Hey Gang, As you know, I'm into the early stages of saving this 1 ton. It is my first build so bare with me when I get excited. It occured to me while painting the frame today that I had missed something in this restoration. It's not just a rebuild of a truck, it's not just saying look what we did. It "is" a statement of a time when craftsmen were at work. I have been a journeyman/professional most of my adult life. I've learned things most wouldn't know about controls, electronics, "vacuum tube to star wars". Now I'm experiencing an art I had not appreciated before. I have always liked the looks of different automobiles but never, until now, appreciated the craft and artwork that went into the unseen areas. Man, the things I've missed. No need to look under the robot built autos in my drive, the craftmanship isn't there! Sad to say, I was a part of that devolution. Rick
Thanks, Rick You said something that I feel on a regular basis. I love teaching the young ones, but I also am in awe of the craftsmanship that made this country great. That IS what it was. China is now doing what we did to get our foot in the door. Busting their butts for nothing a day. We say times have changed. Guess their clock is 40 or 50 years behind ours. The house I live in is exactly 100 years old. I don't have the time to even scratch the surface trying to say what all was done by hand when this house was built. Planes are now shapers. Hand saws are now circular. hammer and nails are now nail guns. Compound miters all by hand are now set up on power miter saws. Yet, homes today, built with every modern convenience, sell for 5 times (at least) more than those homes that were built by the same kind of craftsman that built our trucks. Yup, they prolly hated going to work. But- they gave their best when they got there. The jigs sucked, no doubt, but they still got these babies off the line... ...for us. I know, when I set on the seat and put my hands on the wheel. The moon light shining off that phat phender. Someone who gave a rat's ass built this truck that I'm setting in. And it is out of respect for that worker, and all his buddies who were just "doing their job" that I am remembering as I scrape away all that gunk from the block and frame. More than anything, I'm remembering a way of life. I feel that loud and clear in every aspect of my truck. And it is that, that I hope people see when I finally get mine rolling again. It was America at its best. We were on top of the world.
Here's to you, my friend! Have you ever thought about becoming a preacher? You'd make a good one! Never apologize for getting excited and never fore-go an opportunity to take a picture and share with us! Your frame is looking great! Having grown up with 2 generations of men that lived and breathed cars, I get a "warm and fuzzy" feeling every time someone posts a thread like this. I fetched wrenches for both my dad and granddad since 1959, and believe me, nothing is better than the late '40's and mid '50's cars and trucks! Thanks for helping keep the dream alive! Ken
Form and function I have to agree with you on this one, and i have ranted on about the same thing myself, sadly a lot of real craftmanship is dying out and its getting harder to find people who are capable of doing work on trucks like these. Panel beaters for one, luckily i learnt to do this myself years back, but kids in paint shops over here dont learn how to repair a panel, only how to replace one, insurance co's and thin sheet metal has all but killed the metal shapers over here. I know of loads of old guys who were incredible at all kinds of trades but no one was learning from them and their secrets died with them. There was an old boy near my old workshop who used to make fuel tanks for speedway bikes, made a good living from it, and his work sold all over the world, the small tanks were aluminium and a work of art but he tried to find someone to pass it on to but sadly he died and so did his art. The same is true of the building trade and any other trade you care to mention, no more stone masons, fewer carpenters (who can work with real wood not mdf) Kids these days dont strip engines in the search for more horses, they buy a chip and plug it in! I had better shut up
If you REALLY want to see craftmanship, look under a high-end pre-war car. The attention to detail is amazing. I had the chance to see a Bugatti torn completely apart for restoration....everything was art...even every nut and bolt. Some of the "newer" stuff is neat too, but 2008 cars (and parts) are designed to be cheap and assembled with the least amount of effort. Everything snaps together with "christmas tree" fasteners. I don't think any of the modern cars will be cherished like the good old ones.
You Said It ! At least you notice ~ few do anymore in the rush of daily life . This (the Craftsmanship) is why I say ' life is too short to drive a modern car ' Carry on then .
older vehicles I teach at an automotive trade school in Denver CO, Everyone drives newer cars (dime a dozen I call them). When I bring my 1 ton, or my 67 Camaro, all the students are amazed at how their built. Even more what gets them is the lines and the shape of the bodies, how gracful they look. The rounded curves, the compound curves. How they have "Style" a student told me last night. Ron
All is not lost! Hello all, just my 2 cents worth from New Hampshire on the loss of craftsmanship... My Dad has been in cars 65 of his seventy years, the last 24 or so self-employed as a restoration shop. My brother, at the ripe age of 22 or so, decided he would "work with dad for awhile". He's 38 now. My nephew now works one afternoon a week for Dad, bead-blasting parts and the like. He is 12. My daughter, also 12, is more than eager to help me on my '53 truck. She diligently sanded all the bed boards last week, smiling all the while, with nary a complaint-other than "it's time for fresh sandpaper". So, the potential craftsman are out there, you just need to squint a little to find them. We are all craftsman in our own way, even if we sit at a desk. Good Luck, Mike
Thanks, Mike! And how true. Yes, craftsmanship was sold out for $$$$ a l-o-n-g time ago. You hit the nail on the head with this post, however. You, Andy, me, every other proud papa on this site? We all can get the pendulum swinging the other way if we just take the time with our young ones. They WANT to know what's important. They really want to learn it from us. Parents or relatives, it doesn't matter. It only takes a couple of minutes to say, "Hey, look at this~ Look at how detailed this "thing" is. I wonder why they thought that was important?" Thanks again, Mike. Posts like yours and Andy's make me feel better about this world's future.
