1966 Ford Nearly Restored

“B-Unit” #83 is a tribute to Brian Storer. The lean, mean, Ford racing machine is being restored for one reason: It was Brian Storer’s dream to revive this this truck and make it his own.

Mark Storer, CEO and founder of Airport Towing started collecting antique tow trucks in 1997. Since then he has built up a collection of 13 classic trucks. One of them is a 1966 Ford F-350.

Shortly after purchasing the truck, Mark’s youngest son and employee Brian (driver #83) made known his interest in the truck. He immediately saw the potential, and he loved that the truck would rumble and roar when he stepped on the gas pedal. The truck had custom chrome exhaust stacks (though they were heavily rusted and in desperate need of replacement).

Its frame supported a Holmes 460 wrecker: One of the most celebrated tow units of it’s time; popular for it’s twin boom feature that would allow one side of the truck to anchor to a stable object and the other side to swing out and recover a vehicle. Even today, Holmes is known for producing some of the most unique towing equipment on the planet.

The company’s founder, Ernest Holmes, is famous for his most popular invention: The world’s first tow truck! Holmes originally mounted a chain and pulley to the frame of a 1913 Cadillac and went to work as the first ever tow truck operator in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nearly 100 years later, Brian Storer found himself inspired by a beat up old Holmes unit. He loved everything about the truck and vowed to restore it. He even collected a few parts along the way. The find he was most proud of was a red bench seat in near perfect condition, brought in to replace the previous upholstery which was torn and tattered. A couple of years went by as the truck sat in Mark’s warehouse awaiting restoration and eventually, the unthinkable happened. Mark and Brian died in a sudden plane crash. One of Brian’s dreams would never come true. He would not get the opportunity to tear the Ford truck to the ground and build it back up again in all the glory of it’s hay-day.

The Storer family has spent the past year-and-a-half recovering from the tremendous loss in their family. As the days continue to go by, family members have come up with ways to pay homage to their loved one’s who have moved on into eternity. The greatest of which was most likely an idea that was produced by Lynette Storer, Brian’s mother and Mark’s wife. Lynette is now the President/CEO of Airport Towing and has been helping run the day-to-day operations of the company for nearly 22 years.

As you may have guessed, her vision was to restore the 66 Ford, exactly as Brian would have wanted it done. Even though it has proven to be an expensive and time consuming project, Lynette has pressed forward with the restoration. Despite a depressed economy, the love she has for her son is far beyond any monetary value. With the help of Lynette’s staff, she is determined to complete this project.

With the help of several employees and antique specialist Rocky Willis, the project has moved forward with great success. The truck was stripped down and sandblasted earlier this year.

Shortly after, individual pieces of the truck were sent to Huddleson’s Auto Color World to be painted red and white. Finally, the cab and chassis were sprayed and returned to be refitted with the original parts. Fresh paint on the old truck in traditional Airport Towing red and white have made it look better than ever. Meanwhile, custom chrome exhaust stacks were special ordered and the motor was removed for steam-cleaning and repainting.

The paint is now dry and piece by piece, the truck is being meticulously reassembled. Nearly every part on the truck needs to be reinstalled; from the hood to the fenders, the bumper, wheels and rims, doors, windshield, seat, motor, exhaust stacks, lugs, lights, mirrors, and much more. One challenge that complicates the project more than the average pickup restoration is the assembly of the Holmes tow unit on the back end. The unit requires technical expertise because it operates off of a power take off system that utilizes the transmission to engage and enable the boom and winch cables to operate. The old gear driven technology has been replaced with hydraulics in more modern equipment. The wrecker must be assembled accurately to maintain structural integrity if it is ever to be used as a working tow truck. To date, each piece has been sanded, painted, and some are awaiting reassembly. Some of the electrical wiring throughout the truck is still being completed.

The headers have been chrome dipped, enhancing the popular “Powered by Ford” slogan stamped into the metal. Afterward, the freshly painted motor was placed back into the truck.

