Hey everyone, Alex here!
You know how it goes. You go into the garage to find a 10mm socket, and forty-five minutes later, you’re staring at a rusted fender, envisioning a trophy truck. Well, I’ve been doing a lot of “envisioning” lately. Like any good automotive enthusiast with a touch of ADHD, I’ve managed to accumulate a… let’s call it a diverse portfolio of projects.
Josh and I always talk about the “Pain and Victory” cycle, and looking around my shop (and my yard, and my sister’s yard, and a couple of undisclosed locations), I realized I’m sitting on a whole lot of potential victory—and a fair amount of current pain! I decided it was time to take you guys on a tour of the fleet.
The Crown Jewel: The ’63 VW Double Cab
This is my baby. I bought this bus when I was 14—it was the cheapest double cab I could find, and I’ll never sell it. For a long time, I had this dream of building a “perfect” show bus. But you know what? I realized I don’t have the time or the budget for “perfect.” And that’s okay! Perfection is overrated. We’re pivoting to build a sweet rat rod instead. We’ve got airbags, a narrowed front end from Wagons West, and a 2332 engine in the works. The goal? Moving under its own power by summer. Ambitious? Maybe. Possible? Absolutely.
The “Broncosaurus” and Grandpa’s Truck
Then there’s the Broncosaurus—a ’79 Bronco frame with a ’75 Crew Cab body swap. People on the forums said putting a crew cab on a short Bronco frame was impossible. Well, we proved them wrong with some coil-spring magic and a 460 out of a ’69 Lincoln. It’s a puzzle, but man, solving it is the best part.
I also can’t forget Grandpa’s Truck. This ’73 F250 was the first thing I ever drove in the fields. It’s got a bit of top-end noise right now, but Josh actually sourced a replacement motor from a rival F350 that should get her back to 100%. This truck is pure nostalgia, and keeping it on the road is a victory every single time.
The “Undisclosed” Locations (Sorry, Sis!)
I may have told my sister I’d leave a few cars at her place for “a week.” That was two months ago. Oops. Among the “guests” at her house is Bob, our ’77 Buick Electra. We saved Bob from the derby, lopped off the back, and gave him a 2-inch body lift. He’s got a 472 Cadillac big block that’s all torque and no manners. Then there’s Big Booty Judy, the one-ton Chevy van. The plan for Judy? Grab a camper and tour the Northwest campgrounds this summer. She gets zero miles per gallon, so the fuel budget is going to be “optimistic,” to say the least!
The Lesson in the Mess
Looking at all these rigs—from the Free-Cherro we saved from a mouse nest to my ’66 Bug sleeper project—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But that’s where the grit comes in.
Every rusted bolt is a lesson. Every project sitting in a field is a future adventure waiting to happen. If you’re sitting on the sidelines because you’re afraid of the “pain” of a project, just look at my yard! It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s a total blast. You don’t need a pro shop to start; you just need to start.
So, which one do you want to see us wrench on first? Drop a comment and let us know. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and I can’t wait to get started.
Wheel it, Wreck it, Wrench it, Repeat!
Days of Pain and Victory 
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