FEBRUARY 2010 OLD TIME TRUCKS
IN MEMORY OF RICHARD GROSE
By Old Truck Nuts John & Shirley Sponholtz
Going to an auction can sometimes really get you in trouble, as Douglas Richardson of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, found out when he spotted a 1980 International 4070B Transtar II at one nine years ago and made the winning bid. It was love at first sight. Thirty years ago, Douglas had driven a brand new truck just like it, hauling hospital products and baled cotton out of Griswoldville, Massachusetts. He drove part time at night and took his young sons with him. Finding a truck just like the one he had driven years ago brought back many good memories. The truck was previously owned by an asphalt paving company in Lisbon, Connecticut, where it pulled a low-bed trailer with a paver during the paving season. Powered by a 350 Cummins engine backed by a 9-speed Roadranger transmission with 38,000-lb. rears, the International had 77,000 miles on it and had never been used in the winter! Douglas replaced all the brakes, tires, belts and hoses, and then repainted the truck – which now looks pristine! Douglas now enjoys reliving old memories and taking his beautiful International to truck shows.