The motor was repainted factory Ford blue and the tips of the fan have been painted red. The cab was also remounted onto the frame.

Much of the detail work is now being finished. The truck has been refitted with its hood, grille, bumper, beacon, marker lights, headlights, and windshield. After several months of work, it is starting to look like a truck again.

Most recently, the Holmes tow unit was reinstalled and there are now wheels under the frame.

Although the project may look as though it is near completion, there is still a great amount of work to be done. The truck is still awaiting doors and several other interior parts along with wiring and other detail work. Custom lettering and final striping will be added after the truck has reacquired all of it’s necessary mechanical parts. Completion of the 1966 Ford F-350 tow truck is most likely Spring of 2010. Work being done on the truck is ongoing though it is not being rushed so mistakes can be minimized. Once the 66 Ford is completed, it will be one of the most popular and definitely the most powerful tow truck in the Storer Antique Tow Truck Collection and no one will be happier to see its final completion than Lynette.

Burien + Classic Cars = A Fathers Day Hit

Millions of dollars worth of antique cars & trucks lined the streets of Burien last week for the annual Fathers Day Car Show, turning the the city’s downtown into a spectacular parking lot for car lovers of all ages. With a turnout of more than 200 vehicles crowding the city streets, participants proudly unveiled the fruits of their hard labor as onlookers came from all over the Puget Sound area to appreciate their pristinely shined mechanical beauties.

It was chrome and aluminum as far as the eye could see down 152nd street in the shadow of the new Burien Town Square, which includes a new 7 story condominium building, a 20,000 square foot City Hall and an 18 million dollar public library. The long line of displayed classics continued on down 6th Avenue Southwest and also along 4th Ave SW. Some car show guru’s who were unwilling to pay the entry fee participated in the show but were excluded from the competition by parking their project cars in legal street parking spaces around the perimeter of the exhibition. The official portion of the car show was hosted by The Discover Burien Association.

For Airport Towing the event was a tribute to it’s founding father, Mark Storer who birthed the company 21 years ago and remained heavily involved as the CEO until he died 1 year ago. Mark was a committed father of 3 children but also took on a fatheresque role to several towing industry professionals whom he trained throughout his tenure as the company’s owner. Today Airport Towing remains a family owned and operated business and the people employed are adopted as additional members of the extended family.

Mark was responsible for collecting 13 unique trucks that comprise the Storer Tow Truck Collection. Three of the trucks were on display for the annual Fathers Day car show:

• “The Dodge” is a 1937 Dodge Brothers 1 1/2 ton truck with a Holmes tow unit attached.
• “The 29″ is a 1929 Ford Model AA tow truck with a Weaver crane and is said to be the most beautiful and valuable truck in the collection.
• “The T” is a 1925 Ford Model TT flatbed that was turned into a tow truck by Mark as his first antique vehicle project.

All the trucks in the Storer Tow Truck Collection have some historical significance in Airport Towing’s history and are the product of Mark’s passion for unique & beautiful treasures. The three tow trucks drew a steady crowd throughout the day as they were decorated with photos of Mark and his youngest son Brian who died with him in last years airplane crash. Showing the trucks was one of Mark’s earliest and most reliable employees, Rocky Willis, the tow truck driver / mechanic who was responsible for a vast majority of the restoration work to the antique trucks. Rocky began his career with Airport Towing in 1989 and continues to volunteer to drive the tow trucks in local car shows and parades. Next week Rocky will be driving the Model T in the Burien 4th of July Parade. The parade route begins at the Airport Towing / Burien Towing office and continues through downtown Burien.

