Dan Closson's 1928 Chevy 1-ton truck originated as a father-son project with his dad, Merle, almost a half-century ago. The abandoned truck was bought for $40 in Ashland and eventually became a rolling billboard/delivery wagon for the Wallingford Elevator Company, which the elder Closson operated.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Dan Closson, who stands 6'4" tall, solved the headroom problem in the cab of his '28 Chevy truck by moving the gas tank out from under the seat. But he still uses a fender-mounted rubber pad to stretch one leg while he is behind the wheel of the door-less truck.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The sidewalls of the grain bed are lettered with the southwest Kansas elevator company where the truck served for about 15 years.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A popular gathering spot for participants on classic Chevy car tours is the rear of Closson's truck, which he has equipped with a full-sized pop-up patio umbrella. The umbrella provides welcome shade during tour stops.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The relocated gas tank is housed in an old tool box mounted in the bed of the truck, with a wooden stick serving as a gas gauge. Note the dart board bullseye drawn on the inner lid by a 12-year-old Closson for target practice in the basement of his boyhood home.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The 4-cylinder Chevy engine has been rebuilt, with aluminum pistons added to produce a whopping 40 horsepower. The truck still employs the original vacuum canister fuel pump, which can be assisted by a 12-volt electrical pump if need be.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
To provide some much-needed headroom, the original Chevy seat was removed, along with the underseat gas tank, and replaced by a Model A Ford seat. That move got Closson's head `out of the rafters.'
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
One of the beautiful pieces of craftsmanship on display in the antique Chevy is its big, bold wooden steering wheel, constructed of multiple pieces of curved wood spliced together with finger joints and wooden pins.
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Remarkably, the big 20-inch oak-spoked wheels are original equipment, having survived decades sitting half-buried in dry western Kansas dirt. The tires are new reproduction pieces.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Closson says his truck was a mid-year build constructed in Janesville, Wyo., denoted by a 1927 chassis mounting a 1928 engine and radiator.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
An accordion-style storage rack on the driver's side running board allows the Clossons to stow travel necessities within easy arm's reach.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Instrumentation is simple and basic; the truck has a rebuilt 3-speed manual transmission with no overdrive, resulting in a maximum highway speed in the 30 mph range.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Closson says the inspiration for the 8-foot green patio umbrella came at a touring stop at an Oklahoma game preserve `on a sweltering day ... with no shade tree in sight.' It is folded and stowed when the truck is in motion, though.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Closson's mother, Nan, came up with the idea of adding the iconic red and white Purina checker board striping to the belt line of the cab. Note the two-tiered tilt-open windshield and the cowl lights.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The owner added a roof-mounted wooden glove box for a bit more storage in the tight confines of the open cab.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The original Chevy VIN plate identifies the truck as a 1-ton Capitol model. A look at the underpinnings of the cab hint at the amount of wood involved in building one of these classic haulers.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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