The Truck Has Been Found

We got the call first thing this morning.  They found the truck in downtown Lawrence, locked and the keys gone.  Along with the radio and all the stereo equipment.  And the cute little stuffed Tigger head hanging from the rearview mirror.  Really??!!

 

Other than that, the truck seems okay.  No dents or major issues.  Whoever took it wiped it clean, took all the stuff out of the glovebox, took the $20 emergency money in the visor, locked it and walked away.  They probably would have come back for it, since they took the key.  The expensive toolbox full of tools was untouched, thankfully.

 

The dealer is taking it back to finish the work and then we'll go pick it up.  And somebody is going to write us a check for our time and a new stereo.

Anybody Seen Our Truck?

A couple of weekends ago, J. headed out to go to an auction in Lawrence, which is about 35 miles from where we live.  He never made it.  Right as he turned on the road to go the auction, the brakes went out on the Dodge.  If that wasn't bad enough, he was in a spot where he could barely get intermittent cell coverage.  After many dropped calls, I was finally able to get him the number for the local dealer and he had it towed over there.

Fast forward to this morning where he gets a phone call from them. The guy asks "Ummm...by chance, did you come pick up your truck over the weekend?"  You can imagine J.'s reaction to that one.
 
 "No.  Why?"
"Well, we can't find it."

Yep, it was stolen from the dealer's lot.  Why they didn't have it locked up over the weekend is beyond me.  So the cops were called to do a report and the guy that last worked on it admitted in front of the officer that he couldn't remember if he followed dealer policy and dropped the keys in the box or not.  The keys are missing so my guess is that he left them in the truck.  If that wasn't bad enough, they admitted that there had been scrap thefts recently right next to the dealership and "maybe they stole the truck to haul off the scrap?".  Um, wouldn't that be another good reason to lock it up?

And then they had the audacity to tell J. to turn it in on his homeowners policy and they would reimburse him for the deductible.  Um, no.  That won't be happening.

I am so mad right now I could spit nails.

1966 Ford Pickup. I Rule.

I'm channeling Lester Burnham this evening - if you've seen American Beauty, then you probably get the reference to this scene where Lester lets his wife know about his "new" 1970 Pontiac Firebird - the car of his dreams.  I love that dang flick.   

But I didn't quit my job or blackmail the efficiency consultant.  Nope...this is all about a man named J. and a dream.  A dream of a pickup truck born the same year as he was:  1966.  And it's a finally a reality.

Behold the 1966 Ford pickup.  Grab your hubbies, ladies, because we're about to engage in some serious old truck love. 

Whoa....not so close!  Back it up a little bit....

At 46 years old, she's not perfect but alot of work has been done to the body and the cab mounts (which are what tend to rust out on these).  But we all have a little wear and tear on us when we hit 46, right?  The window is cracked, the window seals are shot, and a couple of the trim pieces are gone off the body, but the body itself is just about right as rain.  No dents!

She's straight off the farm in Lincoln, MO where she was toting firewood and hay.  According to the owner, who was at the auction, the 240 straight 6 engine was rebuilt by Ford and only has about 1000 miles on it since the rebuild.  He also added 6 new tires, new exhaust, new heavy duty hitch, new water pump, and a new battery.  She's got good bones.

Did I mention she's a 3/4 ton dually with a flatbed?

I can see her with a shiny new black paint job, fresh chrome grill and Cranky Puppy Farm signs on the doors.   And maybe some Rhino lining on the flatbed.

She's styling on the inside also.  Check out the gear shift.

And the dash is pretty original and in great shape.  This truck was never fitted with radio!  I can't wait to get my hands on it and make it shine again.

And here's J. driving her home from the auction last night in Sedalia.  He looks right at home with his farmer's straw hat, doesn't he?

When I first met J., he owned a black long bed 1966 Ford pickup that we both loved.  Heck, I used to tease him that I fell for his truck and he was just a package deal.  LOL.  

1950?  Nope, just J. showing his ShaNaNa cool. Note the cigs rolled up in the sleeve.  Those orange Converse are the reason we ended up together.  Who can resist a man in orange high tops?.

But, for some crazy reason, he decided to sell it.  And we've mourned that decision ever since.  We've searched far and wide for a replacement and it's taken a LONG time but we finally found her.  It was love at first site when we pulled into the auction lot last night.  We had to fight off one other person but we weren't to be denied.  She was all ours.

And the best part about it?  The huge smile on J.'s face. 
He owns a 1966 Ford 3/4 ton pickup and

HE RULES!

I've shared this with this week's Shoot.Edit.Submit,  Ole Saturday Homesteading Trading Post, Your Sunday Best and Weekly Top Shot hops.

