I have been reading the old Ford stories in LMC catalogs for the last few years. I have really enjoyed them. I thought maybe now is the time to share the story about my 1978 Ford F150 custom dent side Ford.

But first, I have to take the long way around the barn so to speak. I grew up in a small town in Western New York. My father was a Ford man. His brother, my uncle Ed, was a Ford man. They were raised in a family of 9. The family, as my father would say, was one of the poorest in town. If they wanted something, they had to work for it. So, the Andersons bought Ford trucks. They lasted long and were affordable on a construction worker’s wages. They owned F-150’s for as long as I can remember. Must be they had good “luck” with them.

My dad owned a 1977 F150 as I recall. Red in color with 2-wheel drive, it had wing windows, and a push in cigarette lighter. The three on the tree transmission was less expensive than an automatic transmission so that’s what Pa and Uncle Bum drove and that’s what I learned to drive too.

Pa and I lived in West Walworth, New York. Just east of the city of Rochester which is the home of Kodak, Xerox, and many companies that are a shadow of themselves today.

My Grandmother lived on west Walworth Road. A few miles from out home. On the way to Grandma’s house, we passed a lawn mower repair shop. Mr. Stalker owned the shop with his brother possibly. He also owned a shiny new 1978 Ford F 150 Ford. It was the first time I saw it. I was 12 years old.

Fast forward to 2021. Uncle Bum had passed a decade or so ago. My nephew visiting from Illinois was in town to visit, He is a hardworking man even back then as a teen. He helped me do some chores and as a reward for his hard work, I let him drive my 2013 Ford F150 STX to the local dump. Not a bargain-basement dirt-cheap model but without anything too fancy. I am an Anderson after all and look for the best value at the lowest price.

Evan said he loved driving Black Betty. Smiling big because he was still a teen driving a truck. That’s when he said, “I really like old Ford trucks too”. “Really?” I said.

“I know where there is an old truck that’s been sitting in a field for years”. Mr. stalker had passed many years ago. He left the truck to his son. At some point, his son parked the truck in that field. And there it sat for a decade. “That truck is so cool,” said Evan.

The next pay day, I knocked on Richard’s door. I said hello and introduced myself. He remembered my Grandfather’s case. I told him I remembered his dad and that old truck. Then I asked him if he wanted to sell it. Yes was the answer.

Old Red had a cracked windshield, the tires were mostly flat and the engine was stuck. BUT I saw a diamond in the rough. So, I paid $1,000.00 for the truck and had it towed home. As luck would have it, a coworker had bought a 1974 Bronco because he needed the frame. The newly rebuilt 400 was given to me to replace the stock 351M. With the help of friends and family, ole red was on the road again. The odometer had 98,000 original miles. The body was in great shape overall due to it having never been driven in the winter. The red paint is faded and a beautiful patina is the result of over 40 years of sun and elements.

I am a huge fan of the Genesee Brewery. Genesee is the oldest brewery in New York state. So, I had the idea of recreating a Genesee brewery truck with my old Ford. With permission to use the copyrighted Genesee logo, I reached out to the incredibly talented custom artist Hot Rod Jen. Jen brought my dream to life. 3 years and 17,000 miles later ole red still brings me joy every time I drive it. Old Ford Lovers and Genesee fans alike smile when they see my truck. It evokes memories of their dads, grandfathers and family and friends that drove old Fords and enjoyed an ice-cold Genny beer.