OLD Fargo Truck resto/rehab...not mine but an interesting take on it

[marty mopar]

I wonder how many neophytes get sucked in by those idiotic television shows where the do a "restoration" in about 2 weeks. Even members of my family who know I've been grinding away at mine for years seem to think it's the sort of thing you can accomplish on a few weekends. Of course, the people who think that way nave never actually made anything in their lives more complicated than a ham sandwich.

As I reduce the 1929 Fargo Express panel to a pile of disconnected parts, I can appreciate the wisdom in what you are saying.
I was aware the truck had no transmission of drive shaft installed, as well as clearly seeing that the truck had 3 shredded tires, and one tire missing completely.
However, there was a transmission in the back of the truck, and the seller said he had a drive shaft which would fit the truck.
My bad! The shop was dark, the transmission was for some other antique car, the tires were not only shredded, the wooden spokes on the wheels were rotted and had some serious cracks.
Now I discover that the engine is locked up and probably has at least three bad, non-repairable cylinder bores.
As I started to disassemble the body, I found it unnecessary to screw nuts free from their bolts since the metal was so rusty the part just fell off, leaving the bolt and nut intact.
There is not a single piece of wood on the truck which can be reused, either for its original purpose, or even as a pattern.
Even the steering wheel and gear box, provided to replace the frozen steering gear box, and totally destroyed steering wheel is from a car, and can’t be used on the truck.
I have some serious doubts that the engine will ever run again without, even if possible, a complete rebuild, and most certainly will not be capable of moving under its own power because of parts made of unobtainabium.
Oh……………….does it sound like I am complaining?
If it does I apologize because my purpose in posting this is the opposite.
Reanimating these old machines is basically the same sort of hobby as a leather craftsman or a furniture maker. Or, perhaps a person who invests many years labor, and a fortune in costs to build a massive Koi pond.
At best they may wear a newly crafted belt, or wear some exotic boots once before they are retired to the closet. Or, they may sit in a newly constructed chair or use that exquisitely built dresser once before it is sold at a garage sale. And, if the Koi pond is a awesome success, the builder has acquired a lifetime of the feeding and maintenance of a gang of voracious, and remarkably dull, but extremely durable, and long lived fish.
The amount of time spent, the effort and the innumerable, but collective, accomplishments in something interesting and, questionably, productive is the real goal of any hobby.
So goes a reanimation project such as the Fargo panel truck is. All of the aforementioned is really the project, and the truck is, in itself, no more than the mechanism used to attain it.
And, if it’s value is determined by the length of time, effort and expenditure of energy that can be spent on the Fargo…..it is, indeed, a treasure trove of hobby pleasures.

I admire that this guy is going to attempt to make this thing run again but what a project from hell.!!!

Gotta love his attitude too. He has big balls for sure!!

 

[jollyjoker]

Gee . . . I don't feel so bad now, when I go down to the garage . . .