Maych is a 1972 GMC Sierra Grande 1/2 ton pickup.   He is named for my father, Martin Hamilton Patterson.  I was 2 years old when my father died in an automobile accident, so I never really knew him.  But for as long as I can remember, when friends or relatives spoke of my father they would always call him Maych.  It was not until I was a teenager that I learned Maych was not my father's given name but was what a youngster heard when his initials, M. H., were spoken with the sweet southern accent of my youth.

I think Maych was built around the end of November 1971.  This is just my guess because I found the date "11/29/71" written in grease pencil on the underside of the dash pad.  Maybe someday I will find the "build sheet" stuck in some obscure nook of the cab and will have an accurate date.  But for now, I'm sticking with the November 1971 date.  I'm not sure why this date is important, but a lot of people that are into old trucks seem to think it is, so who am I to disagree? 

Currently, I don't know a great deal about the history of Maych.   Most of what I do know comes from the gentleman I bought him from, and that's not much.  Perhaps someday I will visit with him (I can't remember his name, so let's just refer to him as Mr. Soldittome) and get more detail.  Until then, here's what I do know.  

The original owner of the pickup was the father-in-law of Mr. Soldittome.   Mr. Soldittome either did not tell me his father-in-law's name or I have forgotten.  I do  know that the original owner's initials were (he's now deceased) ABB.   I know this because when I was looking at the pickup for the first time I noticed a medal medallion embossed with the letters ABB glued to the inside of the cab, above the rearview mirror.  When I asked Mr. Soldittome about the medallion he informed me that the letters were his father-in-laws' initials.  My original thought was,  "I'll never get that thing off without taking the paint with it".   My reluctance to try and remove the medallion proved to be a good thing.   The longer I left it on, the more attached I became to it.  I now think of it as a part of the truck and a link to its past.  I think Mr. ABB would be happy with my decision.

All I know about Mr. ABB was that he was a rancher in Wyoming.  Maych  having a previous life as a ranch vehicle in Wyoming probably explains why there was very little rust on him.   Most of the vehicles driven on urban streets in Nebraska have severe rust long before they reach the age of 30.

 If you care to, use the tabs at the left to learn more about Maych  and follow my work-in-progress.