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Automobile Memories Flow At Poca Car/Truck Show

Car Shows are exactly what the name implies — an opportunity for owners to show off their prized possessions. Saturday, April 16, was show day for many as the Poca High Softball team supporter conducted a Car/Truck Show at The Bridge Church (formerly the Scarlet Oaks Golf course.

While each vehicle at the show has its own story, Billy Jeffers’ 1972 International pickup’s tale was like none other.

International pickups of any year or model are a rarity today. The last to roll off the assembly line was in 1975. While collectors seek to possess and show that which is different and scarce, Jeffers was moved by a thirty-year-plus memory to take on a restoration which is now in its third year.

“This is a 1310 model. It is the same model and year as the one in which I learned to drive and drove when I went for my driver’s license, when I was 16 years old” Jeffers said. “I had always worked on cars and enjoyed car shows but never was part of one until I saw and bought this vehicle.”

It is not Jeffers’ goal to restore the pickup to its shiny newness of 1972. “I grew up out in the country. We kept our vehicles running by fixing them the best that we could. This truck is about those memories,” he stated.

The front bumper of the International is unique. It consists of a menagerie of discarded tools and other items which the Jeffers family used to make do and keep equipment operational. Each saw blade, each wrench, each screwdriver is part of the past and has a story of its own.

“This vehicle is made up of many memories,” Jeffers said, “I think of it as a tribute to my Dad.”

The International is not Jeffers’ only restoration project. “I am working on a 1980 Firebird. It was my Dad’s favorite. My wife will be showing it at future shows,” he added.

The Poca Car/Truck Show was the first of the season for Jeffers. It looks to be the first of many this year. Jeffers was a regular participant at area cruise-ins during 2021.

Pictured is a bumper filled with memories.
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