Duncalfe’s truck turns heads

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This article was published 31/03/2023 (1278 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

His car tends to conjure up memories of being in high school, cruising the strip on a hot summer night, with the windows rolled down — and not a care in the world.

Murray Duncalfe was right there in the thick of things at the wheel of his 1974 Plymouth Duster 360, his nice car in high school, he said. After that he had a Corvette, a motorcycle, 1968 F-100 truck and a 1969 Ford Falcon Sports Coupe.

And now, his most recent acquisition is a throwback to the ’60s in a truck that always turns heads because of the care, condition and colour.

“It’s a 1965 GMC Model 910. People will look at it and say that’s not a GMC, that’s a Chevy. And I get that, GMC and Chevy were the same. My truck is a GMC, but it’s got Chevy C-10 trim on it, so, I jokingly call it my GMC 10,” Duncalfe said.

As with most vehicle renovation projects, Duncalfe’s truck looks a lot different now than the day he went to pick it up in 2019. It was in pieces, he said, a stripped-down cab sitting on the frame, no front fenders and no hood.

“It was a basket case, and that’s the kind of thing you really want to avoid because you never know what you’re going to get. But it’s a 1965, and not as complicated as newer ones and easier to put together, and he reassured me that everything was there,” remembered Duncalfe.

Everything was there that needed to be, and so began the search for the accessories he wanted, including a Chevy C-10 chrome grill, chrome bezel for the square headlights, 18-inch mags Rambler wheels, tilt steering wheel for his six-foot-four frame, a console with three cup holders from eBay and bucket seats that are from the second row of a Honda Odyssey.

Duncalfe said he had always thought the truck would be silver. But thanks to input from his daughter and a poll on social media, the winning colour was light baby blue.

“So, I set the cab back on the frame, put the box on my skidoo trailer, and I took it out to Chris Saunders at Meadowview Autobody & Glass in Wawanesa, and he did a wonderful job,” said Duncalfe.

The paint project was near and dear to Saunders’ heart. Both his parents have passed away, and his dad had the same truck, which is on display in Saunders’ shop. Besides, he said, it was the second vehicle he had done for Duncalfe and wanted to get the colour just right.

“We found colours that were very close to what the factory colours were,” said Saunders. “He wanted it baby blue, with white, and we also painted the inside silver, so it has a nice contrast with it. With the base clear coat on it, it looks really nice.”

A self-described jack of all trades who can do electrical, plumbing, mechanical and painting, Duncalfe was a little hesitant about putting in the engine — an LS, 2008 5.3-litre engine — using a chain hoist in his back shop.

“Putting that LS engine in there was a bit of a stretch for me because when you start working with computers and all the wiring, it’s a little trickier. But you know, that’s what internet forums are for, you get all kinds of advice,” Duncalfe said as he chuckled.

Until about 1970, trucks like Duncalfe’s had boxes made of wood, so he decided to stay with the wood, but upped his game, and asked his woodworking brother-in-law to help, so the truck box has stained oak, and that may be one of the reasons his truck is a fan favourite.

During last summer’s Super Run, Western Canada’s largest classic car show that Brandon hosts every three years, Duncalfe’s baby blue truck was the winner of the People’s Choice award, with more than 400 votes from spectators.

“I wasn’t even going to put it in the show, but my brother-in-law was coming to visit and he was putting his vehicle in, so I thought why not, and I was quite honoured, just blown away,” Duncalfe said.

The vehicle chosen as the People’s Choice award is featured on the next event’s poster to promote the Super Run, which will next be held in Brandon in 2025, said Dave Burba, president of the Road Rebels Car Club.

“We think that’s the best and most impartial way to select which car is going to be on our poster to advertise our event — we let the people choose. And Murray sure has a great truck,” Burba said.

Duncalfe plans to be in car shows again this summer.

“With this vehicle, I’ve had people roll down their window, or pull up beside me in the parking lot of Canadian Tire and they’ll say, ‘wow, that’s a nice truck — what year is it?’ So, it really catches people’s eye, and it’s definitely fun to drive.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com