Baja Legend Resurfaces

 

Fast forward about 40 years and enter a guy named Ron Johnson from Tacoma, WA. In the era of 700 horsepower Trophy Trucks, Ron became interested in vintage off-road race vehicles. He was restoring another Hickey creation, the Oldsmobile Banshee, (which

The "69 Corvette seats have seen better days but the Hurst ZL1 (or Olds 442) shifter works like new. Note the truck ran a clutch pedal bolted to the brake pedal for better left-foot braking. We don"t think that cage would pass a current SCORE tech inspection! On the glove box is a 1969 Mint 400 dash plaque.

was originally owned and driven by actor James Garner), when he made a wrong turn on his way home from Las Vegas. He wound up in the small northern California town of Alturas. He was cruising down the main street when he spied a faded, reddish-orange short bed Chevy pickup behind a tire shop. The thing was missing its hood and sat on flat, unusual looking implement tires. A closer look revealed a crude roll cage, Corvette bucket seats and an early Camaro center console. Inquiring at the store, Ron was told the owner was out, but he probably would sell the old truck. A half hour up the highway, Ron got a call from the tire store owner. Yes he wanted to sell the old pickup. He even said he thought it was an old race truck that had belonged to Steve McQueen. He"d take $1000 for it. Never one to miss a good deal, Ron countered with $500! Sold! Some guys have all the luck.

Here is a good look at one of the Hickey Baja Boots. This photo of Hickey Enterprises" shop was taken in 1968.

It turns out this former Hickey race truck, was then sold by McQueen to one of his employees named Joe Metcalf. Metcalf became a rancher in the Alturas area in the early "70s. The truck was used as a ranch truck for years before ending up behind the tire shop. The tire man had bought the truck for its engine, which was one of two prototype, LT1 cross-ram 350s that were designed by Vince Tiggens for possible homologation into SCCA Trans Am Camaros! This rare engine got into Steve McQueen"s hands via Smokey Yunick who had tested it in an early Z28. Though the engine was out of the truck at the time Ron purchased it, he has since managed to buy it from the tire shop owner. Other than the missing engine, the truck was in remarkably good shape with its original paint and mechanicals and only 13,000 miles showing on its original odo!

The cab for the truck was pulled from the one ton C/30 line and installed on a C/10 chassis for this special order COPO vehicle. Only the C/30 and up trucks featured these built in clearance lights. The "C" designation was applied to both two and four wheel drive trucks until the arrival of the K5 Blazer in early "69. After that, all 4x4s were "K" trucks. The original Lucas spotlight is a far cry from the multiple HIDs of today but Ron says it works great!

With the upcoming Baja 40th anniversary and the gala celebration in Long Beach, Marty Fiolka, promoter of all things Baja (including the Long Beach event) and author of the awesome Baja tribute book, 1000 Miles to Glory, encouraged Ron to get the truck up and running for the L.B.event and a parade to take place from Tijuana to Ensenada prior to the start of the 40th anniversary Baja 1000 in Nov. 2007. Ron was contemplating a frame off resto. but Fiolka encouraged him to keep the truck"s original patina and just get it back into good running order. We"re glad he chose the latter, because once restored, much of the truck"s visual history would be lost, never to be replaced. Ron, his brother Rick and employee Johnny Anger burned countless gallons of midnight oil to get the truck into shape for its big debut. Seeing these guys grin as they blasted the truck"s retro, Cherry Bomb equipped exhaust around Ensenada, and signing countless autographs to excited locals, must have made that $500 purchase all worthwhile.

We took these photos this past September when it was enroute to the Long Beach celebration. Later in November we hooked up with Ron again and rode in the truck during the parade in Mexico. We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we"ve enjoyed being a part of seeing this significant race truck come back to life.