OK, so I have been waffling on whether to really keep that second IH truck of mine. You know the 2-wheel-drive partser truck that my friend Aaron picked up cheap at an auction.

The truck has been on jack stands in the shop for a couple of months. Several weeks ago, I unbolted the relatively well-preserved front bumper and removed the left-front fender. The bumper was a breeze, but the fender was a bear. It took a couple of air wrenches and the Sawzall to finally free all the bolts. The fender came off unscathed except for the already present rusted-out sections. The rusted areas seemed larger than before, but that’s OK, I’ll just cut them out before welding patches back in. That is, if I don’t just scrap the truck.

The right-front fender came off a couple of weeks ago along with the front axle’s hubs, brakes and backing plates. I tried all the tricks I know to remove the kingpins so I can replace the knuckle bushings to tighten the steering up a bit. No luck. I finally just left them soaked with PB-Blaster, my favorite penetrating fluid, and whacked the pins with a 20-pound sledgehammer on each of the next several days. Did they budge? Nope. 

Last Saturday, I pulled the rear axle shafts, hubs and brakes. And after pondering the kingpins up front again – and whacking a bit – I decided to just remove the entire axle and take it to a shop with a large enough press to push the pins free. At least that’s what I will do, if I decide to make the truck into a runner.

Yesterday, I went to my favorite online parts store, www.Rockauto.com, to search for some of the parts needed by the old binder. They had all the brake shoes, springs, cylinders and other bits and pieces. They also had the kingpin rebuild kits in stock. I went ahead and ordered the parts; they shipped this morning.

So, I guess the 1965 truck is actually a keeper. And I expect that it will run again some day, come what may. I will do my best to keep you informed on the progress here. Meanwhile, if anyone knows of a good IH truck boneyard, or where I might find some decent used IH ¾ ton 6-bolt brake drums, I would love to hear about it.

I can’t say for sure whether the 1965 2-wheel-drive IH 1200 pickup that’s in the garage will become my backup daily driver or not. It is in the garage, on jack stands, with its hood raised. And Kate has become accustomed to parking her new Subaru wagon outside. So for now anyway, the 1965 owns the bay and is, at least in spirit, on its way to becoming a runner. But if it isn’t to be the parts truck, then what truck is?

Aaron, my friend and partner in old-truck crime, sent me an email the other day. The subject line went something like this: “Your New Parts Truck.” The email was heavily burdened with images of ancient wooden-framed trucks and automobiles that were so old that I certainly didn’t recognize them.  I thought Aaron was making a joke, but when I got to the last three images out of about 30 there it was.  

The truck is probably a ’63 or ’64 judging from its grill. It has a long step-side box. The hood and doors are missing, but the left-front fender appears to be in pretty decent shape. I can’t tell whether it is a 2- or 4-wheel-drive model or whether it is an 1100 or 1200. I suspect it is a 1200. It is impossible to tell though, because it is covered with all kinds of vegetation.

I looked at the photos with interest and, like a normal person, put it out of my mind. But the truck just wouldn’t stay there. I dream now, each morning, of how excellent it would be to secure this third IH pickup and all of its good parts. I find myself daydreaming about which engine and which transmission this old truck is equipped with and whether it has the 4.10 or 5.88 rear axle ratio.

So I just Googled its location and found the owner’s phone number … it’s not that far away. Should I go for it?