Grandpa's truck in the river
 

This is an article that appeared in the local newspaper in 1974 when my grandfather's truck drove itself directly down the boat ramp and into the Willamette river. My mom came and picked up my sister and I at school and drove us down there so we could see it get pulled out. The truck was either a 60 or a 61. I was 9 years old at the time.

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

What a cool story (bummer about the truck) to have. I wonder if that old truck is still out there somewhere running down the road? :chevy:

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

That would be very interesting to know if it's still around. After this happened my grandpa got rid of the truck and ended up buying a 68 Long fleet side. And he had that truck up until he passed away

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Neil Young ... Down By the River (revised)

Be on my side. I'll be on your side, baby.
There is no reason for you to hide.
It's so hard for me staying here all alone,
When you could be taking me for a ride.

She could drag me over the rainbow,
Send me away.

Down by the river,
I sunk my baby.
Down by the river....

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Op, that’s cool to have a classic documented in the paper like that. Sure that is something my family would laugh about today.

Ronnie Van Zant said it best… “a southern man don’t need him around anyhow”:lol: just funning CG:lol:
Skynyrd has long been one of my all time favorites, their “feud” is kinda interesting to me.

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Oh man, that's cool you still have the article today. I wonder if those cars are still down there...

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Yeah I love the southern rockers too (especially Molly Hatchet). I also like Neil Young ... Im aware of their differences, the song just seemed appropriate =)

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Cool story to have in the family. You even get a newspaper story with that one. I wonder if the police would still get involved for that public service these days. Maybe all that is a fire dept thing now. I wonder what the other two cars down there were.

Big question: How did your father's truck "drive itself" into the river?

Steven Stills is a southern man and he sure didn't mind having Neil Young around. I like both Skynard and Neil Young, and I get the message in the song

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

Toolman, I've got a similar story but this one didn't make the paper. When I was a kid, 4 or 5? We were at a closed down gravel pit that was privately owned by my Grandfather's friend/boss. My parents would meet his parents and sister here and have picnics and fish to gather fish for the family reunion fish fry they had each year. Needless to say they spent many hours there. One of these times I was playing in my grandpa's truck, a 73 F250 Camper Special, pretending to be driving. I'm pretty sure he yelled and had me bring him a beer so I was out of the truck standing next to his lawn chair and I turned around and there went grandpa's Ford creeping towards the bank which was a cliff on that side. I can still see the topper door flying open as it hit the water. My grandpa's jaw dropped and my Dad was dying laughing after he saw my face. My grandmother and mother were furious because my dad saw too much humor in it. I can't blame him. (I wonder if he'll think it's funny now if his grand kid would to it? :lol:)

Luckily Dad worked at a local service station and was the tow truck driver. Dad used the tow truck to get it out and Denny the farmer/boss/friend put on his diving suit and dove down and hooked the truck up. I can't remember how far it was down there but it was deep. That truck sat on Denny's farm for a few years and eventually Dad made a box trailer out of it. He always laughed because that box was rust free until the day we scrapped that trailer. He said that gravel pit dip preserved it. :lol: That was the end of my playing in vehicles at the gravel pit unless there were no tires on them. :lol: There was a late 30s Chevy 1.5 ton truck in the weeds with some other gravel extraction equipment I would mess with. Sadly Grandpa and Denny both are gone now so I haven't tried to go to the gravel pit to see if it still looks close to the same. It's weird out of all the child hood memories of my early days the only vivid memories I have are with my Grandpa and that farm being with him.

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

For sure, definitely appropriate. I saw the golden opportunity to quote RVZ is all haha. I agree Molly hatchet is awesome. I’ve got a fitting Molly Hatchet related picture I’m going to find and post tomorrow... Sorry for the hijack op. Haha.

Ryan, my dad would have beat my butt and my grandfather would have been the one most likely to laugh. I bet that’s another one to laugh at over family holiday dinner.

Re: Grandpa's truck in the river
 

I have at least two 'truck ran off on me' stories myself. Never put a truck under water, though... Yet!