Reader's Rides

Name:  Mike Walls
Location:  Arkansas
Year:  1976
Make:  GMC
Model:  Sierra Classic LWB
Owner Comments:  This truck was purchased new by my Uncle R.C. Kimbrell (aka Uncle “C”) in April of 1976.  He died of cancer in 1988, and my aunt and cousin kept the truck and drove it regularly until the mid 90’s when they bought a new truck.  After that, it mostly just sat around in the weather.  In October 2003, my dad happened to mention to my aunt (who was almost 90 and getting in bad health) that I was looking for an old truck to drive around on the weekends and work on some.  Long story short she agreed to sell it to me (and only me) if I wanted it.  Well, of course I did.  Uncle C was more of a granddad than an uncle to me growing up, so I definitely wanted the truck.  It was still all original but not in that great of shape with around 136,000 miles on it, faded/rusted paint, old steel wheels with bent hubcaps and hard rubber tires, a bent front passenger’s side fender with a rusty hole in it where a battery had turned over and rusted through, sagging headliner, etc – but I was happy to get it for $800.  I started working on it right after I got it, and my goal was to have it pretty well restored before my aunt passed away.  I was privileged to drive it in her funeral procession the next August.  I’ve been piddling with it ever since, and will continue to do so.  At some point in the not too distant future, I’ll probably have to consider putting a new motor in it.  It currently has just under 150,000 miles and is still running fine, but I don’t know how long that will last.

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