John and Heather Boucher know the key to a successful marriage are common interests.
In their case, one of their common interests was a beautifully restored 1953 Fargo truck.
The Fargo was a Canadian brand of truck sold by Plymouth dealerships and was a close relative of the Dodge truck, appropriately sold by Canadian Dodge dealerships.
The differences between the Fargo and Dodge truck were pretty subtle, outside of the badges and the name on the tailgates.
The last Fargo was sold by a Canadian Plymouth dealership in 1972 and the Dodge truck finally had Canada to itself.
The disappearance of the Fargo over 40 years ago means most of them have disappeared off the face of the earth, so a Fargo appearance at a car show is always a point of interest for us.
We spotted this beautiful 1953 Fargo at a summer show, 60 years after it left a Plymouth dealership and not looking a day older than its first day on the road.
The Fargo owes its youthful appearance to the hard work of Heather and John because they were heavily involved in the process behind its restoration.
The process included a 1949 Fargo as a donor truck because a Canadian truck built in the early 50s does not mean easy access to parts. The ’49 was in rough shape and provided enough parts to move the restoration on the ’53 a great deal closer to the finish line of the restoration project.
The restoration took four years and was completed in 2000, just in time for a 21st century car show tour. The Fargo has been shown at many shows by Heather and John, including a show in Reno.
It came as no surprise to us the Fargo has also won awards at shows and was featured in the 2003 Snap-on tool calendar.
The wood on the truck was even done carefully over a long period of time and reflects the kind of patience needed to complete a restoration to this level of excellence. John pointed to the paint work on the hubcaps and globe as examples of Heather’s handiwork.
Heather steady hand was obvious on the finished products because they looked perfect and brand new.
The one concession to a modern world was the use of signal lights on the Fargo. John routed the front signal lights through the park lights and now enjoys this safety upgrade whenever they hit the road in the truck.
If you have ever driven a vehicle that did not come equipped with signal lights, you will understand why they make sense in today’s world.
Most people have never seen hand signals to indicate a right or left turn, so many of them will simply wave back at you when you use them in modern traffic.
We would like to commend Heather and John Boucher for their dedication to a difficult restoration project.
A 61-year-old truck brought back to stock condition is no easy feat and this Fargo is a beauty.
Jim Sutherland
