So I promised you all a story and here it is...with PICTURES because without pictures it didn't really happen, right Zig? Meet Keri Chinappi. The butchers wife. Holding up some A-MAZING bone-in Rib-Eyes that I cooked up for a men's night with my boys last summer. Prime steaks, cigars, cognac. Doesn’t get better than that! Every time I go to the local butcher shop whether I'm driving the truck or not, Keri is all about how she loves my truck and wants one just like it. Then one day last year she practically runs out from behind the counter to tell me about this truck she saw with her husband in a nearby town. It was fully and beautifully restored and the guy wanted $26,000.00 for it. She was like, "It's really nice, but it's too nice. I want one with worn paint, just like yours". She was telling her husband, "I know Andy will be able to tell us how to get one of those trucks" and she was scrolling through her phone looking for my number. She even asked if I was willing to sell mine to her. To be honest, I really did think about it, but I know my kids would have killed me if I did. About a week or so before Thanksgiving I was scrolling through my computer and I was on FaceBook when one of the forums for our trucks just popped up on the margin and I saw a really cool truck for sale. I messaged the seller with my phone number and received a call back in less than ten minutes from the nicest gentleman from Kentucky that owned the truck. We talked a while and he sent some pictures to my phone... It happened to be a Sunday and my wife and I were getting my granddaughters ready for church so I told Wayne (the owner) that I would call him back later after church. Meanwhile, I just knew that this was the truck she was looking for. Original paint from Arizona with a 235 I6 in it. Now, the butcher shop is open on Sunday so on the way to church I called and Keri answered the phone. I told her I found her truck and she almost dropped the phone. I sent her all the pics that Wayne had sent me and told her I would follow up with her and Anthony (her husband) after I spoke to Wayne at length later in the day. She ended the phone call and turned to her husband and told him I found her truck and it was in Kentucky and her husband practically fell over. Long story short, I spoke to Wayne later in the day and got all the details and kind of was feeling him out if he was a genuine dude or not. Once we started talking about our pastors and what it's like to deal with other christians I knew he was a stand up guy. The truck was everything I could ask it to be. Now, the week or two before Thanksgiving up through the end of the year is the busiest time for any butcher shop and especially at R & S Meats in Huntington. Located right next to an exclusive North Shore Long Island community, their shop is trendy, kicking some serious hometown vibe and they are purveyors of some VERY fine products, The place is THE BOMB. Needless to say they had zero time to take a flight to Kentucky to look at the truck. I put them in touch with the seller, a deal was struck (for less than half of the restored truck they saw) and I put them in touch with a shipper. Their truck was delivered literally days before Christmas. I finally got a chance to go see it yesterday and I snapped the following pics. Enjoy. Andy
Good food, good trucks, good friends! Nicely done. And to "The Vintage Cricket", welcome to the forum!
What an awesome story!!! That’s a really fine looking truck, too! I love the interior! Time for someone to do some signage on the doors and use it to further advertise (although it doesn’t sound like it needs much) the store! See why I love photos? Happy endings are pretty cool too! Way to go, Andy! Rock on!
This has got to be the coolest story, I've read on this forum. Excellent find. Excellent friend, that would put the effort in to getting the truck to Long Island! Super fine southwest truck! Amazing. Welcome to the forum, Vintage Cricket! Steve.
