The Ol Girl

[Freightrain]

Well, the story starts back many, many years ago. I always wanted to drive truck, but just never got the opportunity so the next best thing was get a toy. My B was owned by General Towing in Canton, Ohio for many years of it's life. Mostly driven by the two owners and used to pull trailers back from wrecks. I watched this truck sit in the lot, hardly used much anymore and said "someday I'll own something like that". In the summer of '01 the bug really hit and I wanted to see if I could purchase the truck. I walked into the shop and asked the owner. He agreed, finally that he'd let it go. I got the truck and LOTS of spare parts that he'd acquired over 25 yrs of owning a fleet of B's. The truck was a basic good runner, but needed attention from sitting and being neglected.

The basic driveline is all original and purrs like a kitten, uses no oil runs down the highway pretty nice. I've done basic upgrades since like: new sheetmetal floor, bumper, painted fenders, king pins, brake chambers, air/fuel lines, rebuilt compressor, 12v starter conversion, radial tires. There's still lots to do and as time and money come I'll continue. I'd love to make it perfect, but then I wouldn't want to use it so it'll likely be a driver more than a nut/bolt restoration. I"ve used it for the last 4 yrs to pull my race car trailer all over Ohio and the surrounding states: KY, IN, NY.

I've been working on the previous owner for some "action" shots from years gone by. He's been promising me pictures, but haven't received them yet. I'd like to make a scrap book.

The attached picture shows the truck as it was the week after I bought it and was showing it to friends at lunch.

The story will continue................

[Barry]

Your truck has come a long way! I remember seeing her since the first days of BMT! Keep that story comming!

[dendrill]

Hey Freightrain i remember seeing your truck before you got it, also noticed when it wasn't there anymore. Glad you were the one who bought it. I saw it near the mall pulling a trailer not too long ago it seems, must have been one of its last missions for the towing co.

[jward]

I've seen you running around town,and I love seeing that old B.That picture doesn't do that truck justice. I haul for Northstar asphalt and Russo concrete in North Canton.Next time I see ou I'll give you a wave.

Jeff

Edited March 16, 2007 by cl460

[Firemack]

Hi Freightrain,

Nice Story! Great looking B, glad to see you got her and keep her looking good! Is your race car one of those rare Fairlanes that came from Ford race prepared?

Firemack

[rsmartyn]

Hi Freightrain, I'm late to the party but seeing that beautiful "B" and reading your story does my heart good to know that truck is in good hands. Think anybody'll feel way about a Volvo if one ever lasts that long? Bob

[Freightrain]

dendrill: That was probably MY trailer it was pulling? 40 ft black Haulmark enclosed gooseneck used for my race car.

Hi Jeff. Yup, I get fuel over there next to Northstar. I'm sure you know "Hammer" aka Dick Abel and his old Gold mack?

I know Leo Russo too, my buddy Karl(relative of Russo) drives cement truck for them. How about Tom Bonner? I know someone just about anywhere LOL!! Give me a holler sometime.

Firemack: Nope, my race car is just an odd one, but not factory. It's a '64 Galaxie wagon as seen in my avatar.

Bob: I don't think much anything PLASTIC will be around long. It will be a bunch of new PENS in 15 yrs LOL!! The ol truck has been pretty good to me so far and the owner is just tickled that I'm fixing it up. He never did because it was just a company truck that was going to get beat up anyway. I see the owner a few times a month and still hassle him about getting pics from back in the day. Someday I'll get to post something.

[jward]

Hey Freightrain,

I know all those guys well. Carl is one of the guys that taught me how to run mixer. Bill Russo is a damn good mechanic that's taught me alot. They've all been good to me. I'm one of the youngest guys at Northstar, and Abel was gone from there when I got there a few years ago, but I sure remember that beautiful gold R-Model he had. You won't find an R haulin asphalt as nice as that one anywhere, and that is a fact!! I'll see you around.

Jeff

[Freightrain]

Karl (aka Penguin) and I go back to college days at Stark Tech('bout 20 yrs now). Abel was a neighbor til I moved up towards the airport couple years back. His "new" Binder is just as perfect as that Mack was. Blows my mind how anyone can keep something that clean? Lord knows I try, but he drives his thru the crap everyday and still keeps it shiny. Tom Bonner went to Junior high with, but went separate ways in HS(he went to Mck).

I'm sure we'll bump elbows someday.

[chris88]

Where about in ohio are you freightrain? I'm headed out to lima, ohio next thursday to look at northwestern tech. Ive never been to ohio before so i dont know the layout of the state but I'll be out there next week, and for a year and half in about a year and half.

[Freightrain]

Canton, Ohio.

Lima is over on the West side, right off Rt. 30. Follow 30 East over about 2.5 hrs to canton and that's me!

If I recall correctly I have a racing friend that has a nephew over there taking mechanic classes.

[jward]

That is a good school. I looked into going there. A buddy of mine went to Nashville Diesel School.It's definitely a good trade.

[chris88]

Yea, im going to the open house next week and to take the scholarship test. I'll see what its all about when im out there before i make up my mind on anything. Its somewhere around 9 hrs from jersey so its a bit of hike but i want to get out of jersey for a while.

