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Chevy pickup goes from castoff to Cadillac classy

In a small, southern Illinois town, a castoff Chevy sat on the corner of an intersection, longing for a new owner. Many passed by the busy Shell station in Carterville, but they wouldn't give the worn-out workhorse a second look.

It was 1980 and the rage was for high-tech things like Pac-Man, camcorders and “The Empire Strikes Back.” Rolling relics from the '50s were not “rad.”

Yet an impressionable 19-year-old had a different take. He rode by the pickup everyday on the bus to and from Southern Illinois University's campus, where he was studying auto repair.

“I was drawn to it,” said Bill Staiger. “It was round and weird looking. I could tell there was potential to do something cool with it.”

The youngster purchased it and completed some basic repairs to get the vehicle back in usable condition. It went right to daily-driver status, helping the college student motor around campus and also hauling him to visit his girlfriend in Peoria.

“It was miserable in winter,” Staiger said. Breakdowns happened often. “There was no heat so we'd bundle up in blankets, freezing our butts off.”

It was on one of those runs in 1982 when the tired truck threw an engine rod and had to be towed home. Lacking funds, Staiger let it sit until summer. After starting a new job at a Cadillac dealership in Chicago, he decided on a whim to replace the engine with a modern unit.

Staiger sourced a six-cylinder 1975 Chevy engine for his 1950 pickup. He also installed an automatic transmission. From there, well, that's when things got interesting.

“The dealership received many stolen and totaled Cadillacs from insurance jobs,” Staiger said. “There was always leftover parts after their rebuilds.”

Soon, the enthusiast had sourced and installed a steering column, upholstery, dash and tilt steering wheel — all from various plush 1980s Cadillac Sevilles. Even more impressive is the fact that all of the dashboard electronics work.

“I can follow an '82 Cadillac wiring manual and it's exactly my truck,” Staiger said.

One of his body repair buddies offered to paint the rig in 1983 and Staiger deemed it time to get his hauler ready for the show circuit.

Those trophy-winning dreams were cut short later that year when a speeding motorist rear-ended him on Interstate 90/94.

Despite his pickup being badly mangled, Staiger decided to rebuild. He purchased a parts truck and grafted the two together in his parent's home garage. By the end of 1984, he had the Chevy back together and ready once again to compete.

The vehicle was shown at the 1985 World of Wheels show and took first place in its class. It was then shown for the next decade before Staiger throttled back to spend more time with family.

“It always took top honors and usually in the Best Truck/Van Interior (category) — pretty impressive given the rising popularity of custom conversion vans,” he said.

He didn't lose interest and in 1995 installed a new front suspension, lowered the vehicle 6 inches and “chromed or painted everything underneath.”

Staiger, who now lives in Northbrook, drives the Chevy often. It was a part of his wedding and now carries his kids to school.

“It's so enjoyable to drive but, at its core, it still an old truck,” Staiger said. “That's what I love most about it.”

• Share your vehicle's story with Matt Avery at auto@dailyherald.com.

1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
1950 Chevrolet Pickup, Bill Staiger, Northbrook courtesy of Matt Avery Media
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