Ok Boys and Girls it's Storytime

[regan wilson]

When I was a little boy around 8 years old my Daddy traded a McCormack Big M tractor and a sqeeze chute (cow stuff) for turquoise and white 69 chevy pickup for my oldest sister to drive . It was a dollar model , there wasn't much to it . Just a six cylinder , three on the tree , and a heater. My sis drove it till 76 when she graduated and handed down to my older brother . Well he didnt like the six so he had a 2 BBL 327 put in it and had it painted . He also added some (stylish for the time) white wagon spoke wheels and some 10x15 mudgrips(cool huh) . Well he drove it till 1979 and bought him a 77 Vette and parked the truck under the Barn . I was about 13 then and always had an interst in cars so this is how it all got started .(I know my parents wish they would have sold the damn thing). I had neighbor that was into cars that helped me get started . We put a holley Strip Dominator intake and a 750 Holley on it and a set of Hedman Hedders (did I mention I didnt even have a Drivers Licence yet ?) That didnt matter I was hauling cows with a 2 ton and a 32 ft trailer at the time lol. Well here is where it all started.http://

[regan wilson]

In 1981 I got my Licence at 15 and started driving . This pic was scanned off of an old polaroid so it doesnt look too good .

[regan wilson]

Well by 1982 I was tired of the white wheels and the crappy paint . I had it painted ( I think it cost $500.00) and got me some more stylish chrome wagon spokes ......(really cool )http://

[regan wilson]

Thats all for today . I will try to do a lil more in the next day or two .

[djracer]

Sweet Keep it coming. You need to post some pics for Liz she is doing a Poster.

[regan wilson]

Not much changed in 1982 but I wwas convinced to at least lower it a little bit . I also built a little hotter 327 and stuck Muncie four speed in it . This was when I first ran it down the strip . It would run low 15's spinning in first second and third gear .

[regan wilson]

Early in 1983 ! There was a bunch of older guys that built a louver press and I decided it would be cool to punch some in the truck . We did the hood first with three rows per side for 126 total . Tailgate skins were hot at the time but I didnt like covering up the indention on the tailgate . We made a small skin that just covered up the lower part of the tailgate with 66 louvers in it .





I also did away with the rails and funky old toolbox (better huh)

[regan wilson]

Late 1983 ! I was reading a Super Chevy magazine and spotted an ad for a 500 hp 454 from racing head service for 1695.00. I sold my three wheeler(a good move anyway you look at it ) and every thing else I could . I also traded the four speed for TH 400 . We started stripping it down and got in a solid coat of red velvet primer . Did I leave out the fact that it would run low 13's roasting the tires . By the end of the year I had outrun damn neer everybody on the street (did I say that ? I never would have street raced )



More to come later guys .

[Keith Seymore]

Does this story have a happy ending?

[regan wilson]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Does this story have a happy ending?

Oh yes ! There is alot more to come though .

[djracer]

I'm diggin it Regan keep it coming.

[DragHammer]

What a great story!! and you tell it soooo well...

[team39763]

Did people think you were crazy back then for fixing up a truck to be fast? Just wondering because these days a lot of people think it's pointless to try to make a truck fast. Was it like that back then?

[noonzor]

its like storytime back in gradeschool! keep going!!

[ripdog28]

I could guess what happens to the truck in the end but ill save it for Regan. Cough 655+ CI maby....

[C20-67_N_MO]

Aww come on, we need to hear more about this story....

sounds like it's just gettin' good!

[69trk]

Man your old - lol!!! I guess i am also, i was driving mine in the early 90's..

[Chlsnk]

Can't wait for more of this story. This is kind of what i'm currently doing.

[tomtuna1978]

i wanna hear the end to this one

[regan wilson]

Originally Posted by tomtuna1978

i wanna hear the end to this one

This story will probably never end . I will eventually get up to today though .

[regan wilson]

Later in 1983 I decided the old truck needed a better looking set of wheels . The Cragar SST was pretty new at the time and I decided on them . I used a 10" on the back with a radial tire (they didnt last long). They sold me an 8" roe the front (ughh) but they still looked better than the chrome wagon spokes . While doing the body work we also frenched an antenna behind the passenger door (sounded cool at the time)

[regan wilson]

I was brainwashed by my first wife and we decided to get married after we graduated in may of 84 . But I made sure the truck got painted before that (we all have keep our priorities straight dont we ?). This is the same color blue that is still on it today .If you look behind the truck you will see the garage apartment we lived in ( I had to sneek parts in becuase the little wife didnt like me spending money) I ended up raising my daughter by myself till she was five . I would put her to bed at night and then go down to the garage . Dont worry I could hear her feet through the floor lol....Oh and do you ask about the wife ? Well all i can say is I still have the truck .......

[regan wilson]

Somewhere around 86 I sold the big front wheels and got some 5" fronts . We also lowered it a lil more . This was as closed to finished the truck had ever been .

[regan wilson]

Somewhere around this time I was spraying the truck some . One day It spit the rods out and cut the block and oilpan in half (ouch). So I built another one with square port heads and a mild solid cam . It was a stout twelve second runner . I ran this combo till 1989 , also around 88 I got me some Weld Wheels .This is how the truck looked in 1988 and you will see my daughter in the pic . That kid was co pilot to the thrashing of many a Mustang (those were fun to pic on back in the day).......................

[djracer]

Cool story.

I like a man with priorities!