Art & Inspiration Man drives $75 truck for 38 years - NEW / DIFFERENT VIDEO

Cool read, I think anyone who drives a plain modern vehicle sorta becomes invisible in a way
the older it gets, the more iden***y it gets and its connected to you.
I think even when you buy a cl***ic, you automaticly gain a more noticeable iden***y even if you are only "that guy with that 57 chevy truck,the old van etc."

 

Yes, Minnesota does use road salt and those of us in states where road deicing salts are used know how quickly an old vehicle will disappear. He must be in an area where little salt is used or he constantly greases the meatal parts or whatever.

 

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That's a great story thanks for sharing, I would think it would be tuff today to get a truck made now to last that long!

 

Northern Minnesota is right next door to Manitoba Canada, and in most winters it is so cold and dry, that a lot of salt/deicers, don't do much, it's those milder days when temps are nearer to 32, that gets things going.
Maybe he is in a very small town, and not driving very far to work, on frozen dry roads.
This truck would be no doubt corroded to rust/dust if he drove it everyday in the Twin Cities.

 

Now that he has retired maybe he will restore it.....but he probably wont. HRP

 

As the rest said, cool story.
Something about an old truck like that, being used as it was intended, that brings a huge smile to me.
As i was growing up we had a guy in the neighborhood that drove a black 58 chevy stepside everyday, year-round for at least 20 years that i can recall.
His other car during all that time was a black 55 Belair post that was only driven in the summer.
He still owns the 55, must be close to 40 years now.
We still talk now and again and he's repeatedly said he should have never sold the truck.

Tony

 

Same thing but different. I have an OT 92 F-150 6L 5spd..Daily driver till retired [05] and then dog carter and around town errands in bad weather, and will do so untill the engine quits or the trans blows..This year the left radius rod [twin I beam, fixed RH two years ago] rotted off and broke at a stop sign, limped home and fixed it..Also replaced the windshield wiper motor [after a year], the heater motor speed resistor and new wiper blades, engine side cover gasket...I get heat twice as fast as my 14' explorer and even in 30° weather the dog can put his head out the window with out me freezing..One gas tank electric fuel pump broke, the other has a leak so keep under 1/4 full...Shifter has a ton of slop but I still find the gears, "brakes are good, tires are fair".

 

I remember a old guy from when I was growing up that had a AD series truck, I heard that he bought it new, don't really know. I do know that in the late 1970's he was still driving it, the only vehicle he owned. It looked about like that 57, full surface rust, very little paint, cracked side windows, mud tires on the back. I think he was old enough then to be retired, also think he might have been a farmer or pulpwooder at one time. Tall skinny fellow, wore overalls all the time, always had a dip of snuff. He smelled like the truck, or the truck smelled like him. The guy never married, lived alone in a 3 room shack with his dog. I still remember the sound of that old 6 coming down the road, he didn't baby it, either. May have to go back down that way sometime and see if I can find the old shack and the old truck. Doubt either of them are still around..............

 

Great story, wish I'd kept my First Series '55 I had 45 years ago. Bob

 

Around my area we have an older gent who paints houses out of his '37 or '38 Chev panel delivery. I remember seeing this fellow around since I was, maybe, ten years old. (I'm 56 now.) At that time it was a nice shiney battle ship grey. Last summer it was sporting an extremely faded metalic light blue. Still has the ladder & rack on the roof and runs the rebuilt, but original to the truck, 215(?) six banger.

 

***uming the $1000 for "repairs", plus the initial price of the truck, it has cost him $28.29 per year for vehicle maintenance, plus fuel. I did not factor in the cost of the 4 oil changes a year. If his guess of 300k on the odometer is correct, including whatever the original owner put on it, that's just shy of 7900 miles a year. This guy knows the value of a dollar.

 

i had a high-school buddy who drove his family hand-me-down '50 ford coupe that had well over 200 thou on it. they wore out the front seat and replaced it with one from a studebaker. he kept a logbook (must have been 3" thick) in the glove box as a service record. it was a 6/overdrive and would go fast enough to scare the hell out of me. he offered to sell it to me for $50, but i declined because i didn't want to play "weekend mechanic" on it.

