Omaha Orange

[Jerry Henry]

Here's a new shot of the truck with the radiator cowl in place, and ready to mount fenders, running boards, etc. Hope to get to some of that soon. I made the blocks for the running boards today.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Jerry, WOW! Just curious, how close is Omaha Orange to Hemi Orange?

[JStinson]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[KenaiGary]

Omaha Orange

Hey Jerry,

Hadn't seen a post on your progress for a few weeks and wondering how it's going. I hope to use your posts as a template once I start restoring my grandson's 1950. Do you plan on putting an album together documenting the entire process?

Gary

[Jerry Henry]

Well, there hasn't been a lot. I spent some time two weeks ago with Les shimming the cab and trying to get the hood in place and aligned. It seems when we got the hood lined up well with the cowl, then it wouldn't line up with the radiator housing. The only way to align the front is to raise the radiator housing about 3/8" on the pass. side. But in order for the radiator housing to sit level on the frame is to lower it about 3/8". The frame is straight and level and measures perfectly level off the floor. So, I haven't got any new pictures, since neither of us could get the time to work on it last week.
I did learn not to pry up on the front corner of the cab while the hood is propped up. Trying to add some shims and Les said to go a little higher. This twisted the cab enough to pull the hood support arm away from the bracket on the cowl, and down it came, first on my head and then on the cowl, resulting in a nice gouge in the new paint. Les assured me he can sand it out and repaint it, and I'm sure he can.
Thanks for asking. I'll try to get some more posted soon.
Did you get hit with the big storm up there?

[Jerry Henry]

The fenders and running boards are on, hood installed. Everything fits very nicely, considering it's a roadworthy tractor. Soon to come home and I can install the lighting, gauges, headliner, etc., etc., etc.

[Jerry Henry]

I hope I'm not boring everyone, but I finally got the truck out of my friend's place and back to my own shop today. The day was clear and perfect for loading and hauling home. Now to start putting the winch, bed, lights, gauges, headliner, etc. etc., back in. Funny how small it looks on the trailer.

[JStinson]

Boring?

Keep the pictures coming! You're not boring anyone.

[Kevin Mienke]

I hope I'm not boring everyone, but I finally got the truck out of my friend's place and back to my own shop today. The day was clear and perfect for loading and hauling home. Now to start putting the winch, bed, lights, gauges, headliner, etc. etc., back in. Funny how small it looks on the trailer.

Not boring at all Jerry. In fact, it’s just what we need. The neat thing about this site is that we can all indulge ourselves in a shared interest of old trucks.

Seeing pictures of a Power Wagon heading into the final stages of a rebuild reassures us about our place in the natural order, like a goose in a V-formation, flapping with one wing, turning a wrench with the other.

It’s been some eight or nine years since my Power Wagon project was at this stage, and I remember it as one of the best times. All the little parts were coming off the shelf and were going back where they belong. The vision was coming together. My family was there. Dad was there. And, although I was very sick at the time, life never seemed so good.

Dad is gone now but I remember those times well, especially when I see trucks like yours starting to come together. I think about the things he said in my garage as we worked. I think about the things he said that helped me see the project through to completion.

What he said was that life is made up of a richness of small things. Do everything as good as you can. Never lower your expectations, but don’t worry about perfection. Everything out there just gets by as best as it can, and the goodness of things can’t be measured with any sort of perfection abstraction made up by other people. Build it good. Build it right. Build it the way you want, and enjoy the time spent doing it.

Looking back, I realize he was right. My truck is not perfect through the eyes of everyone but it represents pure goodness to me and we had some perfect moments building it. These moments actually make life worthwhile.

Somewhere in between all the hard times of life you have these moments when everything seems to be just as it was meant to be. Enjoy your build Jerry. And keep us posted every chance you get. We do enjoy it.

[Jerry Henry]

Thanks, Kevin. I'm glad you were able to enjoy that time with your dad. It obviously created a lasting impression and some great memories for you. I have similar memories of building custom homes with my sons, and, I hope, they do too. At any rate, they now know a craft that will sustain them for their lives, both financially and through pure satisfaction of the quality of work they do.

[KenaiGary]

Omaha Orange

Kevin,

Your dad was a very wise man. I wish my dad was going to be around when we start rebuilding his great grandson's 1950, but he is going downhill very quickly. I know he will be with us in spirit and watching over each turn of a wrench.

Gary

[Kevin Mienke]

Kevin,

Your dad was a very wise man. I wish my dad was going to be around when we start rebuilding his great grandson's 1950, but he is going downhill very quickly. I know he will be with us in spirit and watching over each turn of a wrench.

Gary

Thanks Gary. By the way, I enjoyed your article in the December PWA.

[JStinson]

Thanks Gary. By the way, I enjoyed your article in the December PWA.

x2

[KenaiGary]

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

[Jerry Henry]

I haven't posted pictures of my truck in a while. I just finished the flat bed and am starting on the wood deck.