Some of you who look at this web site may be interested in the story behind these trucks and the people who are restoring them. So, here’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

      They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This web site will tell a story using pictures and only a few words about how Larry, his son Mike and I met and started this project.

      I had recently completed the restoration of a 1933 Dodge dump truck. It was my Dad’s truck and my first restoration. The two - year process was a wonderful experience, which left me eager to do another. So, one sunny fall day while out enjoying a drive in the old Dodge, I decided to investigate a very old rusty truck I had first noticed about 30 years ago when I came to Troy as a student at RPI. This old rusty truck seemed intriguing.

     With me that day was Barbara Meagher, a good friend who had helped me restore the Dodge. As we pulled into the driveway, we saw a lovely white two story home with a large set of neatly kept barn buildings. A small sign announced “ Sipperly Coal Co.” and there, off to one side, this very old dump truck sat meekly on its flat tires, shrouded in brown plastic, its dump raised as if to say it wanted to go to work. As we looked around we noticed another truck half covered in the undergrowth, its wheels buried in the dirt up to the axels. The cab was a shambles of rotted wood. The radiator and heavy iron grill were broken by relentless years of snow plowed harshly against it. Yet the rusty old headlights stared out defiantly against the elements. These old trucks were willing to work again.

      I walked up to the house, knocked on the door and introduced myself to Mike Sipperly. After explaining about my Dad’s truck and our interest in his trucks, Mike said he didn’t know much about the old trucks. They belonged to his father Larry. They were not for sale but if I wanted to come back on a Saturday, Larry was generally there tending to his coal business.

      The following Saturday we returned to meet Larry and learn more about the trucks. Larry is a quiet soft-spoken gentleman and one of the last remaining coal dealers in our region. He explained how his family had been in the hauling business since the late1890’s and how he started working with his father and uncles in the coal business when he was in high school. The two old “Federal” trucks were all that remained of their fleet. Another truck had been sold earlier by Larry’s father to someone who wanted to restore it. However, the restoration was never completed, so Larry’s Dad vowed never to sell the two remaining trucks.

      As we talked about the restoration of my Dad’s truck, I got the sense that Larry would enjoy restoring his father’s truck but needed to be convinced that it was possible. I explained how, as a novice, the restoration process was one of discovery, starting with the process of carefully taking the truck apart. Cataloging the parts. Evaluating their condition. Determining which parts could be reused, which needed repairs, and which needed to be replaced. Finding replacement parts, especially for such old rare trucks, would probably be difficult. However, I told Larry how encouraged I was finding people around the country dedicated to preserving old trucks and cars. I tried to give him a sense of the wonderful feeling of accomplishment that comes from achieving each step of the restoration especially when working on a truck that holds such strong memories.

      Our conversation seemed to pique Larry’s interest so I decided to make an offer. I would pay $ 1000.00 for the old truck in the weeds, rebuild the wooden cab for Larry’s truck and help him with the restoration. He thought about this for a while and then said,  “OK lets do it”

      So that is how we got started. The first set of photos show moving day for both trucks and the beginnings of the dismantling work. As we go along we intend to document the entire process. Mike, Larry’s son and Mike’s cousin David have set up the web site and will be maintaining it. We all hope you enjoy it.

      If any of you are thinking about restoring an antique truck or car, we encourage you to do it. The process can be very rewarding for your soul, and the people you meet are real characters. There are many challenges along the way but as you meet each challenge, it is an opportunity to learn and interact with wonderful folks around the country doing the same thing.

Vincent Lepera

August 4, 2001