Hot Rod Season Has Arrived

We are finally starting to see some sunlight in Seattle, which means it’s time to get our hot rod’s outside and around town for some much needed fresh air and warm pavement. After a long and stormy winter we were finally able to open the warehouse door this month and roll out two of our most noticeable classic tow trucks. This pair of trucks that we sent to participate in the weekly car show at Bernie & Boys Market earned plenty of attention from onlookers and collectors alike thanks to their unique body design and custom graphics. Our 1933 Ford truck is a unique orange truck on a lowered chassis with chrome accents and powered by a 383 Stroker. The other truck we displayed is our purple 1935 Ford tow truck with custom hand painted flames, a Holmes wrecker unit, and a 305 small block V8 motor.

Classy Chassis Car Club of Burien is hosting the event every Saturday night from April until October. The car show is open from 4pm – 8pm to all car lovers/spectators and for those of you lucky enough to own our own classic car, custom hot rod, or any other type of show car we would like you to bring it by and be part of the display. There is no entry fee for cars or spectators; just an open parking lot where you won’t get towed for parking your pride and joy for a few hours. The event was formerly held at the Burien Fred Meyer parking lot on Wednesday night, but has now found a home just a few miles north (still on 1st Ave) in Top Hat.

Local grocers Joe and Tom Salle are the owners of Bernie & Boys Market (Home of the Live Butcher) and have always been heavily involved in local community events. They have invited Evergreen High School’s Booster Club to the event who will be on hand to provide food and drinks each night at a reasonable price as they work to raise money for their sports program.

Airport Towing will make an appearance with one or more of our classic trucks as much as possible this summer. Our founder Mark Storer created one of the largest and most unique classic tow truck collections in the world and in his memory we are planning on getting the tow trucks outside this summer for everyone to enjoy. Come join us for great food, music, and beautiful custom cars at the Classy Chassis Car Club of Burien Saturday Night Cruise-Ins. For information on the weekly show stop by Saturdays or call Bob at 206-935-2113 or Joe at 206-248-1916.

Classy Chassis will also be hosting their annual Snow-N-Shine at Bernie & Boys Market Saturday, July 25th. This is an all day event that costs only $15 to enter. All proceeds go to Child Haven of Burien. Call Bob at 206-935-2113 or Arthea at 206-762-3159 for more information.

Giving to the Needy in a Bad Economy

Now is a great time to help those in need and Vision Collision (Burien’s newest auto body repair shop) stepped up to the challenge in a big last week. It’s no surprise that there are people are hurting all across the nation. Food banks are in high demand, some charities are short on funds, and many good people are in need of support now more than ever, including cancer patients.

In 2005 cancer accounted for more than half a million deaths in the United States alone. In fact, we all have at least a 40% chance of getting some form of cancer at any point in our lives, and there is more than 20% chance any one of us will die from cancer. That’s the harsh reality that affected Amy Driscoll (formerly Hughes) and her family when she lost her grandmother to ovarian cancer nine years ago. Now the family has committed to helping others who are fighting the same battle by participating in Relay For Life.

Despite a struggling global economy the family at Vision Collision teamed up with 3.5 million people from around the nation to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Societyby participating in the relay. Mike & Amy Driscoll took an extra step by opening up their new Burien business on a Saturday to wash cars & sell refreshments as a fundraiser. Their efforts earned more than $500 to be donated to charity and their hopeful that they can increase their donation total at future events.

To show our support Airport Towing sent an antique tow truck over for a bath before participating in a local car show at Bernie & Boys Market in Top Hat. The 1933 Ford hot rod earned some extra attention and was undoubtedly the most unique truck that attended the wash. Vision Collision is planning on hosting another non-profit car wash Saturday May 16th and we plan to attend with another classic tow truck from our collection. We encourage anyone who would like to support their efforts as well as anyone who appreciates a quality hand wash to stop by. Click here for directions to Vision Collision where the next car wash is going to be held from 10am to 3pm on May 16th.

