The future has two paths

By Lisa Clement
"Tempest"
Bolter #3548
Millwood, Manitoba
Canada

It starts with a Show 'N Shine invitation

       This story starts out in February of 2007 when one Stovebolter (Lisa Clement, Tempest #3548) contacted another Stovebolter (Jim Carter, Jcarter #11894) to invite him to a local area Show 'N Shine that was set for later on in the summer.  As it turned out, Tempest and Jcarter lived only 80 miles apart (traveling time of an hour and a half). 

       Since that first invite, these two emailed back and forth quite regularly discussing trucks, cars, family, auto shows and the like.  Now, I don't know if you believe in coincidences, but there ended up being a number of small things that were startlingly similar between these two Bolters -- things that emerged the more they discussed. They both had daughters with the same first and middle names (though different birthdays). They both had an interest in not only the same series of truck, but both owned the same size of trucks (2-ton Chevy - Tempest and her partner Mike have a 1945 Chevy and Jcarter has a 1946 Chevy grain truck).  Tempest and Mike own 2 Snow Cruisers which are vintage snowmobiles.  Jcarter took one of his first snowmobile rides on a Snow Cruiser and his wife's father still has one parked in his shed.

Plans form to meet

       As time passed, they discussed their trucks more and more. Both of them planned on attending the Super Run in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. One day, while scanning the Internet, Tempest and Jcarter both found a 1946 2-ton for sale at an auction just north of Inglis, MB.  So they made arrangements to meet in Russell, MB and head up to Inglis together to look at this truck. 

       Other than the conversations they had been having, they really knew little about each other. Tempest had seen a picture of the back of Jcarters head that had been taken at a show the previous year. Jcarter had seen a picture of Tempest in her helmet at a Mud Bog. So, there was little to go on. They exchanged auto details -- Tempest and Mike and their blue GEO Metro and Jcarter and his black Dodge Quad Cab. 

The meeting

       They met at a local convenience store, but time was tight. The sale was slated to start in half an hour and they still had to drive to Inglis.  So off they went, Tempest and Mike in the GEO and Jcarter in the Dodge.  When they arrived at the sale, it had already started. They found parking spots and walked toward where the auctioneer was set up. Looking around, it was easy to spot the truck sitting there between an older JD tractor and a pink (was once red) grain truck.  Both Jcarter and Tempest go off to get bidding numbers. They then meet up with Mike and head over to give the truck a look. 

The initial truck inspection

       The truck appeared to be in excellent shape. Tempest, Mike, and Jcarter all take turns at looking at the different aspects and areas of the truck.  Most of the glass was in tact, though the windshield was cracked on the passenger side and had some chips on the driver side. There was a small dent in the passenger side fender. The driver side fender had some rust bubbles coming through on the top. The cab roof had a few pushed in dents, which could easily be pushed back out. Tempest realized that the door handles are hardly saggy at all -- something that this series is particularly known for (saggy door handles). The floor pan was tough. From a quick cursory inspection, it was probably the toughest part of the whole truck. The grille, which at one time was chrome, was flaking and pitted. The windshield, hood, and wiper chrome were all in really decent shape.  The box on it was a newer Grainmaster hydraulic lift box. 

Killing time

       As with any auction, the one thing that you want is the last item to go up for bid. In our case, it turned out to be the fourth from the last.  However, there were alot of other things to look at.  Tempest and Mike went off and looked at what they were interested in (other than the truck) and Jcarter went and looked at what he was interested in (other than the truck).  They ended up meeting back near the lunch counter. Over hot dogs and pop, they casually discussed various vehicles they had owned over the years. This is where some of those coincidences come into play again. Jcarter's wife had owned an old olive green Nova and later sold it to a couple from Binscarth. Mike worked at a garage in Binscarth (one of his first jobs). It turns out that one of the first oil changes that Mike had ever done was on this old olive green Nova owned by the same couple that Jcarter sold his wife's Nova to.

       They discussed sales that they had attended in the past, and it turns out that they had attended some of the same sales over the years, looked at the same vehicles, and driven by many of the same yards. The thing about this, is that many of the sales and yards were not local to either Tempest and Mike or Jcarter.

Second truck inspection

       After a bite to eat, they all watched some of the household goods sell. Jcarter bought what was thought to be an old copper mash cooker which is an integral part of a still and some chairs. Tempest is still kicking herself about not buying a trunk.  They then wandered back over to the truck, giving it a once over again. Jcarter noticed that the transmission had been upgraded, but the rest was original. The dash had a few holes punched in it to accommodate controls for the box and hoist. The grain box was in nice shape too.

