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February 10, 2005
My High School "Project" vehicle
This is Lucky 101, a 1952 Peterbilt restored by the now out-of-business Lucky Fruit and Produce Transport, owned by the legendary Joe Mitchell, who gave me my first job working with my Dad.
Joe Mitchell commissioned the restoration of this former logging truck he bought in 1980-1981. It was completed in 1985. I was working at Lucky with my Dad when they began the project, then I moved to Yuba City for 2 years, got into trouble up there, and returned in 1983 to live with my Dad and work nights with him at Lucky, working part time there until July 1989, part time during school season Friday nights, Saturday and Sundays, full time in summers and vacations. It was a blast to have a whole shop and trucking facility to myself when I was only 14.
Detailing this classic truck for general upkeep, parades and shows, was part of my initial duties after returning. I also learned to drive trucks in this vehicle, and it was a sweet ride.
It suffered a sad death after rising for the ashes with Joe Mitchell's restoration. Joe Mitchell handed the company over to his son, Emery Mitchell to run in 1991-1992, and the truck was then used as a "yard goat", a truck used to shuffle trailers in the West Sacramento South River Rd. maintenance yard where I worked and the 5th Street Market in Sacramento, where the produce was stored and sold.
In 1992, Lucky was bought out by a former Lucky Produce salesman Miles Smith, who had started his own produce company, Cal Fresh. The last time I saw the Lucky 101 was in 2002, parked on the side of the now defuct Cal-Fresh's warehouse, also on 5th Street near Seavey Circle and my old Jones Way home.
It had been painted White and much of the chrome had been removed. The Chrome Steel wheels had also been replaced. The truck, as of 12/04 is gone, no longer at the old Cal Fresh warehouse, now called ProPacific Fresh.
I'm looking for Lucky 101, looking for who owns her now, for pictures of it's restoration from Joe Mitchell's family and former Lucky employees, all of which I've not talked to since probably 1994-95, some since 1989. It's a little historical quest I'm on. There are so many stories about that truck I want to tell, and only pictures can tell some of them. Who knows, maybe I'll try to buy the damn thing.
Posted by cystdog at February 10, 2005 09:14 AM
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