Some Things Are Worth The Wait
There's an old expression that says you can never judge a book by looking at the cover. After I received the following letter and photographs from Matt Stone, Motor Trend's Executive Editor, I no longer have the opinion that the guys at Motor Trend are only interested in twin-turbo Volvos that run on cellulosic ethanol or brand-new Buicks that are built for export to China. In fact, I think it's pretty cool, the editor of a major car magazine has fond memories and loves these old trucks just much as the rest of us.
"Daniel Edward Newton and I have been friends for 45 years. We met in kindergarten in the fall of 1962. We later went to the same college, roomed together, attended who knows how many sports car races, dated each other's girlfriend's friends (although neither of us ever got anywhere with the foxilicious Sharon Hanson, but that's another story), and have never had a cross word between us. Well, there was the time when his dog ate a box full of rare rubber parts for my Pantera. But he gave me some money and bought pizza that night too, so we forgot about it.
A few months before Dan and I began terrorizing the playground at Valley Vista Elementary School (Cucamonga, California), his folks, Ed and Connie Newton, bought a new 1962 Ford F-100. It's a longbed half-ton with a 272-cubic-inch Y-block V-8 and manual everything. What was labeled a Custom Cab wasn't real custom back then. His father converted the original three-on-the-tree to a granny low four-speed so the 160-horse V-8 could better handle trailer towing. Dan and Itook it camping, and on many road trips with our 10-speeds or motorcycles in the back.Went to the late, great Riverside International Raceway, to the swap meet, to the dump, and who knows where else.I've knownthe Newton's F-100 its entire life. Whichequals about 90 percent of mine.
Dan's parents have since passed away, and left him the truck.He drove it every day, then only once in a while, before parking it a few years back.He and his wife have other vehicles, he has a long commute, and the Effie has no A/C (or other power accessory of any kind). So, the truck was mothballed in a desert storage lot to bask in quiet, sun-drenched retirement.