Ramp Truck Rescue

The Orange Blossom Tour has a new, vintage tour support vehicle. After calling our friends at Chubb to get insurance (and a bit of moral support), we pulled this 50,000-mile, original paint and interior 1973 Ford F-350 ramp truck out of a barn in Connecticut. Look for it to be refurbished and flyin…

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And here's a quick shot of the ramp truck for you guys viewing this on the forum.

Update on the ramp truck: Tim and Rennie are flying up to Connecticut next Monday (Oct. 5) to drive it home. It's a 40+ year-old truck that hasn't been on the road in years... what could possibly go wrong? Oh, and they're going to put a Spitfire on it for the trip, because duh, it needs to get to Florida, too.

Those of you on the I-95 corridor, might want to stay close to the board next week. On the other hand, you might want to take a nice, long vacation from it, starting Monday.

Margie

yup, what Margie said.

The saving grace in this insanity, is that the Spitfire runs well enough (I think) to be driven to Florida. And unlike the truck, it has overdrive.

It's a old Ford. This is all the tools you need.

Pretty much exactly what Tim and Rennie tried to carry on the plane when they went to get the Ranchero. The nice TSA people said nuh-uh.

Margie

And to think, all this time I just knew Tim had a special exception for tools.

Well, tools and rust.

In reply to Toyman01:

Can of WD40 would be a good addition.

Tim and the TSA don't quite see eye to eye. His latest scolding was for duct tape. They consider it a no-no, and weren't exactly swayed by his arguments that this is a silly policy.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

Seriously? They have a ban on duct tape?

He's right, that's a silly policy.

Is the truck still in Milford or is it at Curt's place? Either way, if you get jammed up early in the trip home, I should be able to help out. I can probably get to any part of the Connecticut portion of your route within twenty minutes or so.

There's the problem. Spring for checked baggage. I carry a couple tools and a boxcutter in checked baggage when I travel for work. But then I don't have to pay the baggage fee.

Stopping by Hershey on the way home?

Good luck, that looks like a great truck. wlkelley3's right - all of that (and a lot worse) will be fine in checked luggage. Most flights will only charge $25 for a checked bag - which is cheaper than buying all that stuff when you get there if you want something better than HF tools. (And I don't have to say...take a spare starter relay, right?)

If you get lost and need help near Macon, GA - holla.

Woody, the truck is at Curt's place. And fruit fly, they are going to Hershey!

gonna thread-jack a little here with a CL ad for a 1975 Ford Dump truck/NMNA. Wonder if it could be converted to a car hauler during restoration? Not by me though I just gave the DMV a ton of decade old obligations to register my newest E36 M3 box. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5231364776.html

Well in that case, I'll see them there!. I'll be the guy looking at old car parts. Feel free to sneak up and give me a big hug.

I guess you can always tow the truck with the Spitfire?

BoxheadTim wrote: I guess you can always tow the truck with the Spitfire?

Ha! I was thinking the same thing although it'll turn out like the 5hr Energy drink commercial with the strongman pulling the semi. It'll take a while to get up to a veerrrryy slooooow pace.

We may or may not have once towed our broken-down motorhome and trailer with the Rabbit we were carrying in the trailer. So I could totally see Tim and Rennie trying to drag the ramp truck with the Spit.

Margie

Uh, please take good care of my Spitfire, mmkay?

Wait a minute... a CT to Hershey trip shouldn't be on I-95 for very long. I'd think I-95 to 287 to 78 to 81, no?

Anyway... if for some reason you're passing through Philly and need help, I should be around.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Those of you on the I-95 corridor, might want to stay a long way off the roads next week. On the other hand, you might want to take a nice, long vacation from it, starting Monday. Margie

FYP. Brakes and steering for a 40 year old vehicle that has not seen the road for a while would make me nervous.

Ian F wrote: Wait a minute... a CT to Hershey trip shouldn't be on I-95 for very long. I'd think I-95 to 287 to 78 to 81, no? Anyway... if for some reason you're passing through Philly and need help, I should be around.

They're actually going from Hershey to CT to pick up the truck and Spitfire, then home to Florida. I think Alfadriver got it right--though Eric, the truck does have new brakes (Gary Hunter took care of that when he was up in the Northeast a couple of weeks ago).

FYP. Brakes and steering for a 40 year old vehicle that has not seen the road for a while would make me nervous.

ehh...it's king pin twin I-beam front suspension and recirculating ball power steering (at least, I hope it's power.) They started out loose and scary as hell. Age didn't affect them as much as mileage. Just think of it as 'aiming' instead of 'driving.'