From Hollywood To Raleighwood

Okay, so the '53 actually migrated from Nor-Cal to Fresno to Raleigh, but it didn't make for much of a working title. I had been waiting for the transport company to get to Raleigh all weekend, but a few delays made the actual arrival date on Tuesday, and about 2:30 a.m. to boot. As stoked as I was, this was not a problem! Larry snapped a shot after he loaded it for the driver in Fresno on June 6th.

I hired King's Transport out of Houston Texas to make the haul, and I was very pleased with the level of service and care they took to deliver the truck. It made it from Fresno to Raleigh in only 8 days (arrived on June 13th), and on top of that, the price was very reasonable. Doug actually hauled the truck the entire 2300+ miles. I think the biggest challenge was getting the '53 on/off the carrier. Because of the fat fenders and running boards, it made it tough for Doug to determine exact positioning of the wheels on the ramps.

I was relieved to see that although filthy from the roadtrip, the paint, chrome, and glass was in the same shape it was when it left Fresno. It took a while to get the truck off the top of the rig... it was pretty surreal jumping from ramp to ramp, and pointing left or right, for Doug to line up the wheels. The engine kept stalling when he moved it forward, but I finally figured out that he was in 3rd gear and not first. Having driven the truck at Paso, I knew it was a solid runner.

We wrapped up around 4:00 a.m. and after the paperwork and giving directions to a place Doug could catch some z's, before heading over to Falls of the Neuse road for a few vehicles, it was time to drive the '53 home. As soon as I tried to shift from 1st to 2nd, I realized the shifter was jammed. I messed with it for awhile, but it was so hot out, and I was so tired, I opted to just limp home in granny gear. Fortunately I was less than one mile from the house! It felt good hanging my head out the window to cool off.

It was a relief to finally park the '53 in the garage. I started talking to Larry about buying it at the end of February. We struck a deal pretty quick and then we sealed the deal (green for pink) the first week in May. Then there was the anticipation of going to Fresno and cruising the '53 at Paso. And finally, there was the excitement of getting the truck cross-country to Raleigh. As I pulled in and shut her down, I knew the fun was really just beginning.

-murph