06/21/2026
Late night in the garage tonight… Father’s Day Eve.
A couple months ago, I bought a donor running gear for my dad’s old 1972 C20 that I purchased over 10 years ago. I set a goal to have it running by Father’s Day.
Tonight, I got to hear it run again.
Not only that, I was able to let out on that squeaky clutch pedal to feel it move under its own power for the first time in years.
That moment brought a sense of accomplishment, but it also brought a flood of emotions. Car people understand this. Old iron carries stories, memories, and pieces of the people who came before us. This truck is no exception.
Back in the mid-90s, Dad dragged this old Poly Green C20 home to our garage. Most people would have seen an old worn-out truck. Dad saw something different. His goal was simple—build a nice driver-quality truck that could be used, enjoyed, and put to work when needed.
I remember riding with him to pick it up. The truck had been left to rot in the weeds behind the old St. Joe garage, but Dad already had a vision for it.
Over the next couple years, after countless trips to the local salvage yard and plenty of help from good buddies (some of which was probably repaid with a little 100-proof encouragement 😁), he transformed several trucks into one very slick 1972 C20. It was a six-cylinder, four-speed truck sitting proudly on white wagon wheels and snow tires.
The truck became part of my childhood.
I remember writing on the SPID plate that’s still in the glove box today. I remember playing in the old donor cab behind the garage. I remember the smell of fresh paint after it was sprayed. I remember rides down to Maker’s Mark Creek after it was finished. I remember crying on the steps of our Loretto house the day he sold it!
And I remember the people.
I have memories of my Uncle Timmy Hutchins helping get that old six-cylinder up to par. I remember one of Dad’s buddies helping paint it in our garage. I can still picture the blue carpet in my bedroom in the 90s while Digger and I played with our Hot Wheels as Dad and Jeff were hard at work laying paint on the old truck.
Fast forward to today.
Kam has already claimed this truck as his own. The best part is that he’s already creating memories of it just like I did. Through the process of reviving it, he’s experienced some of the same excitement, frustration, and anticipation that I remember feeling with Dad.
I don’t plan to build a show truck.
In fact, I keep finding little treasures that remind me of Dad’s work. The typical rusted core support is one example. Instead of buying new parts, he took two core supports and made one good one by cutting out the rust and riveting in good metal from another truck. It might not meet today’s standards, but it worked, it was affordable, and it got the job done.
That repair is staying.
My plan is simple: revive this old truck and enjoy it until Kam is old enough to tear it apart into a thousand pieces and build it back his own way, creating his own stories along the way.
Maybe someday he’ll look back on a Hugger Orange and White K10 the same way I look back on this Poly Green C20.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandpas, uncles, mentors, and friends who have spent time in the garage teaching us more than just how to turn wrenches.
The cars and trucks matter.
But the memories matter more.
