10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

GREELEY’S JUST FOR FUN!
BY TEEN CORRESPONDENT TROY MILLER
(Click here for the pictures!)

Just one day after the Las Vegas truck show ended, my father and I found ourselves back on the road, headed up to Greeley, Colorado for an antique truck show. Hosted by the Intermountain West Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS), the exhibition was held June 17th and 18th at Island Grove Regional Park just north of downtown Greeley. Just like last year, many odd, interesting, cool and old trucks showed up to awe those who came to admire them. Several “newer” trucks showed up as well, but by today’s standards, most of these trucks would still be considered old. Since there was no formal competition, nobody came for trophies – just for fun.

The placement of Greeley is perfect for a truck show. Being 70 miles north of Denver keeps the traffic fairly loose out on I-25 while keeping you from feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere. This was the 16th annual show presented by the Intermountain West Chapter. After holding the show in Colorado Springs for 10 years, the show was moved to Greeley a couple years ago. Being an open-air event, the atmosphere is great and you can see what the trucks actually look like out in the sunlight.

Walking in, one of the first trucks to grab my attention was Richard Asmus’ 1967 Diamond T single axle tractor and flatbed carrying two vintage Diamond T pickup trucks (no doubting his manufacturer of choice). This rig’s light blue paint and white stripes, along with the bright, glossy, red-colored pickups, made for a very appealing color scheme (photo 3). Not far from this truck was an amazing 1966 Peterbilt cabover. The cab had been painted, but nearly every other piece on the truck was polished to a silver color with swirls in the polish – too cool!

Another set of antiques that caught my eye that weren’t quite trucks were Russ Morgan’s 1945 M5A1 tank and totally original Army Jeep. Though not what you would expect at a vintage truck show, they were still amazing to see. John Hickey’s 1947 Autocar single-axle was in attendance, too. His truck, though fairly small compared to today’s trucks, has a certain charm to it that gives it that truly American truck look (photo 1). John also brought out his beautifully restored and customized 1958 Model 351 Peterbilt. Painted yellow with black fenders and a red stripe, this truck was lookin’ sweet (photo 5).

Some other rigs that got my attention included Gary Hills’ 1951 Kenworth Conventional. Although not quite as showy as Western Distributing’s custom 1954, this truck still has a mean attitude to it (photo 4). Gary also brought out a very cool 1957 Pirsch fire truck. Jack Frost came to show his 1951 Mack LTL and Cummins NHRS diesel engine (that was cast in 1961), Glenn Rowley pulled up his 1916 Federal stakebed (photo 2) and David McMichael proudly presented his 1967 Mack F700 cabover (photo 6).

Other neat trucks worthy of mentioning include a cool 1983 Marmon cabover. Though not the oldest, there’s something about Marmons that seems to pull people towards them – maybe because they were the last (and one of the only) hand-made trucks to be manufactured. A mean looking (and sounding) Kenworth W900A with a very long wheelbase and a powerful V-12 Detroit Diesel also showed up to wow the crowd. When the owner fired it up, it had a smooth, evil sound to it. Also, a pair of rugged, high-set Coleman trucks (a 1929 and a 1933) were two of the most crowd-pleasing rigs on the lot.

Aside from seeing the fascinating old trucks, many other types of vehicles (beyond the tank and jeep) came out to play as well. Several old cars, including a right-hand drive Chevrolet, an old Nash and a forties Ford cabover were also in attendance. The Ford’s beautiful black paint was easily one of the nicest at the show. One of the oddballs at the show was a Russell steamer that appeared to be mounted on a truck chassis (it looked like a cross between a steam locomotive and an old big rig). Whether it was for work or for play, it was pretty interesting and unique.

This year proved to be a great show again, bringing out some awesome trucks. Even though they weren’t the cleanest, most dent-free trucks (like the ones we see at the big trucking shows in Louisville, Vegas and Dallas), the awesome allure and mystery of these old trucks cannot be compared to new trucks – there’s nothing like seeing a rare, old truck. We hope to see you next year! On a final note, if you’re heading north from Denver or South from Greeley on I-25, be sure to stop at Johnson’s Corner for fantastic food served in a trucker-friendly environment.

Also, for those interested in old trucks, the ATHS National Convention & Antique Truck Show will be coming to Colorado Springs in June 2007. Held in the picturesque setting of the Rocky Mountains, in the shadow of Pikes Peak, some 600 trucks are expected to show. Pack your bags early and plan on making it out to the largest antique truck show of the year. For further information, visit www.aths.org or just keep reading 10-4 Magazine. We’ll keep you posted as more details become available.