Time draws near and it's over in the blink of an eye

       Finally, the crowd begins to draw near to the area where the truck is. A number of local area residents had already noted that Tempest and Mike were there, and they all knew what they were looking for.

       First went the combine, then the first John Deere tractor, then the second tractor. Finally, they were up to the truck.  Jcarter and Tempest moved nearer to the area where the truck sat.  The truck's seller climbed into the truck, turned the key, and it started right off the bat .... and ran... it did!  No knocking, rattling, chuffing, just pure 1946 2-ton truck sound. The seller put it in gear and ran it forward and backward, no hesitating or grinding. The truck just purred. 

       After this, I am not sure what exactly happened, but the bidding had started and then it was over. The truck was sold, but not to Jcarter, Tempest or Mike. They discussed earlier in the day, that it would be a real shame if the truck ended up sold just because someone wanted the box.

So, who owns the '46?

       The only thing that was for sure was the buyer # 3 got the truck. So, the trio had to find who buyer #3 was. Tempest went over to a group of people that were in the general direction of the area that the auctioneer pointed to when he said those dreaded words "SOLD."  She asked if anyone knew who bought the old truck. It turns out that the people she asked were the people who bought it. She asked them if they wanted the truck for the box or for the truck itself. They told her that they didn't really want the truck at all, but that they were part of the family and just didn't want it to go for scrap. They asked Tempest if she was interested in the truck, and if so why. Tempest explained that she was restoring a similar truck and that one of the other members of the party was doing the same. They told her that if she wanted it, she could have it. Tempest told them she had to go discuss this with the others.

The discussion

       Jcarter, Tempest and Mike all agreed that this truck is most definitely worth the price that was to paid for it. Jcarter, who had been hinting throughout the day, said that he was interested in the box and that with some time, effort, and a bit of alteration, he would have the box that he wanted for his '46 2-ton. That would make it complete for the Farm Truck Reunion at Austin MB in 2008. For Tempest and Mike, the cab and chassis would be an excellent receiver and their present truck a donor, allowing them to complete a truck for Austin (hopefully) as well. They discussed and looked at the truck and box. Then they discussed and looked some more. They all agreed that this was too good of a deal to pass up .Tempest went back to the family and told them that they would take the truck. She went back to Mike and Jcarter to discuss the details from there.

Split it in half

       It was decided that since Jcarter needed the box to finish his truck, and Tempest and Mike needed bits and pieces of everything else, and that the overall package with this truck was better then what they already had, that they would split the truck. They decided that they would go halfers on the truck, Jcarter would take the box and its necessary parts and Mike and Tempest would take the cab and chassis. They went and paid the family that had already purchased the truck.

Now what?

       Between the three of them they had now bought a 1946 Chevy 2-ton truck. They arrived at the sale with a GEO Metro and a Dodge truck and neither had any means of taking the truck with them. Arrangements were made with the former owner (the one who had the truck for sale at the beginning of the auction)  to leave the truck there until a truck and trailer could come to haul it to either Inglis or Millwood. Then Jcarter would come and get the truck and take it to his place where he would removed his part of the truck. After that Tempest and Mike would make arrangements to get the truck and haul it to their place in Millwood.

The future has two paths

       This story is not over, as there is more to be seen and done. The truck still sits at its former owner's farm waiting for Tempest and Mike to come and get it.  Then it will take a 1.5 hour drive to Jcarter's; then back to Millwood.  From then on, the box will become part of Jcarters final project and the cab and chassis resurrected into a usable work truck for Tempest and Mike. There is the hope that the two parts of the truck will once again reunite at the Farm Truck Reunion in Austin Manitoba in 2008.  Hopefully, the final result will be Bolters meeting again, the Farm Truck Reunion, the shared pieces of the truck sitting side by side as two whole trucks.

*** Addendum ***

       The truck has moved from the former owner's yard.  A friend of our's put an R-Plate on it and drove it home without any problems at all.  The trip took about an hour traveling the back roads from where it sat to Millwood. The truck has now been dubbed "Walter" as with the two 2-tons in the yard, it could not be called the 2-ton.  Eventually Jcarter will come and get the truck and take it to his farm.  Meanwhile, "Walter" has been put to work moving other vehicles around the yard in Millwood.

-30-