Things I'd Buy If

If I didn't already have way too many things with wheels underneath them, that is.

I take a different, less traveled route to work when I ride my motorcycle. I came across this 1960 El Camino parked in someone's front yard out on one of the back roads. The phone number and price are barely readable, having been faded by the sun, so it must have been sitting there for awhile. On a road with little traffic and a price tag of $4,500, it'll probably be sitting there a while longer too.

The '56 Pontiac Chieftain looks to a better bargain than the El Camino. Asking $3,000 and looks to be in fairly good shape. However, a restored El Camino would be just the thing for retrieving a BSA motorcycle when it leaves you stranded along the side of the road.

Here's the one that really grabbed me. 1953 F600 Ford truck complete with the original flat head V- 8. The sign said $2,500 but the owner said he'd take $2,000. He said it ran good, the hydraulics for raising the bed worked and other than the obvious rust damage, the only thing it needed was a rear brake cylinder and to be driven a little more.Of course, if you started patching panels and were planning on doing it up proud, there would be a lot more than that, starting with some new skins. The old tires have cracks almost as deep on the sidewalls as they do on the tread. The truck would look good with a fresh coat of red paint and some chrome West Coast mirrors. A truck like this would be just the ticket if a guy had a small acreage and needed to haul material once in a while. Actually, I considered doing just that a few years ago and decided to build a trailer instead. One of the few times I did the practical thing and after seeing this old Ford and a couple others over the ensuing years, I do have a slight tinge of regret. I've always had a soft spot for old trucks. The trailer is a nice one but I don't get a warm and fuzzy from it even though I made it myself.

And here's a couple of things I don't have to think about buying because I'm going to be there working a corner. These are tickets for our upcoming fundraising show for the boxing gym. It's already a sellout three weeks before the event. These two are for TVI and his son if they want them, if not, there's a waiting list of people looking for tickets. This is the first show other than the in-house shows we've held. I hope things go well. Jimmy's put a lot of work into organizing and promoting the event. Not easy running an amateur boxing gym. Not profitable either. This should help.

Have a good weekend!