Cream Puff, the 1977 Ford F-150, joined the Wilson family from an Asheville, NC, Food Lion. Matt, my father, passed the all original farm truck sitting in the grocer parking lot thinking it would be irrational to buy it. To ease his mind, he told himself he would return later the next day, and only then he permitted himself to look at it. The next day, I saw my parents returning from the store with my father driving the truck and I instantly fell in love with it.

Not long after the purchase, my father found a new job up in Pennsylvania. Cream Puff left her life in North Carolina and followed us up to Pittsburgh in 2006. We found her a spot in the garage and only brought her out for short night rides around town. As we all grew older and busier, Cream Puff’s rides became less frequent and soon non-existent.

In 2013, my sister, Hunter, turned 16 and my father gave her a choice: buy a new car or wait and help restore Cream Puff. She looked at the dust covered truck and remembered the slight knock in the engine in order to make her decision for the new vehicle. To my delight, this meant the ’77 could be mine just as I’d wished.

Over the next two years I annoyed my father constantly about finding a place to help me restore the truck. Bernie Lipinski appeared from my father’s coworker, and he happily took on the task of painting the truck. After just a few conversations about layout and schemes, Bernie realized this truck meant so much more to me.

The deconstruction began, and we found just a few problems that needed addressed. Bernie helped encourage my father to help me completely restore my truck, rather than only getting it to mere running condition. I learned a lot through the process and sparked a new interest in vintage transportation. With the increase of time and money required, I stepped up and traveled out to Oakmont to help and be a part of my dream coming true.

Two and a half years of financing and labor resulted in the final version. She features a 400 modified engine, Magnaflow exhaust, Edelbrock valve covers, carb, and intake, along with LMC headliner, carpeting, roll pan, etc. She has 52,000 miles on the body but a fresh coat of original Wimbledon White and Sage Green. She is more than what I envisioned for my first vehicle. Thanks to LMC Truck, several man hours, and many paychecks, I designed my first classic at the age of 17.