Guy Hodges'

1967 Chevy C-10

"Bessie"


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19 September 2006
# 1670

From Guy :

           Greetings fellow Stovebolters! Just wanted to get a picture of "Bessie" posted and see what everyone thinks. I was not aware of Stovebolt when we started our project in 2000. Too bad - it would have been a VERY helpful resource!

           Believe it or not, Bessie has been in my family for 35 years. She is a 1967 C-10 that was purchased in '67 by Bradshaw Well Service in McCamey, Texas. After serving as a tender for an oilfield pulling unit for four years she was sold to my Uncle Frank in 1971.

           One of the many chores she performed was serving as my training wheels when I got a driver's license in 1973. We got along well, but I moved on to a newer model when I graduated high school in 1975. Bessie returned to a quiet life on the Ranch and many years passed by.

           Jumping ahead to 2000 -- my Daughter Mary was looking forward to getting her driver's license in 2001. We looked at numerous used vehicles (I wasn't about to put her in a brand new one). She never found anything that really moved her. She had seen Bessie at the Ranch and really liked her. So the plan was hatched - we would tear Bessie down and rebuild her for Mary.

           I had always thought it best for young drivers to work on their vehicles before they got behind the wheel. Mary was about to do that in spades! The two of us spent the majority of our spare time in 2000 in the driveway working on Bessie. Slowly but surely everything came together. In the Fall of 2001, Mary drove her pride and joy to school! Now a senior in college, she still brags about her truck.

           It was a ton of work, but the time we spent together was priceless. And the knowledge she gained from hands-on experience will serve her well the rest of her life.

           As for Bessie, she spends her days here in Odessa. She is not my daily driver but always answers the call when needed. My plans are to update the drive train at some point with a 700R4 transmission to get a little more highway speed and help deal with today's gas prices.

           Hope everyone enjoys the story. Bessie has quite a history and is definitely a family member!

Guy Hodges
Tractor78
Stovebolter # 11275
Odessa, Texas

           June 2007, Mary Hodges adds her 1949 Chevy 3100 to the Gallery ~~ Editor


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