 

I bought my '59 F100 in 1971 for $75. It was my daily driver, tow rig, weekend dirt bike hauler, until 2009. In about 1985, after wearing out the 292 for the 2nd time, I transplanted a freshened up 400M/C6 into it. For the last 17 years I had it, I commuted 40 miles each way to work thru Denver traffic, winter and summer. In all those 38 years of driving it, it never let me down once, was never towed, never had a flat. Odometer had been broken for more than 25 years, but I estimate I put about 450,000 miles on it. Sold it in 2009 for $1500, and the new owner is still driving it.

 

That's a great story.
I first drove my '51 Ford F1 as a 15-year old in 1966 feeding hay out of the back to cows on the dairy where I worked before and after school, it belonged to the dairyman since new - I went back to that dairy in 1993 and he sold me the truck for $100 - I'm still driving it and I'm 63 now.

 

We have a guy in town that's been driving a '67 Plymouth beater forever. Rust up the quarter panels, utility lights for tail lights and so on. I'd say I've seen it around for 25 years. A few years back I was getting gas and he pulls in.. damned if the 318 didn't sound great.

 

There is a local bodyman who has been driving the same 66 Chevelle hardtop since 1968. The only time it is off the road is when he loses his license for impaired. It gets a body and paint job every 10 years or so, right now it is black. So far as I know it is the only car he ever owned.

 

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/lo...elmo-cottage-grove-50th-anniversary/71643748/

Here's another cool story from the same reporter, Boyd Huppert.

 

From the looks of the town he's in, probably a mile to work, no big deal on no heater, it wouldn't warm up on that drive anyway. Don't need to worry about getting the mud off his boots to go home.

After a while it gets to be a recognition thing.

Now that he's retired, the truck could use some love, not a restoration, door latch/ hinge rebuild, body bushings, and some ch***is maintenance. A scuff and CLR job would do it well.

Anyone invited this guy to the HAMB?

 

The true definition of the ole ****box (and a tough ole one at that) Just like a timex watch. Theres definitely a young kid at grandpas farm hopping in the old truck to buzz around doing the daily rituals bouncing around with little to worry about...learning to drive aspect to it. I think he lives that everyday. Always amazes me that people can drive stuff like this on the road still but laws vary from district to district. Definitely a time warp goin on there. More the power to him. Thanks for sharing.

 

I got a kick out of a couple of responses to the video. Difference in human nature, I guess, but I swear if someone posted that they won the Lottery, somebody would respond saying "Yeah, but it cost you $2.00 to win ! ".

In any event, great story and thanks for posting it.

 

When I was a kid, there was a guy who lived down the street from us, and he had a '46 Chevy pickup that he drove to work every day (he worked at Coors in my home town of Golden, CO)-anyway, he bought that Truck new in '46, and drove it everyday to work until 1976 when he retired-
He traded it in to the Chevy dealership where my Dad worked, and my Dad bought it for us to use to take the Trash to the Dump-it still had the original Red/Black paint on it (no rust), 216 6 cylinder and 3 speed in it, and we kept it that way for many Years-my brother owns it, (in original condition) and it has about 80,000 on it, still going strong-

 

I have a '67 Chevy C-10 I got when I was 14 (I'm 38 now) that I still drive very often, but not everyday. I still have and drive my '65 Rambler I got when I was 13..but once again, not everyday.

 

