David Schiefelbein: Epilogue to an old truck
In early June, I wrote a column about my old beater Dodge pickup truck and related some of my affections for it.
I bring it up again to conclude the matter. I finally finished getting it running again earlier this month and sold it last week (minus the front bumper).
You'd be surprised how many calls you'll get for a $500 truck!
A fella from a nearby town bought it to haul lawnmowers and other landscaping tools. It might have been wrecked twice over, but I think it'll work well for him.
The motor was still strong, and it'll be easier for him than putting lawn mowers in the back of a Dodge Durango. And his wife won't have to smell the gas fumes for days afterward.
It's somewhat fitting, as well, considering all the landscaping items like dirt, rock, sand, gravel, compost, composted horse manure and mulch I hauled in it over the years.
While I was disappointed back in June that I didn't hear from any Ford of Chevy owners who took umbrage with my tongue-in-cheek references, I did receive some reader comments I wanted to share.
The first was from my dad, who told me he finally cashed in the old Ford van he used for construction.
I remember it as an ugly beige-and-rust-colored vehicle, but Dad swears by the old beast to this day.
In the end, Chicago winters and road salt finally got the better of it. Dad bought it used after its first life (and 200,000 miles) as a delivery van for an air express company.
Several years of hauling construction equipment around the expansive Chicago suburbs ran the odometer up over 600,00 miles. Dad swears the engine and transmission were still good, but rust had eaten away the chassis of the early '80s van until it became a safety hazard.
One of the carpenters who work for him loaded it on a trailer and took it to the scrap yard for him. When the big forklift went to pick it up off the trailer, it knocked the chassis clean off the frame! At least that's the story Dad tells when someone brings it up.
That old beater van was definitely built Ford tough, and my dad made it prove it every day.
Karen Osborn (DeMeyer) wrote in with a story to tell. "Enjoyed your article about the truck. That was my dad's truck originally. He passed away from an aneurism in April 1997.
"Mike Shepard put it on his lot to help my mom sell it. I've seen you drive it around town and knew it went to a good owner.
"He was an organ donor, and this was just another way he handed down another part of him. He would've been glad to see that you had such a good life with it. Thanks for all your good articles … Enjoyed a lot."
Thank you for the kind words, Karen.
Bob Beattie of Four Seasons shared his 4WD passion: "How about a Jeep owner? I know just how you feel.
"My old Cherokee that I bought new from Reuther in St. Louis currently has 187K plus on the odometer. It's an inline 6 pushing a 5-speed transmission, still has enough torque to beat most compacts away from the light. Although it's never been in a collision, I did drop the top of a tree across the hood one time (whoops, miscalculated that one). Anyway, I'm quite familiar with the emotional attachment to a utility vehicle. He even has a name (yes, he's definitely male). Chuck Cherokee, or Chuck the Truck as he likes to be called."
Bob reminded me of the time I was cutting firewood on my landlord's property. I calculated the drop perfectly that January morning as I stood on the tailgate to cut a large and heavy oak limb slightly above my head.
What I didn't take into account was the bounce! Still hard to believe something that heavy could jump back up and dent the top of tailgate, but it did.
Former lake resident Paul Payne also shared a comment.
"Thank you for writing your recount of how special your old Dodge Ram is to you.
"Since I moved away from the lake four years ago, after 20 years of being a resident Laker, I had forgotten just how gifted a journalist you are to all us writer "wannabes".
"I still consider the special tribute you wrote at the end of one of Bob Shore's non-championship years a few years back, to be the best sports column I have ever read."
Again, thank you. Bob is always an interesting subject, as are the Lakers.
Although I'm happy with the 150,000-mile Dodge 1500 pickup I drive now, I watched the old green Dakota drive away with mixed feelings.
The driveway looks a little weird with it not being there after 13 years - empty almost.
I listened to it run up the hill, its sound as distinctive me as the voice of a family member.
As the sound of that proud V6 faded into the distance, I knew it was on its way to another life. Might even get a new fender, hood and bumper.
Maybe someday some father will be telling his sons stories about it turning 600,000 miles.
Wouldn't surprise me at all.
I'll be out inspecting the new old truck for dents and dings, so e- mail me at editor@lakesunleader.com.