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What is a truck? Technically just a bunch of metal and rubber shaped into a powertrain and a body. But a truck can become a trusty work partner. And sometimes it can even feel like a member of the family.

Blake Kincheloe grew up admiring the 1954 International pickup truck on his grandfather’s property. Yes, the heavy truck and agricultural equipment company–International Harvester–made pickup truck until 1975.

Family lore is that Kencheloe’s grandfather, and the man’s mother, invested in the truck for $50 and one hog. Grandpa Kincheloe nicknamed the truck cannonball and drove it for years, until her retired it for farm use only. At this point, the truck had no turn signals or front bumper. And by the 1980s, it was parked for good.

Red International pickup truck parked at a car show
International Harvester pickup truck | kenmo via iStockPhoto

Kincheloe hatched a plan, to smuggle the truck off his grandfather’s farm and get it running. He enlisted the help of his dad, Bryan Kincheloe. And together they were able to take the truck to C & J’s Classics & Muscle Cars shop in Lebanon, Missouri.

The professionals at C & Js not only got the powertrain going again, but the got safety gear such as the turn signals going. They even found the correct front bumper to make the truck road legal again. Bryan and Blake picked it up and caravaned back to the farm. Blake admitted it was a trip just to see the truck driving through his hometown.

As you might expect, revealing the truck to grandpa was a big occasion. There were delighted swears and there were tears. You can see the reaction for yourself in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.