1972 Chevrolet K2500 – Paul B.

Dear Becky,
My name is Paul Busken, and I would like to share the story of my 1972 GMC ¾-Ton 4×4.
I grew up on a small dairy farm in east-central Missouri on the Callaway and Montgomery County line. I was the youngest of seven boys, while there was always plenty of love to go around and there wasn’t much extra money for nice cars or trucks. Some of my fondest memories are of warm summer evenings on the farm, sitting under the stars and listening to my father softly sing to his cows as he finished the evening milking.
As a kid, I developed a habit of watching the vehicles that passed by and dreaming about what I might someday own. An older couple who lived up the road had a red-and-white GMC ¾-ton 4×4 that they used to pull their camper. I thought it was the most beautiful truck I had ever seen. From that moment on, I promised myself that someday I would own a GMC ¾-ton 4×4 just like it.
More than fifty years later, that dream finally became a reality.
In 2023, a friend found a truck for me on Craigslist. What immediately caught my attention was that it was a 1972 GMC ¾-ton 4×4, just like the truck I had admired as a boy. The owner had recently retired and moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon, from California. He had begun restoring the truck several years earlier but eventually became involved in another restoration project and decided to sell it.
After working out a deal, I made the trip to Oregon myself and hauled the truck all the way back home to Missouri.
The restoration took three years to complete. Throughout the project, I relied heavily on LMC Truck for many of the parts needed to bring the truck back to life. Every time I called, Becky and the entire LMC staff were knowledgeable, patient and always willing to help me find exactly what I needed. Their support played a major role in helping me finish the truck.
Today, the truck is fully restored and still retains its original 350 V8 engine, original transmission, and manual 4-speed drivetrain. Seeing it completed has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
What makes the truck even more special is where it sits today. It is parked on the same family farm where I was raised. My brothers and I recently sold the farm to my youngest daughter and son-in-law, who are preparing to build their home there. Three of my grandsons hunt deer and turkey on the property and proudly call it home.
For me, this truck is more than a restoration project. It is a lifelong dream fulfilled, a connection to my childhood and a reminder of the values I learned growing up on a family farm. My hope is that both this old GMC and the family farm will remain in our family and be passed down to future generations.
Long live family farms. They built the values that shaped my life and this old GMC is a reminder of those roots every time I turn the key.
Thank you Becky and thank you to everyone at LMC Truck for helping make a childhood dream come true.
Sincerely,
Paul Busken
1972 GMC ¾-Ton 4×4
Original 350 V8 Engine
Original Transmission
Manual 4-Speed