If you have a Classic Cruiser and want to see it here, email at least six high-resolution photos and background info to the email address above, or mail prints to: Classic Trucks, Attn: Grant Peterson, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870.
Here's a great story from readers Reed and Carol Petersen:
Greetings,
This is our '66 Chevrolet. Many years ago my dad needed a work truck, as he and my mom were buying his parents' farm in South Dakota. He was the second owner, and it had 11,000 miles on it when he bought it from a dealership in Flandreau, South Dakota. Eventually, this was the vehicle I drove to high school and beyond. I made a poor decision and traded the pickup in 1986. It had just over 80,000 miles on it at the time.
In 1998, I decided I had to try and find the truck. Twelve years of regret were killin' me! A search using an old registration slip turned up the current owner near Webster, North Dakota. I called 411, got his phone number (we really were not using the Internet much at the time), and cold-called him. Over the course of several phone calls and some 35mm pictures sent through the mail, a deal was swung over the phone. It was picked up in November 1998 and trailered home. The odometer had rolled and showed just over 33,000 miles.
Carol, my wife of 17 years, and I did much of the work ourselves, but the mechanical genius behind it is my nearly lifelong best friend, Ryan Geigle, now of Jamestown, North Dakota. An incredibly talented co-worker of mine, Hector Soto, did all the body and paintwork, custom flames, and underhood mural. Hector fabricated pieces and parts that either did not exist or he wanted to do himself. A good friend of mine I met when we moved, Mike Vogel, owns Vogel Motors in Brandon, and has provided very good tips and guidance along with the exhaust and A/C work. When we needed help lifting the cab onto the frame and bolting it down, moving things too heavy for us, or simply guidance and advice, wonderful friends and co-workers dropped what they were doing and came to help. You can't do something like this without friends and family pitching in. This is truly a garage build, as all the work was done between three garages and has come back together in the span of just under three years. Now my parents will get their first ride in it since the mid-'80s. Our last will and testament has been changed to reflect that this truck will stay in the family from now on-it'll never be sold again!
Thank you for your consideration for your publication!
Sincerely,
Reed and Carol Petersen
Brandon, South Dakota