National Publication Features Airport Towing

This months edition of Towing & Recovery Footnotes carried an article featuring the story of our company and the challenges we have faced as a family business. The focal point of the article “Good Men Down” is the sudden loss of our founder and his son last summer resulting from a plane crash. Mark Storer founded Airport Towing 21 years ago with one tow truck out of his house. He worked hard every day to create good customer relations and to create a good work environment for his employees. Brian Storer was one of those employees for most of his life. His playful attitude kept the atmosphere at the office fun and enjoyable. Both men were an integral part of our business and lives and it has been a tremendous challenge to try and fill their shoes. Fortunately our employees have stepped up to the task as the Footnotes Article so accurately described.

The tragic and unexpected loss of Mark & Brian sent a rift throughout the industry. Hundreds of professional tow truck operators knew them personally, as well as many local businesses who felt the pain, and several other friends and family members. Mark and Brian were very well connected throughout the industry and the community, which resulted in a Memorial Service of an estimated 800 people in attendance with less than 1 week of notice, several television news broadcasts, and many other articles written about the pair in the B-Town Blog and other publications.

One of Mark’s legacies will always be his Antique Tow Truck Collection. The fleet of classic trucks started as a simple hobby, but quickly grew into a passion. With just a small peek into Mark’s warehouse, it was evident that he had a certain obsession with the towing industry and it’s history. Mark has won a prize in just about every competition that he entered one of his trucks into. With seven fully restored, show quality trucks, he became quite busy with projects that were secondary to his full time job  and he never slowed down. After building up his antique collection, Mark turned to airplanes. He shared that passion with his family and grandsons whom he loved dearly. He would take his wife flying or out for a drive in one of the antique trucks on a sunny day. If the weather was poor, he was most likely working due to the increased work load in the towing industry. There was never a dull moment with Mark or his youngest son. We are glad that Footnotes found our story and offered to share it with their thousands of readers around the industry. It is our hope that the legacy of Mark and Brian continues to live on for many years so that the world can share in the joy that we experienced when they were here.

Tow Truck For Sale

Burien Towing is now selling a 2001 Ford F-450 XLT Superduty Tow Truck. This truck has been serving the Seattle area since it was purchased new by Burien Towing and is still fully functional. In our continuing effort to keep a new fleet of tow trucks on the road, this truck is being rotated out to make way for the brand new tow truck that we purchased this year.

With a 7.3L V8 Turbo Diesel, this truck has 141,000 miles, a 6 speed manual transmission, a Microlock Braking System, RPM Commander Controls, a limited slip rear end, 34 gallon fuel tank, power windows, locks, & mirrors, antilock brakes, a 4.88 axle ratio, rear upper & lower work lights, cruise control, AM/FM, cd, quick connect jump start cables, stainless wheel simulators, diamond plate railing, 360 emergency scene lighting, and more.

It’s tow capabilities include a Century 410 wrecker body with wheel lift and boom, dual 8,000 lbs. winches, tow sling, dollies, and a gross vehicle weight rating of 15,000 lbs. The wheel lift is rated at 4,000 pounds.

Our tow trucks are well maintained and all maintenance records are kept on file. This 1 ton tow truck will remain in our working fleet until it is sold. It is fully functional and ready to operate.

List price for the truck is $20,000.  Visit our office if you would like to see the truck in person or call 206-243-6252 and ask for Jared or Daryl for more information. Click here for directions to our office.

To read more about this truck and see more photos, go to our For Sale page. To contact us via the web, go to our Contact Page.

