The Torch is Passed

In the fall of 1988 I was in the market for a small pickup truck. Ford had just introduced the 1989 Ranger. It featured significant redesign compared to the previous model which had been virtually unchanged since its introduction in 1983. I preferred the previous model and searched until I found a dealer who still had 3 of the 1988’s on their lot. With exception of the color (1 red, 1 tan and 1 blue) the trucks were identical. 2.0 Liter 4 cylinder engines with 5 speed transmissions. “Plain Jane” trucks with no optional equipment. I purchased the blue truck never expecting that I would keep it for 30 years.

I drove the truck from the fall of 1988 until late summer of 1993. My youngest son, Jason was 15 years old at the time and looking forward with great anticipation to his 16th birthday. As it is for most young people, being able to drive is a “Rite of Passage” that brings a new found independence. Jason’s sister Heather and his brother Chris had cars of their own. Jason had mentioned that he might want to get a truck. I told him that I would give him the Ranger for his 16th birthday. The body was still in excellent condition but the small 4 cylinder engine was beginning to show its age. To address this problem we decided to replace the 4 cylinder with a Ford 302 V8. It would be a project that we could do together and we had plenty of time since his birthday wasn’t until the 25th of January. Many parts had to be purchased or custom made to complete the conversion and as often happens, unforeseen problems delayed completion until the spring of 1994.

As fall arrived I encouraged Jason to store the truck during the winter months to protect it from the snow and salt. We looked around for a practical car that could be used for year round transportation. When we found one, the truck was placed in the garage for the winter. Jason drove it often during the spring, summer and fall of 1995 but as winter approached it was again put away. Tragically this would be the last that Jason would drive the Ranger. He died in a traffic accident December 14th 1995. His brother drove the truck several times in 1996 but again as winter approached it was placed in storage. It was to remain there for the next 21 years.

Last summer Chris and his family were visiting from their home in Monee, IL south of Chicago. Chris and his wife Lori have 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys. Noah the youngest of their 3 sons would be 15 on September 8th 2017. I told him about the truck and the story behind it and asked if he would like to have it when he was old enough to drive. Excitedly he said that he would and later that day he asked if I would take him to see the truck. I had not seen it in a while myself and so we drove to the location on Elm Street where the truck was stored. It was coated with a thick layer of dust. The rubber of the tires was dry and cracked. The front tires were flat as a result. The rear tires were not much better however they still held air. Over the years the bed had been used for storage and the contents were also covered with dust. Although the body was still solid and rust free, everything else would need attention. We planned to have the truck ready to drive by Noah’s 16th birthday on September 8th 2018. A little over a year, that should be more than enough time.

Several weeks later Noah came to stay with us for 2 weeks. We moved the truck to our home on Snyder Road. Noah spent the next 3 days cleaning, washing and waxing. We put new tires on the front so that at least we could roll the truck around as necessary. It would be some time before it would move under its own power. Noah helped me remove the engine and transmission. In the year since we started we obtained another engine which my nephew completely rebuilt. All new brake lines and fuel lines were made and installed. All brake components were replaced with new parts. The rebuilt engine and transmission were reinstalled with the help of my brother. All shock absorbers were replaced. All electrical components were replaced with new parts. Some wiring issues were discovered and corrected with assistance from my neighbor. The pace of work intensified as Noah’s birthday approached. New rear tires to match the fronts were purchased and new aluminum wheels were found online. Another obstacle was encountered. The fuel tank sending unit was plugged with fuel residue. I planned to replace it but found that it was obsolete and no longer available from Ford or any after market sources. This required that I dismantle and rebuild the original sending unit. New exhaust pipes had been made however they could not be installed until after the fuel tank was replaced.

September came and I was still not finished. Noah had gone home several weeks before school started to begin soccer practice. I called and told him that I was close but I would not be finished by his birthday. He was very understanding and told me that he would be busy with soccer for the next 6 weeks anyway.
October 12th … finally it is finished. Everything works well and just as important it looks great. Jean called Noah and told him that I would be finished by the middle of next week and we were planning to bring the truck to Monee on Thursday the 18th. We rented a U-Haul trailer and loaded the truck on Saturday the 13th in preparation to leave early Sunday morning. Chris was aware that we were coming on Sunday and he arranged for Noah to be home during the time we expected to arrive.

Chris and Noah were working in the garage. Chris heard the sound of my truck and came outside. We talked briefly then he went back to the door and called Noah to come outside. When he came out and saw the truck he could not conceal his happiness. All the hard work and time invested was more than offset by the joy he felt. He went to my wife and gave her a big hug. He then came to me and did the same. He examined the truck top to bottom while it was still on the trailer and said “Grandpa, its beautiful”. I handed him the keys. He started the engine and slowly backed the truck off the trailer. He commented about how nice the truck looked now compared to when we had brought it home more than a year earlier.

Since it was Sunday, he would not be able to get license plates so he could not drive it yet. He walked around it a couple of times opening and closing doors, the hood and the tailgate. After a few minutes he got back in the truck and pulled it into the driveway. He paused momentarily to listen to the soft rumble of the V8 engine. He turned the key to the off position, got out and locked the doors. He looked at me, dropped the key into his pocket and smiled.

I felt a great sense of relief at having the truck finished. I also felt a sense of peace and comfort in knowing that Jason’s truck was now in the hands of a family member who will cherish it and care for it as he had done. I recalled a comment Noah made to me last year shortly after the project began. “Grandpa, someday I am going to give this truck to my grandson”. That means it will have passed through 5 generations of our family. Jason would be pleased. For now it is Noah’s to enjoy. The torch has been passed!

Thanks to my wife Jean, my brother Tom, my nephew Tom Jr and friends Bob Moskus and Dennis Stower. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.