Old Trucks and New Friends

I met some amazing people today and it was purely by chance. 

This morning, the plan was to head to Eudora, which is about 35 minutes southwest (mostly west) of Kansas City.  During that quilting class I took earlier this Spring, I kept hearing about this amazing quilt shop called Quilting Bits and Pieces.  The class instructor worked there (and her mom used to as well), and a friend of mine at work was doing block of the month there.   Since it is hotter than tarnation and it's not likely that we'll be able to get anything done outside, today was the perfect day to go.

Eudora has a quaint little downtown and the shop was adorable.  I spent way too much time in there and the ladies were really sweet and helpful.  Before I headed home, I wanted to snap a picture of an old truck that I had seen on the way home from visiting another shop up in Leavenworth, which is north of I-70.  What a perfect excuse to hit some of the backroads in search of some old barns.  But, instead, I found a field with hay bales as far as the eye could see.

I'd say those folks have been busy, wouldn't you?

Driving up highway 73 with the AC barely keeping up with the heat from the sun beating down on the roof of the Jeep, I realized I couldn't quite remember where I had seen that old truck.  So, of course, I ended up passing it and had to do a U-turn.  Growing up, my grandfather taught me that you don't walk onto someone's property without their permission, so I turned in the driveway to ask if the owners minded if I took a photo of their truck.

That's when I met Carrie, one of the owners of Faircrest Farm, and her family.  Not only did they let me take pictures of the truck, but she even drove me into the field in her own Jeep to spare mine from any scratches.  (Yes, my Wrangler is a bit of a prima donna and a city driver.  In all fairness, I haven't had it all that long.)

We chatted for a bit and she explained that they were getting ready to open their produce market on Sunday.  Then we talked a bit about her family and she mentioned that her dad liked to collect old trucks.  Well, stop the presses!  If there's anything I love more than old tractors, its old trucks. 



An old year-unknown GMC with a tree growing out of the engine compartment is still cool.



The next truck on our Old Truck Tour was definitely in better shape.  Behold the restored 1947 Chevy pickup.  I was raised to be a Ford gal because my grandpa always drove Fords, but when we rounded the corner and saw this, it was love at first sight.

I couldn't help but envision the back filled with produce and Carrie told me they fill it with pumpkins when they have their big Pumpkin Patch every year.  I may have to beg her to let me get a picture of that, because I bet that's something else to behold.  You can see a picture of the truck loaded with hay on their website. 

J. says I'm part magpie because I love shiny things.  This grill?  It's right up my alley.

After I drooled on her truck, Carrie whisked me off past her barn and 14 horses (one of them a rescued black Percheron!) and their extensive garden....

.... to see some more of her dad's truck collection.  Here's a late 40's GMC:

Carrie affectionately referred to the truck on the right as "the marshmallow" and told me that, when she was a young girl, her dad drove her family to Alaska in it at roughly 40 miles per hour the whole way.  That brings a whole new meaning to the age-old kid question "Are we there YET?"

An aging firetruck found its resting spot here.  This rusty beauty was one of about 30 old trucks lining the road through the property.  Lots of old Chevy's and Diamond T's.   Her dad was quite the collector.  And  Carrie said there were more in the barn, including her mom's 1936 Cord convertible. 

When we got back to the barn, Carrie introduced me to her neighbor, Bruce, and her mother, Gladys.  They were weighing produce and getting ready to open up the market.  In fact, while I was there, four other Jeep owners showed up to buy produce and we had a little Jeep Jamboree right there on the gravel.  That is, until the heat forced us back inside.

After Gladys offered me some incredible, fresh canteloupe slices, I relieved them of some gigantic Beefsteak tomatoes and jalapenos that were freshly picked from their garden and headed off down the road with a wave.

A very heart-felt thank you to Carrie, Gladys, Bruce and the other folks at Faircrest Farm for the warm welcome and for being so friendly despite the fact that I interrupted their busy morning.  If you ever find yourself in Basehor, please stop in and see Carrie and Gladys and snag some healthy, organically home grown fruits and veggies along with some recipes from Gladys. You'll be glad you did!

Faircrest Farm can be found at 22261 North 139th St on the west side of 7 Highway between Bonner Springs and Lansing, Kansas.  It's just a stone's throw from Kansas City.  According to Carrie, they're open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

DISCLAIMER:   I am not affiliated in any way with Faircrest Farm,nor was I paid for this post.  I just thought they were really cool, down-to-earth Midwestern good people.

Shared with my friends at thsi week's Weekly Top Shot,Ole' Saturday Homesteading Trading Post, Simple Things Sunday, Shoot.Edit.Submit, Sunday Snapshot, Your Sunday Best, the Homestead Barn Hop, Barn Charm and Green Day.