatic transmissions make them more suitable (for many people) to perform yard duty than daily commuting. And because they are big and roomy, and have large load capacity (especially the wide long beds) they remain very practical for dump runs.
Conversely, many restored cars were treasured when new, and enjoyed legions of fans over the years preserving excellent examples. Families grew up in them with lifetime stories to preserve. When our trucks were new, they were primarily appliances and were routinely given the love and respect of a taxi cab or police car.
As these trucks aged (beginning with the 67-72 series) the popularity of trucks as daily transportation rapidly expanded. By 1973 fully optioned trucks became common, and as these came on the used market, the 60-66 series became much less desirable to everyone except enthusiasts. Most ended up in the secondary market where they continued to be beaten, abused and neglected.
The 60-66 series seems to be enjoying more popularity now than ever before, which I’m hopeful will preserve an ever increasing number of these models regardless of build direction. You should always build what you are most passionate about, and if that’s stock – great. I enjoy eyeballing the details of a pure stock truck. I’m just not enthusiastic to own one myself.