Car Auction 4/3/2009

Abandoned Vehicle Auction #388
Auction: APRIL 3, 2009 11:00AM
Previews: APRIL 3, 2009 8:00AM-11:00AM
301 S. Sullivan St, Seattle WA 98108
#	Year/Model	License/ID	Code	Description
1	88 BUICK REGAL	163YNR	KCS-DWLS-ACC	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
2	86 MERCURY COUGAR	075WSI	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
3	88 BMW 735I	946VWX	KCS-HIT&RUN	FT & SIDE DAMAGE
4	93 HONDA CIVIC	096VEO	KCS-STOLEN	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
5	92 TOYOTA COROLLA	596RHM	KCS-WARRANT	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
6	90 NISSAN 240SX	176BBZ (OR)	KCS-AB	FLAT TIRES, DENTS, SCRATCHES
7	87 NISSAN STANZA	552NDO	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
8	90 ACURA INTEGRA	957MOV	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
9	91 TOYOTA CAMRY	172NXR	WSP-STOLEN	FT END DAMAGE, DENTS
10	85 MAZDA GLC	946SKV	KCS-DWLS	FT & REAR DAMAGE, DENTS
11	95 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER	425RZX	KCS-AB	REAR DAMAGE, DENTS
12	74 CHEVROLET K5 BLAZER	224WCK	KCS-UNAUTH	FLAT TIRES, RUST
13	89 FORD F250	A46967L	KCS-NVOL	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
14	95 NISSAN QUEST	967SJP	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
15	87 CHEVROLET CAPRICE	523XHD	KCS-CAR FIRE	FIRE DAMAGE
16	90 CADILLAC DEVILLE	413RCR	PLI-AB	BROKEN GLASS, INTERIOR DAMAGE
17	85 NISSAN PICKUP	A19281J	PLI-AB	1 FLAT, DENTS, DINGS
18	83 CHEVROLET 1500	A34076N	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
19	97 MERCURY MOUTAINEER	234JGZ	PLI-UNAUTH	FT END DAMAGE, DENTS
20	95 FORD BRONCO	YBW251 (OR)	PLI-UNAUTH	LEFT REAR DAMAGE
21	90 ISUZU TROOPER	866PHA	PLI-AB	1 FLAT, SIDE DAMAGE, DENTS
22	91 FORD ESCORT	154NOF	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
23	89 MERCEDES 300	133VQT	PLI-AB	REAR END DAMAGE
24	63 MERCEDES 190 D	ADF639	PLI-AB	2 FLATS, RUST
25	90 NISSAN STANZA	937WYV	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
26	89 BUICK SKYHAWK	710RPV	PLI-UNAUTH	SIDE DAMAGE, DENTS
27	92 FORD TAURUS	847UJZ	WSP-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
28	96 FORD THUNDERBIRD	525XOZ	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
29	96 TOYOTA CAMRY	624TTA	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
30	88 CHEVROLET BLAZER	602MZY	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
31	93 INFINITY J30	178VZT	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
32	93 ACURA LEGEND	747WGI	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
33	92 CHRYSLER NEW YORKER	894LVG	PLI-UNAUTH	FADED PAINT, DENTS, SCRATCHES
34	98 BMW 740I	934WPX	WSP-AB	FT END & REAR END DAMAGE
35	01 TOYOTA COROLLA	850NYA	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
36	93 BUICK ROADMASTER	992YND	KSC-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
37	96 FORD CROWN VICTORIA	2FALP71W8TX178755	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
38	98 HONDA ACCORD	4VSM709 (CA)	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
39	88 PLYMOUTH RELIANT	198YHL	PLI-UNAUTH	SIDE DAMAGE, DENTS
40	94 FORD TEMPO	AF01399	PLI-UNAUTH	SIDE DAMAGE, DENTS
41	99 FORD TAURUS	638SSW	WSP-ACC	FT END DAMAGE
42	97 TOYOTA CAMRY	397SVA	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
43	93 FORD TAURUS	454UKU	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
44	94 MAZDA MX6	768TCL	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
45	92 MAZDA MX6	855SVM	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
46	88 TOYOTA CRESSIDA	124UNG	PLI-AB	1 FLAT, SIDE & INTERIOR DAMAGE
47	90 HONDA CIVIC	138PYP	PLI-AB	FT & REAR DAMAGE
48	93 NISSAN SENTRA	340TCU	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
49	85 TOYOTA COROLLA	254SNE	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
50	89 FORD ESCORT	626MJI	PLI-AB	INTERIOR DAMAGE, DENTS

For more information visit our Auction Page.