NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — It has sat in storage for decades but now a 1942 State Police Truck will be roadworthy once again.
The Connecticut State Police Academy Alumni Association Museum has taken on the task of restoring the 1942 Chevy Truck, once used in their fleet for jobs like riot control.
Jerry Longo, the director of the Connecticut State Police Museum, enlisted the experts at Paddock Classic Car Restorations to bring the truck back to life.
“We are trying to preserve a piece of World War Two history and a piece of Connecticut history,” Longo said. The truck, when completed, with serve as a teaching tool, traveling to schools, parades, even, perhaps as a showpiece at the Big E.
The funding to restore the truck is all private – the Cheshire-based Hometown Foundation is leading the charge to get it rebuilt.
Mack Doyle, the manager of marketing and events at the Hometown Foundation said, “we are excited to see history come back to life and see this truck be used for educational purposes all across the state.”
Michael Donnelly, the owner of Paddock Classic Car Restorations said, “we love projects like this, we are dedicated to it and we are going to succeed.”
Longo added, “to educate and give back to others, that’s what we’re all about.”
The truck is scheduled to be finished in August, just in time to be part of the festivities for Dream Ride, the popular charity event that happens at the Farmington Polo Grounds every Summer.
