"My father purchased this 1931 Ford pickup truck in Los Angeles in 1950 off of someone's front lawn for $25," wrote Wayne Rodgers of Sun City Aliante in North Las Vegas. "Dad invested another $25 in parts to make it more durable for use at our cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In 1951, this truck was driven 300 miles to our log cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where it was used as a utility vehicle for 20 years without California registration. The cabin sits at an altitude of 10,000 feet, where the winter snow pack ranges from 20 to 30 feet. The truck was outdoors at the same location for 20 years and it started every year like a clock! In 1971, I removed the truck from that mountain location and stored it in a L.A. warehouse for 13 years. In October of 1984, I shipped the truck to Cleveland for a restoration project. On Nov. 24, 1984, this truck was destroyed by a drunk driver in the middle of the night. In May of 1985, the truck was taken to an auto body shop for a ground-up restoration, using the $8,000 insurance settlement from the accident. That money lasted less than a year. In 1986, the truck sat in my garage until 1995, when it was delivered to (another shop) for continuing restoration. It was there for five years. In 2000, I delivered the truck to Don Davidson (a former auto shop employee), where it was completed in 2003. I have over $20,000 invested, and worth every dime!"
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