1968 Ford Truck, Cledus

Wasn't looking for a project but couldn't pass this one up. I was at Advance Auto talking to the girl that handles our commercial account for the club and the phone rings. She starts talking and I find out it's Randy Vickers. I grabbed the phone to just say hello. While talking I tell him I seen the old 67 Ford truck he had a while back on Craigs List. He said are you looking for an old Ford like that? Joking I said yea, there is a sucker every minute looking for an old Ford. He goes on to tell me that he knows where one is in a barn down by Thorn Hill Drag Strip.

The guy that works for him, Bill owns it. 55343 original miles on the truck! One thing leads to another and I find myself awake at 5:30 this morning not sleeping. At 7:00 I get in the shower and take a drive to Covington, Ky to pick Bill up so he can show me this truck.

Why the truck is in a barn that far away from Bills house is not clear and I didn't care. Here are a few shots along the way.

This is Hedger Brothers Speed Shop. Or it use to be when we were kids. They still own the place but I don't think anything is being built. That Vette did have a huge pro snorkel hood scoop though.

I always like this building.


More door sitting in a yard.

It took a while but we made it to where the truck was. By the way Bill was talking he really didn't want to let the truck go. He told me he got it because everyone had old cars and he wanted one. He had it since 2009 but never drove it. EVER!

Bill didn't look too happy to let it go but the Billy Goat seemed very happy.

The Goat was next to the truck. Tell me that goat isn't smiling!

The truck is hit in the front and buckled the fender. Easy fix. The rest is a few rust holes. Not bad at all.




From front to back, in it and on top of it is junk. The pics were taken after most of it was removed.

I ask if it run and stops? He says yea. How many miles have you driven it? None! None? How did it get here. Randy towed it.
Come to find out this truck is local to me and some on here even know the truck. It's Kirk Lombardo's old truck. Before Bill got it Kirk left it sitting in his driveway for YEARS!!! I started to think this was going to be a nightmare. The truck hasn't been on the road in 20 years I don't think. .

Bill goes on to tell me that he got it & went through everything. Brakes, all new lines, fuel pump, new carb and radiator. New clutch, pressure plate and throw out. Ditched the dry rotten tires and cleaned and painted the rims before mounting new rubber. All the lights. Only thing that doesn't work is the gas gauge. Dome light works even the reverse lights work. He pulls some junk out of the seat and starts cranking it. 4 or 5 cranks and it starts right up! You can't hear it run! No knocks, ticks or smoke!

He built the truck to get out and hang out with some of the guys but just never did it. It just sat there in the barn.

He told me we could not get it out of the barn due to all the mud. I told him I'd take it but I wanted it today! He said are you going to get randy to tow it?

Anyone that knows me knows how I feel about tow trucks. If it's what he says I'll drive it or leave it sitting on the side of the road.

He backs it in the barn and then gets a run at the muddy yard. It makes it through fine! We head to Alexandria, Ky to my insurance company. I get insurance on it and get the title fixed while I'm there.
I head back to Covington to drop Bill off and back home for an hour nap. Get up and drive back to the truck to get the tags off the truck so I can get historical tags for it. I had to turn the old tags in. Drive to the court house in Alexandria to get it transfered. Then back home to get Amy. I'm sick of driving by this time! Amy, the kids and I then head back to the truck. I grab gallon and 1/2 of gas for the truck.
On the way.

As we are getting close to the truck I'm telling stories about when I was younger to my kids. This store sold Turbo Blue Racing Fuel. We would stop here on the way to Thorn Hill Drag Strip to get gas or some Friday nights if we thought we would get some sucker in a street race we would fill up our tanks with it. Most Friday night were just cruising with the smell of that Turbo Blue puffing out of the pipes. Could you see someone filling up the tank with racing fuel now a day with what it cost just to cruise around?


I start looking in the back and the pump is still there. I could not read it until I seen the pics on my computer. They are still selling racing fuel.

More yard art.

We are now in Morning View, Ky. I look over while I'm taking pics and see a NPD car. I pull into the lot and then see it's the old K9 car. Tom Collins, Chief of Police here in Newport bought this car and is turning it into a 1/4 mile drag car. All the marking will stay on the car. Pretty cool huh?

I remember when you could read this sign perfectly. What time will do. This is the drag strip.

More yard art.

We made it to the truck. I wasn't sure if this thing would make it back to Newport or not. I put the gallon and half of gas in it and started off. To think this was the first time in many years it's seen a road under it's own power was a little scary.


And away we go!

Not knowing how much gas was in the tank I didn't want to take any chance. I hopped over the river from Kenton into Campbell County in hopes of hitting a gas station sooner.
I didn't make it!

Fuzz o graph
the truck was running great! Steering was tight, Brakes stops on a dime. I kicked it up a notch and wanted to see what the old truck would do in the corners. Not a Vette by any means but did good for an old Ford. It felt tight!

Then the sound of a chugging engine and no place to pull off! The truck was going up hill so I couldn't coast. I whipped it from side to side getting a little gas in the hose enough to make it into a parking lot. I come flying in with the truck dead. A guy was standing there watching me. I get out of the truck and the guy looks puzzled. I told him I ran out of gas can I leave the truck here for minute? Just about that time I hear this loud BAM!!! I look over and Amy is watching me and run her car into the car garage wall.

I think the guy thought we were drunk or something.


Look at the pushed in garage wall.

I laughed my rear off. She didn't think it was funny but it was.

Amy messed up her bumper a little bit but it's no biggy.

So far 1 break down. I jump in Amy's car and we go get some gas.

I'm always pretty happy. I have that face that looks like I'm not but I am.

I get the truck running and Amy is trying to take a picture. Why do you look so grouchy?

Smile!