Summer has come and gone and I have not told you anything about my beloved truck, Dixie.  After the fuel line replacement, Hubby and I decided to tackle refinishing the boards in the wooden bed.  It took a bit of time to remove them and clean the metal strips that hold each board down.  Hubby sanded the boards, removing the old varnish, and stained them with a medium wood stain.  Signs of weather remained on the boards, which only added character. 

Despite the fact that there is a deep blanket of snow on the ground, the wind is howling, and the temperature is well below freezing, I am thinking of spring.  I am excited about the prospects of getting Dixie back out on the road.  True to form for an old truck, she needs some attention before the first voyage out.

The last adventure for Dixie I reported was the tune up and our friend Young Steve helping us get her out on the road.  We decided to bite off a big chunk and replace all of the wiring.

Did I mention it was a big chunk?

I was not quite prepared for how big.

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby asked a friend he works with to come out and take a look at Dixie.  Despite the fact that she runs, and does not fill the air with black smoke, we wanted someone with mechanical know-how to take a look and listen.

Hubby’s friend Young Steve was raised on his family’s farm.  He is a great electrician and very mechanically knowledgeable.  He and Hubby have had many conversations about Dixie, and he was more than happy to come out to help.

Dixie starts, but fills the air with dark, thick smoke. 

She was built in 1959, well before the modern fuel injections system found in vehicles today.  I did some research (of course, as I am an information junkie), and found that the engine is powered by mixing fuel and air, which is then burned in the metal cylinders inside the engine. 

I love getting packages.

Even when I have ordered something myself, I am like a kid at Christmas waiting for the postman or delivery driver to come bearing a fat envelope or cardboard box with my name on it.  Given I had to order parts for Dixie from a variety of vendors, it was quite a treat waiting for everything to arrive!

This weekend was a whirl of activity on the homestead.  The weather was perfect for outside chores. 

We finally got to work on Dixie! 

Who is Dixie?

For many years I have wanted an old truck.  I love the big, boxy look of trucks built back in “the day”.  Yes, the cars of that era are sweet as well.  For me, there is just something about a truck.