Students from Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City recently finished most of its work on a long-inoperable U-Haul truck that had been painted by late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire.
According to KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, it took about three months to make the 1989 Toyota truck roadworthy again.
“It wouldn’t even run when we first got it. So, to be able to see it in the shape that it is now, it’s awesome,” automotive instructor Clint Drabek said.
“It was a very cool experience getting to work on this and letting it be a piece of history,” student Xavier Sambrano said. […]
“There was lots of rust holes all over this thing,” Sambrano said.[…]
It has new paint, stickers, and a Route 66-inspired wrap on one side of the trailer. On the other side, they’re leaving famous artist Bob Waldmire’s original mural with plans to try and preserve it.
Here’s more from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, including a look at the refurbished truck:
The students have some remaining work on the interior, bumper and wiring taillights.
The association will use the vehicle as a mobile information and gift shop.
A teacher with Francis Tuttle approached the association during its January meeting and proposed restoring it as a student project.
LD’s Wrecker in Chandler, Oklahoma — a member of the association since 1990 — transports the vehicle to the shop.
Waldmire initially bought the truck in 2007 and painted a Route 66 mural on it. After he died in 2009, the truck ended up at the now-closed Afton Station in Afton, Oklahoma. The association acquired the truck in 2019 and stationed it along Route 66 in Chelsea, Oklahoma, for travelers to enjoy.