First, but not his last, Ford pickup

Freshly restored 1951 Ford takes priority in family garage.

Power steering by Arm Strong.

In 1951, a sixteen-year-old Matt Drees took his driver road test in this brand new Ford pickup. Last night he drove it to an antique car show in Henderson. This afternoon Stan took a thrill ride, merrily topping the speed limit on County Road 79, windows wide open, smiles from passersby.
Everything's been shined and restored; there's a new box, new plugs and radiator and much more. But the 83 horse V-8, cooled by a pair of water pumps, is pretty much original. The transmission, geared down for farm duty, changes easily and the air-conditioning is simple: a vent in the dashboard. There's no radio or seatbelts, but there is a place where you could insert a crank in an emergency.

Oddly, the six-volt battery is positive grounded, no one is sure why. The classic Ford insignia shines.
It's been a labor of love, getting the old girl reassembled, Matt says. It's all for fun. Meanwhile, he's about to take delivery on a new pickup for his everyday errands.
A 2016 Ford F150, naturally.