Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 11/02) - For years Mickey Hempler coveted someone else's vehicle, and now he finally owns it.

Hempler bought a 1965 Chevy C-10 pickup from Gerry Wright in June. The truck had belonged to Wright's father, so Hempler is only the third owner. The odometer reads over 99,000 miles, but he knows it has "gone around more than once."

Mickey Hempler proudly stands alongside the 1965 Chevy C-10 pickup truck he's in the process of restoring. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

That doesn't matter.

He delights in the challenge of restoring the truck to its original image. He's off to a solid start because Wright kept the vehicle in good running order, he noted.

"Gerry looked after it quite well. Everything works," he said.

Hempler has made a few alterations already, the primary one being a new coat of paint -- his wife, Jane, and daughter Leanna picked out maroon. That was done to prevent more rust from forming on the 37-year-old body.

He plans to build a garage and rebuild the truck completely over the next year or two. The box and cab will come off and the engine will come out. He'll need a gasket kit and will have to fix a few leaky seals. The transmission needs some work, he admitted.

"I just like working on the old ones. The old ones are so simple," Hempler said of his recent acquisition, which is constructed mostly of steel.

He knows of a number of parts suppliers for older models in the Edmonton and Calgary areas.

He has his eyes on a new set of fenders, he said.

It's quite a contrast when his '65 Chevy is parked in his driveway next to his wife's 2002 white Envoy SUV. Without power brakes, power steering or air conditioning in his pickup, he admitted his wife has a more comfortable ride on the highway.

His insurance is cheaper, though, he said, laughing.

He gets a few comments from adults, but the younger generation seems to have a remarkable respect for his old-fashioned truck, too.

"They think it's cool," Hempler said. "You drive by the school and the kids will give you the thumbs up."