Old Blue
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:56 am
A long time ago my Dad bought a used farm truck from Scrivet and Rabbit Holler Flash's dad. It was what they called a Camper Special or Farm Special . 350 with 4bbl, 4speed, 4wd with dual range transfer case, 4.11 differentials, 16.5 tires, etc. axles and springs were the same as used on the 1 ton. It would haul or tow anything, but needed to tow a fuel trailer. Only got 9 mpg on the highway. Loaded or empty made no difference. It would only run about 75 flat out, but sure would get up to that 75 in a hurry. Needless to say we did not drive it unless we really needed to haul something heavy or needed the 4wd. When Dad quit farming then later passed away I bought it from Mom, but left it setting in a shed down at the farm just getting it out when I needed it.
I had a company school scheduled I had to fly to Dallas for, and they were predicting a big snow storm about the time I was coming back, so I got the old truck out to drive to the airport 85 miles away. At this point in time the truck was about 30-35 years old and had spent all but the first couple years of its life on a farm. You could not put both hands on it without hitting a dent, rust spot, or some cow manure. I drove to the long term lot I normally used, found a parking spot and grabbed my suit case and walked over to the shelter to catch the shuttle to the terminal. At that point in life I weighed about 250 pounds, and could pick up 350 or so and walk away with it, so people tended to leave me alone. When the bus came by I ended up sitting across the isle from a couple of yuppie types, the kind that are trying to impress everyone and making remarks belittling everything they saw, and it just happened that the bus circled past the old blue truck as it headed back. One of the yuppies nudged the other one and said"Hey it looks like some old farmer dug that thing out of the shed to drive it up here" and started laughing. I looked over at them and said "Yeah, I did." Sure was a quiet ride the rest of the way to the airport.
I had a company school scheduled I had to fly to Dallas for, and they were predicting a big snow storm about the time I was coming back, so I got the old truck out to drive to the airport 85 miles away. At this point in time the truck was about 30-35 years old and had spent all but the first couple years of its life on a farm. You could not put both hands on it without hitting a dent, rust spot, or some cow manure. I drove to the long term lot I normally used, found a parking spot and grabbed my suit case and walked over to the shelter to catch the shuttle to the terminal. At that point in life I weighed about 250 pounds, and could pick up 350 or so and walk away with it, so people tended to leave me alone. When the bus came by I ended up sitting across the isle from a couple of yuppie types, the kind that are trying to impress everyone and making remarks belittling everything they saw, and it just happened that the bus circled past the old blue truck as it headed back. One of the yuppies nudged the other one and said"Hey it looks like some old farmer dug that thing out of the shed to drive it up here" and started laughing. I looked over at them and said "Yeah, I did." Sure was a quiet ride the rest of the way to the airport.
