It is a miracle that any of these trucks still exist. They got used up and when their useful lives were over they got scrapped. What else can you do with one of these massive rust machines? But a few survive to tease the senses for restoring one to as-new condition. So we’ll celebrate their survival for Rusty Monday. If you’ve ever seen one of these big rigs restored they are a sight. From their spartan interiors to big split rims and massive grilles, they’re not the easiest to restore but garner a lot of attention when they are.

Mid-1930s International Harvester well-pulling or workover rig

These types of rigs were used for well intervention involving invasive techniques. They can be for both water and oil wells. This old Harvester has been here so long it is getting buried. Note the late-teens to early-1920s Packard radiator and hood. There’s an engine of some sort under there to run some of the equipment. 

1969-71 International one-ton dump truck

These old 1970s Internationals were the last of the light- and medium-duty trucks International ever made. After 1974 they were dropped for the S-Series medium and semi-truck lines. These are actually clean-design trucks that would make a great addition to any truck collection. This one looks very restorable.

1950s Dodge “Job-Rated” medium-duty trucks

Not one but two Dodge medium-duty trucks. After the war, these trucks got more rounded styling and offered a wide range of options. In the 1950s these were very common to see on city streets-Dodge must have made millions of them. 

1957 Chevy 4400-8409 flatbed truck

These heavy-duty trucks were used, abused, and thrown away. So this is a rare sight yet very restorable. We can’t tell how far up the load capacity chain this truck is but we can see that it is under the mega-load 10400 version. These only shared cabs with the half-ton trucks as the bodies were sitting on a taller, heavy-duty frame. So the fenders and aprons below the body were different. 

Mystery rig

It is impossible to tell what this was between the rusted sheet metal and creeping vines. If we had to guess we’d say it is some sort of Mack truck cab. We can tell you this is on the island of Maui. The Hawaiian Islands are littered with old, rusted hulks like this. If they sit long enough they vanish due to the rains and salt air. 

Mid-1960s Dodge Sweptline W300 Power Wagon fire truck

It is hard to tell what body this had but it was obviously some sort of fire rig. Some of these were made with crew cabs which are rarer still. This probably held reel hoses, ladders, gas-powered generators, and other general fire equipment. It is also missing its running boards and splash aprons between the body and running boards. 

1950-53 Chevy 4400-6400 work truck

By the larger wheels and tires, we surmise this is the medium-duty 4400 truck. Chevy trucks in this range were at the high end of medium-duty. These were handsome trucks and from what we can see this is in very restorable condition.