1956 Chevy 3600 – John S.

I first spotted “Old Gray” sitting in a sleazy used car lot with a pretty good sized tree growing through its bed. It had been a truck used in lawn repair and nursery work, and the amount of tracked in mud and dirt inside and out belied its misuse.
I asked the lot manager, also sleazy, “How Much for that gray 1956 Chevvy truck?” “about 125$” he replied. “But well have to saw the tree down growing through the bed before we can start it.” “Are you interested enough to wait?” “Yep” I replied. Well, the “boy” was dispatched to saw the tree out, put some gas in it, get a hot battery, and start it….eventually he was signaled to drive it down to the lot shack where business could be conducted. Old gray looked worse close up that afar!
“Would ya take 100$ for it?” “No…$125!” he said rapidly. I started walking out….”Uh, wait…O.K. $100, plus taxws and transfer.” “”Nope, I said…I got $100 on me…and I’ll give you 100 for it…total drive away money. ” This offer really brought out his true used car lot sleaziness…and he had to cave…unless he wanted to replant the tree and truck for anouther lded.
As I drove truck to my local filling station mechanic…I had him oil,lube,gas and CLEAN it up so I could drive it the mile and a half to my little farm. He did and had to almost use a fire hose to wash the debris out of old Gray…inside and out. He was unable to paint over all the graffiti on inside of cab….some of which was quite creative. When it was finally “ready”…I drove it to its new home. My dear wife of 6 years remarked her initial and life long pronouncation…”You don’t have enough money to dig a hold deep enough to bury that piece of s—!” She was unchanged in her view of good old gray since that day in 1966 to date!

I was undeterred….old Gray was in my eyes a beauty…a treasure…and my FIRST pick up truck. I loved it warmly.
Through the years, I had local vocational school weld various structures on it….like gunnels on bed to tie down large loads of branches when I was working in woods…or carrying firewood. The read bumper was replaced by a beautoiful step/tow bumper which had tow “H’s” welded on the outer corners made from 37mm cannon barrels….I never could jerk on them hard enough to dislodge them nor the bumper !!! The welding teacher said…if you ever sell the truck, let me cut the bumper off…its too good to go with the truck! I though that a disrespectful thing tto say in Old Gray’s presence!
The poor engine got rebuilt twice…and all bearings replaced when oil pump froze up during a heavy freeze….an art student gave it a total sanding and coat of paint….(Porch and floor enamel)…the pait attracted unwanted mold…but adhered making old gray a mottle old gray.
Friends borrowed old gray, now and then….always yried to return it with SOME gas in tank, or used innertubes in tires….finally no one would borrow old gray because it made them look trashy driving old gray. Just as well, I thought!
Old gray now proudly sits infront of my shop…while dear wife stacks fallen twigs and branches in her bed. My son (who keeps it running for me—but alas lives in California and visits once a year….last said the master cylinder had to be replaced and the clutch worked on…if you were going to keep the truck. (His tone was get rid of it!)…..I was dismayed.
Being 82…I cannot get under Old Gray anymore…so may have to find local mechanic kid to work on brakes and clutch. Old Gray not licensed for the road…only the farm.
Although several coats of porch and floor enamer have dressed up old gray…she sits droopily awaiting yet another coat of paint. All modern sissy paint attracts mold and mildew.
My unexpressed dream for old Gray is that one of my over 1000 ex high school students, some of which have become famous and wealthy, will “all of a sudden” offer to have old gray restored to her initial beauty…mechanically and body wise…so that even Jay Leno would be envious….well, its a dream, anyway!
Old Gray seems to been inhabited by a perannual swarm of wasps….somewhere under the dashboard….further deterring anyone from “dealing with her”. i.e., donating her to local ‘clean up squad’….Old Gray is destined to be a relic…in tact. I do love her so.