Wayne has always wanted to restore an antique pickup truck.  He didn’t care if it was a GMC or a Chevy, but he would not settle for anything else.  When we first starting looking to purchase one to restore, we looked at 50’s and 60’s models before finding the 1950 GMC in 2002.  The picture attached that is labeled “Chandler in old truck-April 2002” was taken when we brought the truck home.  At that time, the only place we had to store the truck was the garage connected to the house.  Wayne purchased another 1950 GMC that was in much worse shape to use for parts.  Since the cab on the second truck appeared in better shape than the cab on the original truck, Wayne cut the cab on both truck and switched them.  However, since Wayne is a perfectionist, neither of the cabs seemed to be good enough.  So Wayne bought a cab that had been sandblasted from Texas.  By that time, Wayne had been working on the trucks and collecting parts for about three years.  At that time, in order for Wayne to work on the truck, he would have to unload the garage, which would take a half day, then put everything away and start all over again the next day.  There were boxes of new truck parts in our guest bedroom and on our back porch for such a long time that I never thought I would get my house back.  Therefore, I suggested to Wayne that he build himself a shop to work on his trucks.  In 2005, we put a 30 X 50 metal building next to our house so Wayne would have a place to play and I could have the garage back.  Once the shop was completed, he purchased a 4-post lift and has been working on his truck during every spare moment.  Truck parts were collected from many, many different places.  We even dug some parts out of 2’ of snow in northern Maine in the middle of January.  Wayne is probably one of the most talented novice restorers I know.  This is the first full restoration Wayne has attempted, and nothing less than right has ever been acceptable to him.  Wayne has had a lot of help and has learned more about restoration from the most talented body & paint guys in South Florida.  His name is Larry Hall from Haul & Hall.  Larry’s wife, Caren Hall, is the owner of Gator Glass, who installed all the glass in the truck.  Larry and Caren are great friends, neighbors, and mentors to both of us and I don’t think without their guidance, Wayne’s truck would look as good as it does today.



The pictures attached are not in any particular order and were taken at various stages of the work.  Although the truck took approximately 6 years to complete, most of that time was spent collecting parts.  Realistically, Wayne worked for about 1 ½ years to complete the project.  Wayne would like to see this truck used in TV shows or by GMC as one of their original trucks.  Wayne is going to build another one, but he says it will not be as detailed as this one.  Only time will tell.