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Well Gordon wants to know how we all got started in Dodges. My story begins when I was born into a Mopar family. Dad always purchased used Chrysler or Plymouth, and the first new car he ever purchased was a 1966 Plymouth. In 1972 when I was only 13 years old I inherited a 1950
Dodge Meadowbrook from a great aunt. It was one of those Sunday to church cars, had only 39,000 miles on it. My friends and I would go over to my grandmothers where it was stored and drive it around her yard. During the High School days I added a radio under the dash and put a 8 track player in the glove box. I still have this 1950 Dodge, but like a lot of my projects it needs restoring, it has less than 50,000 actual miles on it.
Now growing up in the city, I don't remember being around trucks. But my father belonged to a fishing club and since he was the youngest member, it was his responsibility to drive the clubs 1954 M43 Ambulance to Hatteras NC twice a year fishing. This was in the late 1960's & early 1970's, he would go get the M43 a couple of weeks before their trip, I'd help him clean it up and do minor service work. Then of course when he was back home with it, it was time to clean all the sand etc. out of it before it went back to storage.
After college I started collecting Toy Trucks, mainly Tonka, Smith-Miller & Doepkes. During the early 1980's I was also dealing in antique toys a lot at east coast shows. When I decided to move to the family farm in the mountains it was time to purchase a pickup, so of course it was a Dodge. (1985 4x4, still being used today around the mountain) In 1992 I attended my first Antique Truck show held by the Piedmont Carolina Chapter of ATHS at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer NC. Their I saw 4 old Dodge Trucks, one I would purchase almost 10 years later. A year later I went and looked at my first old Dodge Power Wagon, I should have purchased it but I didn't. As I got more involved with ATHS and the local chapter I really started looking at old Dodge Trucks. One great thing I've learned was Dodge Truck Nuts are great people, we all get along and now I have Dodge Truck friends from Maine to California to Georgia!!
Through the years I've purchased several old Dodge Trucks all needing work done to them. I've finally decided I don't have the talent or time to restore most of these trucks myself. So I've sent one of them off to be fully restored by a professional, but getting him to work has become a headache. I think if I purchase any more Dodge Trucks in the future, they will be already restored!! The wife sometime wishes I was just still into old Toy Trucks.
Nollie Neill Jr.
North Carolina
owner of:
1939 Dodge / General Fire Truck Corp. Fire Truck
1946 Dodge WJA - 2 ½ ton HD ** currently being professionally restored
1946 Dodge / John Bean FMC Fire Truck
1952 Dodge M43 Military Ambulance
plus a couple of parts trucks
Dodge Meadowbrook from a great aunt. It was one of those Sunday to church cars, had only 39,000 miles on it. My friends and I would go over to my grandmothers where it was stored and drive it around her yard. During the High School days I added a radio under the dash and put a 8 track player in the glove box. I still have this 1950 Dodge, but like a lot of my projects it needs restoring, it has less than 50,000 actual miles on it.
Now growing up in the city, I don't remember being around trucks. But my father belonged to a fishing club and since he was the youngest member, it was his responsibility to drive the clubs 1954 M43 Ambulance to Hatteras NC twice a year fishing. This was in the late 1960's & early 1970's, he would go get the M43 a couple of weeks before their trip, I'd help him clean it up and do minor service work. Then of course when he was back home with it, it was time to clean all the sand etc. out of it before it went back to storage.
After college I started collecting Toy Trucks, mainly Tonka, Smith-Miller & Doepkes. During the early 1980's I was also dealing in antique toys a lot at east coast shows. When I decided to move to the family farm in the mountains it was time to purchase a pickup, so of course it was a Dodge. (1985 4x4, still being used today around the mountain) In 1992 I attended my first Antique Truck show held by the Piedmont Carolina Chapter of ATHS at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer NC. Their I saw 4 old Dodge Trucks, one I would purchase almost 10 years later. A year later I went and looked at my first old Dodge Power Wagon, I should have purchased it but I didn't. As I got more involved with ATHS and the local chapter I really started looking at old Dodge Trucks. One great thing I've learned was Dodge Truck Nuts are great people, we all get along and now I have Dodge Truck friends from Maine to California to Georgia!!
Through the years I've purchased several old Dodge Trucks all needing work done to them. I've finally decided I don't have the talent or time to restore most of these trucks myself. So I've sent one of them off to be fully restored by a professional, but getting him to work has become a headache. I think if I purchase any more Dodge Trucks in the future, they will be already restored!! The wife sometime wishes I was just still into old Toy Trucks.
Nollie Neill Jr.
North Carolina
owner of:
1939 Dodge / General Fire Truck Corp. Fire Truck
1946 Dodge WJA - 2 ½ ton HD ** currently being professionally restored
1946 Dodge / John Bean FMC Fire Truck
1952 Dodge M43 Military Ambulance
plus a couple of parts trucks