My Dad's and My Uncle's Welding Project From 1969...

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Got 2 pics of the tow truck my dad used to drive thanks to cousin Al..Uncle Aldo's son..We think it's a 1967 F-500  312 V8....4 Speed....PTO for  the winch.. Oil bath air filter....top speed 50 MPH...According to Johnny..another guy that towed with dad who was at the funeral today told me that dad and uncle Aldo built this machine from the ground up.Started with the cab and chassis and the basic wrecker back body but no winch..booms...nothing.So here is one of dad's creations that I did not know he did with uncle Aldo's help or vice versa...The white letter tires and rim and lug nut paint along with the yellow boom and the orange stripes were from myself and cousin Al..BOY do these pics flood the memory banks once again..This thing would pick up a fully loaded Mass Electric truck.Did not like it but would do it anyway.Johnny told us of the time they were winching a car out from the train tracks and they had the front end 4 feet in the air with it tied to a tree!This thing was a BEAST!!That's uncle Aldo's former Lincoln Mercury garage..Still in existence but not a dealership anymore.Johnny's bay was the one nearest the oil truck..Next one was the inspection bay...Next one was where the front end machine (pit) was...Next was Phil's bay and last but not least was Bob's bay.Besides the front end pit and the inspection bay everyone had a lift and tire machine...Waste oil burner with radiant heat floors!I lived there for awhile as a kid washing the new cars...Running over Capri's with the wrecker in reverse...Hope someone can pinpoint what year this truck is...If I knew where it was right now I would buy it no question..That truck means  alot to a bunch of us and to get it back would be PRICELESS!!Thanks for letting me carry on......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Haha bro great man! Dad was a talented man, I see where you get it bud. very cool I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Thanks Mate!Love it!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I just wish I knew where it is...Even if it still exists........zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Those are all great looking trucks. I really enjoyed the pics and history, Zap. Cool stuff. Im working on digging out Granddad and Dads old highway construction photos to scan onto a disc. Most are from the late 50s to the mid 70s.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Great pix!I take it this was the fabled tow truck that tows cars that pass you on the highway!
Reply:Thanks for posting the photos, and sharing some of your stories.  I was thinking about you today,wondering how you were doing.  Give you Mom a hug from the "gang".  It gets easier from here out.  Take care...Lincoln Precision TIG 185.Flex-Loc 150 torch.Super-Flex hose.Lincoln MIG 180.Victor Oxy/Act torch set.DeWalt Bandsaw with SWAG stand
Reply:those pics bring back memory's even for me. when i was a kid i worked at weld built wrecker's for about 5 minutes. great product lousy shop.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:That truck is beyond awesome.My Dad worked at a Texaco station just out of college and they needed a tow truck so the owner bought a cab and chassis and Dad built the bed. The truck was an early 60s Ford, probably an F-350 or so. I can remember driving past the station in the early 80s after they went out of business but the wrecker still sat in the bay. One winter day I slid off the road just down from the station and even though they were no longer in business Lavoy got the old girl out and pulled me out. Last I saw of the truck the bed was sitting on top of a box truck body in a salvage yard and the chassis was being used in the yard........what a tragic waste.The station also had a 59 F-250 4x4 I tried to buy but was turned down because there "aint no way to fix that old junker".......it had a broken front axle shaft.Lavoys(station owner) personal truck was a 70 or 71 F-250 4x4 dually that sat in his pole barn until he died last year......I doubt it had eve seen a night under the stars and was in pristine condition.Thanks for bringing those memories up Zap.
Reply:I love old pictures like that, especially if there is an old Ford truck in it!That is the '64 through '66 body style in the F100-F350. But the extended fenders and6 lug wheels means that yours is an F500 or F600 which in turn means that it "could" bea '67 or '68. Ford always carried the light duty body over a year or 2 (or 3) in the mediumduty lineup. It probably had a 352 V8 unless somebody swapped it.60 mph on the redline and 4 mpg! Oh, and that was towing 40,000 lbs! Did I say I love it?
Reply:Originally Posted by rexcormackI love old pictures like that, especially if there is an old Ford truck in it!That is the '64 through '66 body style in the F100-F350. But the extended fenders and6 lug wheels means that yours is an F500 or F600 which in turn means that it "could" bea '67 or '68. Ford always carried the light duty body over a year or 2 (or 3) in the mediumduty lineup. It probably had a 352 V8 unless somebody swapped it.60 mph on the redline and 4 mpg! Oh, and that was towing 40,000 lbs! Did I say I love it?
Reply:This engine pic I found online is what was in it..I remember burning my arm on the crossover pipe!This looks like it has the oil bath filter and is very familiar even though it's been 35 years since I last saw it..Ahhhhh the memories and good times.......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Looks like a 292 to me
Reply:Originally Posted by Stroked550Looks like a 292 to me
Reply:Great memories! That's what it is all about in the end! So glad you were able to get these pics!GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:Here is a car dad towed one day...He drove the wrecker..I drove the car.Into a wall.He did not want to bring it to the garage because overnight someone would rape it so he brought it to the house.I was living in a Apt. one town over at the time and he thought the best place for it was in his own driveway..That's me circa 1981 with Bill my bass player at the time..That was one FAST car back then...You don't get all the win stickers in the rear window for going slow...I figured as we were going back in time.......Ahhhhhhhh the memories........zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Any chance on finding a VIN. From there maybe the dmv could find the last know registered whereabouts. Or if you knew any police officers they may be able to also with a vin. Great looking old machine. Best regards.-Keaton
Reply:I love the old Ford trucks. Very nice one in those pics, ZapMissed a chance to get a 4x4 F600 recently, it ran, just needed brakes.Mr. HE
Reply:It may be going back too far, but you can try to make a freedom of information act request with the state to find the Vin number. From there you can do a Vin search with carfax or numerous other Vin search websites. Good luck. It may take some time and leg work, but that old beauty can be found.
Reply:292 was the only one I remember having the cross-over pipe. We had one in an 64 F100 till it was given up, then the engine went into a 65 F250 4x4.In the late 80's, I drove an N-600 rollback (Eager Beaver) with a 33? truck motor till my gearhead buddy built a 390(?) with a low rpm high torque Camper/RV cam.Then it would really Pull a Load!Love those OLD FORDS!Last edited by drujinin; 07-11-2014 at 02:49 PM.