My dad used to have a 1937 Chevrolet truck, but my uncle one day crashed it drunk and it was sold to the junkyard. After that my dad was driving a F-350, which was the same cabin and same size as the F400, but powered by a V8 gasoline engine.
The oil crisis came and in 1975 Ford decided to change their F-Series line in Brazil. The F-100 became F-1000 (for 1000 kilos capacity), with a diesel engine option, and the F-350 became F-4000 (4 ton capacity) with a diesel engine as well.
In 1978 my dad was struggling to make the ends meet because of the price of gasoline in Brazil. A brand new diesel truck would be much better, but it was very expensive.
Then my mom's uncle, seeing my dad's struggle, took my dad to a Ford dealership and signed as guarantor in a finance plan for my dad. That was a big deal at the time where money wasn't easy as it is today. That changed everything.
The finance plan was a repaiment in 3 years. My dad paid off in only 2. Since then the F-4000 was basically part of my dad's body. From Monday to Saturday, every week, that Ford truck started in the morning and worked the whole day.
That allowed my dad to pay private schools to me and my brothers. That allowed my dad to buy houses, cars, everything. This F-4000 is definitely part of the family. Until today, everytime I hear a diesel engine starting, I remember my dad.
Coincidently, Ford announced this month that they are ending the production of the F-4000. It's important to notice that the F-4000 was the last F-Series being produced in Brazil. That's also the end of the F-Series in Brazil, that started in 1957.
So, the first picture is me, 2 years old, over the hood of my dad's brand new truck in 1979, and the second is me, 42 years old, in 2019 (exactly 40 year after), saying thank you to that old Ford truck. I owe my life to that truck.
same truck, same parking location, same Rodrigo! 40 years later! That's way cool!
Thanks Rodrigo!
Some history about the pictures:
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to have a 1937 Chevrolet truck, but my uncle one day crashed it drunk and it was sold to the junkyard. After that my dad was driving a F-350, which was the same cabin and same size as the F400, but powered by a V8 gasoline engine.
The oil crisis came and in 1975 Ford decided to change their F-Series line in Brazil. The F-100 became F-1000 (for 1000 kilos capacity), with a diesel engine option, and the F-350 became F-4000 (4 ton capacity) with a diesel engine as well.
In 1978 my dad was struggling to make the ends meet because of the price of gasoline in Brazil. A brand new diesel truck would be much better, but it was very expensive.
Then my mom's uncle, seeing my dad's struggle, took my dad to a Ford dealership and signed as guarantor in a finance plan for my dad. That was a big deal at the time where money wasn't easy as it is today. That changed everything.
The finance plan was a repaiment in 3 years. My dad paid off in only 2. Since then the F-4000 was basically part of my dad's body. From Monday to Saturday, every week, that Ford truck started in the morning and worked the whole day.
That allowed my dad to pay private schools to me and my brothers. That allowed my dad to buy houses, cars, everything. This F-4000 is definitely part of the family. Until today, everytime I hear a diesel engine starting, I remember my dad.
Coincidently, Ford announced this month that they are ending the production of the F-4000. It's important to notice that the F-4000 was the last F-Series being produced in Brazil. That's also the end of the F-Series in Brazil, that started in 1957.
So, the first picture is me, 2 years old, over the hood of my dad's brand new truck in 1979, and the second is me, 42 years old, in 2019 (exactly 40 year after), saying thank you to that old Ford truck. I owe my life to that truck.
Damn... that's a lot of life history right there. Thanks for the story!
ReplyDelete