Vehicle: 1978 Ford F150 Custom 

Island: Vinalhaven

Owner: Josh Turner

Mileage: 150,210

“This was my first vehicle, which I bought from Jim Conlan for $1,500. The original owner was Spencer Fuller, who (as I’ve just found out) won the truck in a raffle,” writes Josh Turner, of Vinalhaven.

“The suspension is completely gone so every bump in the road makes the whole truck shake and rattle. You can definitely hear me coming before you see me!

The rear shocks are hanging off the frame-one is actually tied on with a rope. It actually detached one day while I was driving through Main Street and I had to stop and tie it on right there in the middle of the street! The roof leaks when it rains and the headlights don’t work.

“I tried to start the truck one day when I was leaving to go to haul and the engine backfired hard enough to completely blow the muffler up! I’m pretty sure I woke the entire neighborhood up that morning. My girlfriend looked outside after she heard the loud ‘bang’ and couldn’t see my truck as it was engulfed in a thick black cloud of smoke.

“The truck is louder than ever with a rattling suspension and gaping hole in the muffler, which is under the cab, so exhaust fumes constantly pour into the cab through holes in the floor.

“When I driver over bumps, the dashboard literally bounces up and down about 10 inches, the hood doesn’t completely latch and I have an old VHF radio as a hood ornament. Gas leaks out of the carburetor onto the exhaust manifold while the engine is on making noxious gases and the driver side door

doesn’t latch and it does not have matching tires.

“The last time the truck took a trip over to the mainland was in 2001 and it hasn’t been inspected since 2000-it now has antique auto plates.

“The truck has a wooden bed that is gray, weathered and a bit rotten. I actually had to replace the original wooden bed one winter because a friend of mine couldn’t stop in the snow, so he T”boned me at an intersection and knocked the wooden bed off. As the truck has no headlights I obviously have to make sure I’ve got all my errands done before the sun goes down. I primarily use the truck to transport lobster traps from the wharf to my shop, lugging firewood or driving too and from home but other than that I drive it as little as possible. I’m not sure how much longer she’ll keep running, but I’m in constant amazement every time I turn the key because she starts and gets me where I need to go.”