When I was 16 years old. I had a 1973 Chevy 1/2 Ton 2WD pickup. Growing up in Minnesota I thought it was ridiculous that 2WD pickups even existed. So I set out to change my situation.
I wanted a 4WD pickup, but couldn't afford one on my part-time salary from my after-school job fixing tires and changing oil, and pumping gas at the local filling station. I had no experience taking on what I was about to do. I didn't really have the tools to do this job correctly and had absolutely NO idea what I was doing. Like everything in my life, I swung for the fences and hoped for the best.
I bought a 4WD chassis for $300 and went to work... It took me a few weeks, in the dead of winter, in a garage with no heat, but I managed to build myself a 4WD truck. When it got towards the end of the project, I started skipping school to work on the truck. The things I learned from that project have stuck with me to this day. Not only did I gain valuable knowledge and skills by diving head first into a crazy project I had no business taking on, but I also gained the confidence to take a risk, try new things, and not be afraid of the unknown.
I wish I had this truck back just for the story more than anything. I sold it a couple of years later to a local farmer and it sat next to the highway in plain view for the next 15 or so years. I always thought about pulling in and seeing if I could buy it back but never did...
I guess its forever in the "The One That Got Away" column...
