Back to the ranch: Sentimental collection hides among the trees
Finding car parts by networking with kindred spirits often turns up surprise finds.
As new kids in a new location, Mrs. Rotten and yours truly have found Montana’s car crowd to be quite welcoming. In a very short time, we’ve made some good friends. That began with talking to one stranger at a car show. Once I’d confessed to being new here from California, he encouraged me to drop in on a group of old car guys that meet for coffee six days a week. “You just be you, and go introduce yourself to the guys at the big table,” he said.
It took a few days to get to it, but when I walked in early that morning, the joint was empty — except for the obvious car guys at the big table where I went ahead and took a seat. To my right sat Larry Parkison. After a while or two, Parkison, looking right at me, addressed the group to say, “He doesn’t know what new guys have to do when they join the group.” He then went on to say, “New guys pick up the tab.”
This ’53 GMC two-ton truck was parked right here in 1961, by Larry, at age 14. Perhaps coincidentally, he’s driven trucks professionally since then, and still does today Rodney Bauman
On that note, I surveyed the table. Seeing only coffee, I figured I could afford my initiation. Doing my best to be discrete, I approached our waitress, off to the side. “I’d like to pick up the tab,” I told ’er. “Oh, they got you,” she said with a chuckle. “They don’t pay for their coffee.”
Not long after our first meeting, the prankster, Parkison, offered to share a special place — the place where he’d grown up. Although many old cars and parts are for sale, it’s not exactly a wrecking yard. Hidden well among acres of tall, tall trees is the Parkison family ranch. With a 20/20 memory, Parkison knows the history of just about every old vehicle on the grounds. He parked many of them here himself as a youngster years ago.
In 1951, when Larry Parkison’s folks purchased the property, this ’41 Dodge came with it. Larry’s father actually drove this car to and from work for a couple years. Rodney Bauman
Standing here with his beloved ’50 Ford coupe, Parkison recalls the deal he made in 1965. For only $250 and his 300cc Honda Dream, he’d negotiated his way into a substantial set of wheels. This car ran a hopped-up Chevy 283-cid V-8 adapted to the stock Ford three-speed standard transmission. You may notice some crash damage, as the left side is indeed hit hard. Even so, and after all these years, the coupe is still a keeper. Parkison has the parts. He’ll fix it up — someday.
In our area, there have been a few custom-built ’51 “Rancheros.” One of them was built by Larry. Here, we see some spare parts from that build. Rodney Bauman
So, what about the available iron? There’s a whole lot here — more than we can show, so let’s just focus on sentimental examples. Although we won’t divulge the exact location, or contact information, we’ll provide a visual clue in the mix. Out in the background you might see something you like. If so, you can probably figure out how to reach Larry Parkison.
Just know there’s no shortage of treasure back at the ranch Rotten Rodney Bauman
If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.
