Surely you’ve heard the expression: "You look like you were just hit by a Mack truck." Here is one Mack truck you wouldn’t want to get in the way of. And its owner, James Kramer, Cedar Lake, wouldn’t want you hitting it, either!

The truck is a 1959 Mack, model B67ST. Kramer says restoring it was therapy for him, but not exactly easy on the pocketbook.

“We bought it about 25 years ago from Fort Wayne Mack/Marmon,” he recalls. “It was pretty much a basket case when we got it and brought it home.”

READY TO ROLL: If you live in northern Indiana, you might see this truck on the road -- but only if there's no salt!

Kramer says he’s actually been working on the truck ever since. One of the challenges when trying to restore something this old to its original condition is finding the right parts, he notes. “You pretty much check out every parts lead you get when hunting down parts,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of wonderful people down through the years during that process. It’s really been a wonderful restoration project.”

Kramer believes fixing up an antique truck is a great pastime for anyone. He’s learned a lot about trucks and people. Now that the Mack is restored, he loves to see people turn their heads when he drives by. He quips that people just don’t see a truck like this one go by every day.

But people in northern Indiana do get a chance to see it. Kramer uses the truck to haul grain from the field and to the local elevator down the road. It doesn’t just sit in the shed and look pretty.

However, there are certain times when you won’t see it on the road, he adds. “If there is salt on the road, it stays in the shed,” he says.

Have you got a truck you’ve restored, or a great old truck that has been on your farm for a long time? Send us details about it and a picture, and we will share it with everyone. Email [email protected], or send mail to: P.O. Box 247, Franklin, IN 46131.