This is One Beautiful 1942 Ford Truck
What you see before you once was a pile of rust. It was a basket case, an absolute tragedy. But thanks to the work of the owner, Delmar Bequette, his wife, his son, brother in-law, and his grandson, they turned the tide of time, and restored this beautiful 1942 Ford Semi-Tractor.
According to the St. Louis Post, the truck’s history is a long one, and you can read more about the family history with other trucks of this vintage there. But the story of this big truck is definitely worth greater detail. One of Delmar’s friends knew of his fascination with old trucks and would routinely tell him about this old 1942 dump truck that belonged to another local farmer. And after years of pestering, Delmar finally gave in, went to see the truck, and then promptly left with it.
From there, the truck sat as Delmar began to have health problems. For years, the truck sat in the woods behind Delmar’s house. When his health was at its worst, Delmar finally told his son that he should have the truck. From there, the restoration began.
The cab of the truck was so rusty, it couldn’t be saved. The group then replaced it with a cab from a 1942 Ford Firetruck that used the same chassis. The trucks original 239 flat head V8 and 4-speed trans was still in good nick, but needed a complete overhaul. At the end though, this is the result.
Since the trucks completion, Delmar and his family have been to quite a few different car shows showcasing the groups handiwork. For me, this is such a perfect ending to a perfect story.
