02-22-2009, 03:12 PM
Tom Wrote:But yeah, those Ford C Cabs are neat little trucks, it's been a while since I had seen one on the roads, but that stands to reason with our clean air laws out here. Anyone further east see any on a regular basis?
Until just recently the clean air laws would not have had much effect on the C Cabs. You did not need to upgrade to meet smog laws as long as you were running older equipment. The biggest factor is that as the equipment gets older, and wears out, it gets more expensive to maintain than it is to buy new equipment. In addition, the body and trim parts are unavailable so while keeping a C Cab in good running condition is relatively easy, keeping it looking good and comfortable to drive is more difficult. The Anaheim Union High School District bus repair shop has a beautiful '55 or '56 Ford pick up with a stake bed on it that the bus mechanics restored to use as a parts chaser. The district also has a C Cab that the mechanics restored and put a flat bed with ramps for the lawn & garden service crew to use for transporting their lawn mowers and garden tractors from campus to campus. Those bus mechanics at Anaheim are some of the best restorers/fabricators I've ever seen anywhere!