I had a great morning out at the Cookeville, Tenn., truck show of the Music City Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society — among faces and big chrome grille smiles both familiar and not so much. Let’s start with the star of the show. Bill Bradford’s 1973 Kenworth K100 and 1977 40-foot Great Dane reefer van (the Thermo King is original too, but unlike the remainder of the truck components, it doesn’t actually work).
Bradford took on the project of restoring the vehicle after buying it from an owner in Indiana three years ago. You may well remember the vid I shared back early this summer where Bradford ran through some of the work he put into it.
This, Bradford says, is the first show he’s had it in and the first time he’d really taken on the project of polishing the trailer sides, front and rear — ultimately a three-day project that included use of “a hose and a rag” on every single rivet on the unit. Talk about some dedication. Bill, tell me, how’s your wrist holding up?
Find pictures of the unit below, followed by other scenes from the show.