I found a truck like I'd wanted since I was 12. My cousin got out of the Navy in '53, got off the ship in Long Beach, bought a brand new F100, added pots, heads, cam, and H&C ign. I was in love with the bright red paint, whitewalls, full moons, and stacks! The engine looked like a HRM cover shot, red and polished aluminum, and chrome!
In 1972, I spotted this '55 F100 at a bud's shop in Santa Cruz. It had been 'recovered', vandalized, but was real solid...aside from broken windows, smashed dash, engine, trans, and wheels stolen, it was sitting aside the office on the drums.
My bud said, "$60, Man, you must really want it..." I did. It had been 'dolled up' by the P.O., chrome grille, bumpers, hand brake, steering column, and more.
I had just turned 30, was married to the ***** from hell. I needed a nice truck.
Had it dollied to my Aptos beach house, for 2 cases of Budweiser...my tow truck pal praised me, he only asked for one!
I had bought a truck for $100, complete, also a '55...enough parts to clean up and put mine together...a week later, I was installing a 'gifted' '69 Z 350, and powerglide. Driveshaft was from a Monte Carlo, bolted right in...
Intake & carb were new, and I built a dual exhaust system.
What a thrill when I drove it the first time...new brakes, drums were perfect.
4 reversed '50 Merc steel wheels, Merc ash cans. Front tires were 1.95/60 X 15, BMW takeoffs from my dealership where I wrenched. Rear tires were Michelin, 235/60 X 15, flattened & reversed eyed springs dropped the nose.
Rear end was that old ****er, 3.90 gear, Fast outa the hole...
Got rid of the wife in '76, opened a hot rod/specialty shop in Campbell.
Met and married the best young woman I've ever known in '78. (I was 35, she was 22) She worked the shop with me, while we worked on some fast stuff...
Truck went to Bonneville a couple of times, flat towed the roadsters to the drags, was my every day driver/shop truck from 1976 to 1990.
One late afternoon at Baylands, the guys dared me to run it thru the traps.
I had just installed a 9" rear, 3.0 gear...also, a 350 T.H.
With street tires, mufflers, and fan belt connected I was surprised to tear off a 13.20 E,T, 102 MPH.: SHOP TRUCK. Streamlined as a barn door.

We moved to the central valley in '89, bought our house, and marvelous wife built me a shop in the back.
Roadsters, tub, engines and equipment in there make no room for my poor F100.
I was 'gifted' another engine, (350 Swirl Port, I added the new style intake: Edelbrock and Holley 650 double pumper, 290* Cal cam; engine had 12K miles, so it got honed, Grant rings, Clevite rod & main bearings) A customer had me install a crate engine, GAVE me the 'core'. Thanks, J.R.!
My little F100 pulled my neighbor's car trailer two trips from Lodi (85 miles away) to bring home the metal building, after hauling home a metal car port stacked to the gunwales!

My wife surprised me for my birthday, she had the gl*** shop cut all new tinted gl*** for the truck, and Mid Fifties sent the division bars and kits to rebuild the door windows, which she did. "Happy Birthday!" It was: I feel like I'm riding the 'Deluxe Train'.
Last week, she ordered the Rebel wire kit, (and mentioned that "this was going to feel weird: "I'm used to building these systems from scratch!" She's done a lot of 'em...)
She got me a set of 'Old Time' Auto meter gauges, black face, convex gl***...
She had built the dash face for Stewart Warners in '79, engine turned hard aluminum. Also ran it the width of the dash, all the way to the glove box.
Her reason for the new Auto Meters? "The S/W were 'dusty' on the insides, and making my swirl work look 'shoddy'..."
Hope I can get her to give it another coat of black prime...there's a dent in the corner of the right rear cab, if I point it out...
Funny thing: Wife Joey was born when my truck was, 1955. Truck still looks super, but she looks way better.
Married 38 years, had my truck for 43! Love 'em both.

 

says he changed the oil 4 times a year.

 

Met and married the best young woman I've ever known in '78. (I was 35, she was 22) She worked the shop with me, while we worked on some fast stuff...

Funny thing: Wife Joey was born when my truck was, 1955. Truck still looks super, but she looks way better.
Married 38 years, had my truck for 43! Love 'em both.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for sharing a great story!
You are indeed a rich Man, and it has nothing to do with money..........

 

I really enjoy reading your "reminiscings"

 

A bit OT, someone in the area drives a mid-70's Ford Country Squire wagon - it's green with the wood panel sides and has seen a LOT of miles. It's pretty worn and beat, but he drives it every day.

There also used to be an older gentleman who drove an early-70's Chevy pickup for years. He had a bug catcher on the hood that said, "Here Comes Harold"...everyone knew who he was! Very nice guy, and it was a sad day for the community when he p***ed away.