1951 Chevy Truck"My Grandpa's Truck and How it Became Mine"In The Beginning
I was first introduced to my Grandpa Carl's 1951 3100 Chevy truck when I was about 8 years old, in early summer of 1968. I went on a cross country family camping trip to visit my Grandma Doris and step-Grandpa Carl (on my Mom's side) in Spokane, WA. I got to ride in the truck that year for the very first time and it was the best ride I could remember at the time. It was at the end of that first ride that I asked him if he would ever consider passing the truck on to me. I seem to recall him looking at me kinda side ways and saying that would be a long way off "IF" he every decided to give it up.
I recall Grandpa Carl telling me the story that he and his brother bought the truck in 1967 from the original owner and it was their hunting and fishing truck. Bright red, with a big wood slat built up "sheep rack" (what he called it) on the cargo bed. The "sheep rack" was fully enclosed (top, sides and back) with the back having a hinged drop down ramp to allow for loading and unloading camping gear and whatever they may have bagged during the hunt. He mentioned several times they had brought home elk and moose in addition to deer in the back of the truck. I would see the truck and get a few more rides during a few more family vacation visits until 1974 when we stopped making the yearly trips. From 1974 until the early 1990's I never did get to see or ride in the truck, much less get to visit him again as I made my way through high school, immediately followed by an almost 22 years long Army career.
Fast forward to 1995 and what is the beginning of the next stage of the story of my Grandpa's truck. At the time (August 1994 - November 1995) I was still on Active duty in the Army and was stationed in Korea on an unaccompanied "short tour". Unknown to me, my dad and mom had been keeping in contact with Carl and asking him about his plans for the truck as he wasn't really up to driving or taking care of it. When my folks found out about my impending return to the States from Korea, they contacted Carl and told him about my upcoming return and he said he was ready to part with the truck if I would promise to keep it in the family.
Well, my Dad made that promise for me without my knowing. Seems I got some of my recollections "wrong" (oops). Based on my spouse's "better" recollection, plus finding a typewritten letter from my Dad (found after I wrote the initial opening of my story) sent to me in late July 1995 while in Korea, it turns out the correct version of this part of the story kinda goes along these lines:
Before ever going to Spokane, my Dad got my Grandpa Carl to mail him the signed over Washington State title for the truck and then took it to the Wisconsin DMV and got the truck retitled and registered in his name on 26 June 1995. During the retitling process, it turns out the WA title still showed the original 216 "engine serial #" as the VIN (the newer 1954 235 # never got updated on the title), so it was initially titled in WI using the old "engine ID #". Dad had to later get the truck inspected by the State Patrol after getting the truck to WI and got the title converted to use the actual Truck serial # (instead of the engine #) as the corrected VIN on the WI title. Anyhow, with new license plates in hand, Dad purchased a one-way bus ticket and traveled to Spokane, WA from 6-8 July to meet with Carl and collect the truck.
So ends the corrected first portion of my story. Stay tuned for future additions as I can get them done. Much more to come.
In the meantime, below are a couple of current pictures of the truck. I'm still trying to find the original pics my better half has stored away somewhere. Aside from my replacing the severely cracked windshield panes and removing the "sheep rack" many years ago, the trucks outward appearance is just about what it was when the truck became mine.
More on how that happened in the next installment.