[Diesel Brad]

Freightrain - nice looking B. Looks like it lead a much easier life then the old B series mixers/dump trucks I used to see working in the old quarry in the early 80s.

You run a FE in that Ford ?

[Freightrain]

Ya, other than sitting outside for 40 yrs, the owners tried to keep it from being beat to death.

Here's the most recent picture from last summer. Got a bit more shine to her now.

Yup, the ol wagon runs a 428ci FE. Not much Ford left inside of it, but she's a run'r!

Got a couple shots for ya.

[twostickmutt]

hey freightrain. the pics of that 'ol ford reminds me of my old days in the late 60's and early 70's playing with the 409 chevies. nice pics. (i didn't think a ford could jump that high LOL)

[Freightrain]

Getting 4100 lbs to stand up on a 9" tire at all is a real feat! It's usually about there in third gear also(ya, it's a stick shift car). Been workin on suspension for last couple years and I'll let ya know when I get it up on the back bumper LOL!

[GearheadGrrrl]

Back around 1970 I met Dick Charbenau, one of Ford's top drag racers who had raced a very successful FE powered Fairlane station wagon. That car would wheelie at will, and was known for it's ability to do wheelies at over 100 MPH when upshifting into top gear. While these theatrics were popular with the crowds, they weren't helping to win races and were way scarier than intended. Dick did some calculations and figured out that lifting the front wheels was wasting over 100 horsepower. He then redid his suspension, setting up the rear soft so the forces causing the wheelie would instead drop the rear of the car, while the front suspension was set up stiff so the the underside of the car didn't become a wing. The suspension strategy worked, and that Fairlane wagon was a winner for years to come.

[Freightrain]

There's a local fellow around Ohio that runs a super stock Fairlane wagon. 427/4 spd and it's known for it's wheelstand antics also, usually followed by smashed oil pans and shocks up thru the hood(from hard landings).

I keep mine around 4-6inches and that's fine so far. It's all in the clutch and suspension and I'm fine tuning both. Ya, I'm a showboat'r with it, but I still win races. I took the Points championship of the local stick shift group running NE Ohio. Just today I got it all put back together and got it started(broke in the "new" neighbors nextdoor LOL!). Ahhhh, the sweet sound(and smell).

Ok, sorry for the O/T............back to trucks...............

[twostickmutt]

There's a local fellow around Ohio that runs a super stock Fairlane wagon. 427/4 spd and it's known for it's wheelstand antics also, usually followed by smashed oil pans and shocks up thru the hood(from hard landings).

I keep mine around 4-6inches and that's fine so far. It's all in the clutch and suspension and I'm fine tuning both. Ya, I'm a showboat'r with it, but I still win races. I took the Points championship of the local stick shift group running NE Ohio. Just today I got it all put back together and got it started(broke in the "new" neighbors nextdoor LOL!). Ahhhh, the sweet sound(and smell).

Ok, sorry for the O/T............back to trucks...............

freightrain. your really gettin' my memory back. '62 chevy bubble top 409/409 she'd run 12.50/12.70 if i was right. 7" mickey thompson's the rest bone stock?????

[Barry]

Larry, you holdin out on us? I saw your wiper washer upgrade on ATHS!

We need details!!

[HK Trucking]

There's a local fellow around Ohio that runs a super stock Fairlane wagon. 427/4 spd and it's known for it's wheelstand antics also, usually followed by smashed oil pans and shocks up thru the hood(from hard landings).

I keep mine around 4-6inches and that's fine so far. It's all in the clutch and suspension and I'm fine tuning both. Ya, I'm a showboat'r with it, but I still win races. I took the Points championship of the local stick shift group running NE Ohio. Just today I got it all put back together and got it started(broke in the "new" neighbors nextdoor LOL!). Ahhhh, the sweet sound(and smell).

Ok, sorry for the O/T............back to trucks...............

Aw, what the hell, here's another OT post.

Looking at your Ford brought back memories of my reckless youth, and the 1969 Chevelle that I had back then.

It started out as a Malibu with a 307,powerglide and 10 bolt open rear with rust holes in the fenders and quarterpanels and gradually over a couple of years I kept finding parts and changing things around

Had to get rid of that powerglide! Automatics are against my religion!!!!!

The finished product in the photos had a 427 'Vette engine bored 30 over, 13.5 :1 pistons, Crower solid lifter cam, Hooker headers, Edelbrock Tarantula Manifold, Holley double pumper, Accel dual point distributor

Scattershield etc.

Trans was M22 Rock Crusher 4 speed with 4.11 posi 12 bolt rear with ladder bars.

TRW heavy duty front coil springs

Air shocks in the rear

Cragar Super Sport wheels

I never ran it at a track, it was a street machine.

My favorite saturday afternoon activity at that time was to drop the headermufflers and blast around town with open headers.

[chris88]

Nice car, that thing must have moved along pretty good and sounded great.

[Superdog1986]

hey Hk did u grow up in CT? if so what town were u from?

damn thats a sweet chevelle!!!!

Edited April 17, 2007 by Superdog1986

[HK Trucking]

hey Hk did u grow up in CT? if so what town were u from?

Yup.

I grew up in Stamford CT, in the Springdale area.

Lived there til 1985.