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View Full Version : Restoring Ham's 48 Willys; It's Alive- It Runs - It Moves! VICTORY IS OURS!



LarrBeard
02-24-2016, 10:48 AM
This week we finished up what has been a frustrating three months. On November 18, I posted a note that the truck ran - badly. It has taken us three months of frustration, tears, cussing, crying, lost sleep, hair pulling, screaming at each other, hollerin' at vendors ... and money - but it looks like we're finally there.

When I get my head together I'll try to write an account of everything that went wrong - and hopefully how you guys who start a project like this can get it right the first time.

But - the victory:

Yesterday the truck ran on a public road, under its own power, for the first time since 1975 - about 41 years! It went over to the muffler shop to get a tail pipe fitted. In the time it's been in the family (since about 1954) this is the first tail pipe. Ted, the shop owner drove it over the the muffler guy and Jeremy, the shop helper followed, Bless his heart, Jeremy had the presence of mind to make a youtube video of the truck on its way over. I'm in Florida, so I wasn't there to see it - but I'm not ashamed to admit I got choked up seeing it run!

But, it's so pretty I can't drive it on Indiana roads for another month or so......

I'm not going to take it out in that slop and crud...

Thanks Jeremy!