OK, here we are in the final stretch of 2008-one more issue to go till we're onto another year...magazine year, that is. (Please don't ask WHY cover dates are so far in advance...it's a publishing thing.) So far, in a time where magazines are doing everything they can to stay alive, we've managed to keep our head above water as far as circulation and revenue are concerned. I'd say that's a commendable feat, especially considering the fact we're still up against the big world-wide-web monster and its seemingly infinite power. Beyond the magazine itself, Grant and I are still managing forward progress on the various in-house projects...well, sort of.
Let's start with Grant. If you've been wondering just what the hell was going on with his '68 F-100-our half of the somewhat ill-fated Bumpside Build-Off-well, you're not alone. As Mr. Peterson himself attested to earlier in the year, he and his less-enthusiastic competition fell a tad short of their 12-month deadline (for what it's worth, Grant put forth every ounce of effort to achieve his completion goal...can't come close to saying that about the competitor). It was at that point that a decision was made to continue on our half of the build-off, but slow things down a bit, regroup, and produce an even better project truck. Part of that regrouping entailed a little time off, which turned into even more time off, and now we're roughly four months into hiatus. Wouldn't you say it was about time Grant kicked things back into high gear and got a move on? I surely would! With that, expect 2009 to be a Bumpside bonanza-or else!
Before I get into my own personal "problems," let's discuss a couple other projects-one current and the other, well, not so current. First, our well-received '60 Ford series is still commanding quite the audience (back-issue requests and general interest); unfortunately, since it became road-worthy, other than some occasional fine-tuning, our Publisher Tim Foss has been putting the miles on her ever since-and it doesn't seem like that'll be coming to an end anytime soon (well, until the next project!). Elsewhere in our group, Editorial Director Brian Brennan has embarked on a pretty serious '48 Chevy five-window endeavor. While we'd hoped to see some progress in print by now, it seems the boss man is holding back on letting us have a peek-might have something to do with a little outstanding editorial on yours truly's '47 Fleetline that he's been a waitin' for! Nonetheless, Brian's truck will sort of follow in the footsteps of a previous CLASSIC TRUCKS project-the Mail-Order F-100-in that it will be mostly, if not all, aftermarket. Working with the folks at Chevs of the 40's/Street Rod Headquarters for starters helped tremendously (Dynacorn cab and sheetmetal along with a bevy of parts and accessories), and combined with a Fatman Fabrications chassis, the '48 ought to be up and running in no time-emphasis on "ought to."
All right, that brings us to the final projects of this motley crew-mine. While the '75 Cheyenne has long since come and gone (trade material for the aforementioned Fleetline), I was able to make some pretty good progress on the '53 3100 here in recent months. Be that as it may, though, it will take a serious backseat to my latest: a JC Series pickup I like to call the "Dirty Thirty(nine)." I won't delve too deeply into details, as I've reserved some pages in next month's issue to formally introduce the project, but let's just say it will definitely carry that old-timey flavor I so dearly admire-at least on the exterior. I'm really looking forward to this one, and hopefully by the time you read this, I'll have already done some serious damage. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, let's see how your projects are going! That's right, drop what you're doing (after reading this, of course), put together a snapshot or two along with a brief description, and send it off to: CLASSIC TRUCKS, Project Updates, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. And as always, feel free to shoot an e-mail off to the address listed above.