The Farm Truck

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 09/27/2014 at 15:01 • Filed to: Farm Truck, truck yeah

9

11

We spend a lot of time here talking about sports cars, classics, oddballs and all the fun people have with them. I think it is time we acknowledged a group of vehicles that don't get much love, but are vital to our lives and the livelihood of so many. I'm talking about the farm truck.

I learned to drive in a 1956 Chevy 1 ton farm truck in a Minnesota farm field when I was 9. We had a dairy farm for a short time during the Farm Aid era (awesome timing) and my dad was working to get the hay up from the field. He had enough able bodies to load the truck and trailer, but no one to drive it. I had grown up riding motorcycles and three wheelers so he knew I could control a vehicle. We spent 30 minutes in an empty field practicing the subtleties of clutch work and getting the machine moving in granny gear. My instructions were to put it in gear, let the clutch out slowly, never touch the gas and steer straight. He would help me when it was time to turn the whole thing around at the end of the row. By the end of the day I was allowed to make the turns. The rest, for me, is history.

Farm trucks are tools. Most that I have been around were maintained adequately. Just barely adequately. Tires were functional, but mis-matched, mirrors were large, and bumpers were used for pushing. Interiors ranged from tidy to knee deep and most all smelled vaguely of livestock. Hinges squeaked and windows rattled in the doors.

When it came time to take care of business they were there. You could throw anything at them. Hay bales, baby animals, feed and equipment all were fair game. On road or off road. 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. On the rare times when there was a day off they would be loaded with kids for a run to the lake.

For every farmer who's vintage truck was his pride and joy that gleamed like it was new, there were five trucks whose original color was hard to determine. Some kind of red and white with a dusting of rust and moss. Exhausts ran rich and start ups might take a couple of cranks, but they ran when needed. Noise was abundant and very mechanical. Gear whine and that hole in the exhaust that rusted through a few years ago were the tune of the day. You might get the farm report out of the one dash speaker. Steering play of quarter to a half a turn were not unheard of.

Many farm trucks decompose where they fell. If they broke in a way that didn't allow for a quick, cheap fix they would be left. Farmers don't have the time or money for long, expensive repair work. Over time they were forgotten when the new truck entered the picture. Kids played in them, hunters may have sat in the beds looking for deer or they just become part of the geology.

Farm trucks are vital to all of us. They are not glamorous, sexy or fun, but they do their duty with dignity, they work hard and then fade away when done. Not unlike some farmers themselves.

Images: truck trend.com, flicker.com, trembathranch.com, myclqssiccar.com, Joannemezoly.com, thecountryfarmhome.blogspot.com

E92M3 > f86sabre 09/27/2014 at 15:18

2

Mine still earns her keep (even though she has had an amateur restoration).

desertdog5051 > f86sabre 09/27/2014 at 15:34

1

How true. Anybody who has worked on any type of agricultural enterprise has driven or ridden in a beat up old truck now banished from the road to meaningful, yet menial on-farm tasks. Many memories. The best/worst was driving the ranch P/U and having a stray calf put in the cab to be reunited with mom. It shit everywhere and guess who had to clean it up?

jariten1781 > f86sabre 09/27/2014 at 15:52

2

First picture I ever took when I was 5 or 6 with a little Fisher Price 110 camera was of one of our many, now forgotten, farm trucks.

CTSenVy > f86sabre 09/27/2014 at 15:57

1

First off, this could be one of the best post ever on oppo. Recommending it just doesn't seem to do it justice.

Growing up and living in the middle of fly over country means I have ran into a lot of farm trucks. I have always liked them just for the fact that they have survived under rough condition and are still around to tell the stories with their dents, rust, and AM radios.

Thanks for the post, it really takes me back to spending weekends with friends/family working with or on the old truck.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > E92M3 09/27/2014 at 16:10

1

Oh man. That's an awesome looking ride. I'd love to have something of a similar vintage, but maybe in a bit rougher shape. Something that I'm not worried about scratching the paint.

E92M3 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/27/2014 at 16:15

0

Thanks man! I'm not too worried about it. It's a 20 footer. There's scratches, cracks, runs, and dents in the paint. The wood in the bed is in rough shape. These trucks are still affordable as they aren't sought after as much as the mid 50's are.

f86sabre > CTSenVy 09/27/2014 at 16:41

0

thanks for the kind words.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > E92M3 09/27/2014 at 20:07

0

Just out of curiosity, what part of the continent are you in? I've seen a few similar ones for sale, but all still out of my price range.

E92M3 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/27/2014 at 20:14

0

I bought it in Colorado 3 years ago. I bought and sold a 52 there as well prior to this one. The 52 was an amatuer restoration too and was $7400 (It was lowered and had a chevy 350/turbo 350 trans in it). This one was $8500 (mostly original). I've since moved to Atlanta and see ones in similar condition for $11k or less. Rough condition but still drivers can be had for less.

Philbert/Phartnagle > f86sabre 09/28/2014 at 14:19

1

Cool! I had basically the same experience driving a hay truck for the first time when I was 8 years old. Our old truck had a hand throttle that they would set a little above idle then off we would go. My only problem was that the old truck also had grabby brakes which got me yelled at a time or two, but other than that it was a great learning experience. That started my love affair with all things automotive and by the time I was 15 I had already bought my first two vehicles, a 56 Chevy pickup and a 55 Chevy car.

DasWauto > f86sabre 09/29/2014 at 20:34

1

Great post. Having grown up on a farm I too learned to operate machinery at a young age. I remember the old Massey we had in Holland, the old Zetor with an unsynchronised transmission that liked to get stuck in reverse and the '97 Ranger we got when we moved to Canada. That truck is still with us 10+ years later and though may be on its last legs now, has fought through it all in stubborn pride. It's a beater - scrapes, dents, rust, grinding transfer-case, loose exhaust and all - it's worked hard and put away wet but damn I'll miss it when it's gone.