Finding Minnesota: Working Through Pain On A Classic Pick-Up

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The classic car circuit is all about putting craftsmanship on display.

Old vehicle makes and models are restored and repainted to the point where the antique cars and trucks look flashier than their first go around.

To the untrained eye, Brian Maleski's 1938 Plymouth pickup may not have as much curb appeal as the hot rods and roadsters.

Yet, those who understand vintage vehicles often see something truly special.

"You can barely find them on the internet," Brian Maleski said.

Plymouth didn't produce as many pickups in 1938, and no one thought to save a truck marketed for the farm.

"They only made 4,620 of them," Brian Maleski said. "Being a farm truck, they were all banged up. I have yet to see an original one."

In 2011, Brian Maleski discovered a ruined version of the old truck in northern Minnesota. He brought it home, picturing something greater than the rusted out shell.

"I just thought, I want to put it all back original," Maleski said.

His wife, Rene' Maleski, didn't share the same vision.

"I probably didn't say anything," Rene' Maleski said. "I probably gave him the look and went into the house."

Still, he tinkered away on the vehicle, measuring progress in years rather than hours.

"It took me three days to get the tailgate on right," Brian Maleski said. "Just simple stuff you think will be nothing, turned out to be something."

A few years into restoration -- still long before the truck was road worthy -- Brian Maleski realized his rare truck had a greater value.

"You can get in the dumps pretty quick if you don't have something to take your mind off it," Brian Maleski said.

In 2014, Rene' began the fight of her life, battling stage three ovarian cancer and the 18 rounds of chemo to treat it.

"It's really hard not to project our family without one of us in it, and Brian would always say, 'You have this day, just this day is all, we need to think about,'" Rene' Maleski said.

The truck became Brian Maleski's outlet, a sanctuary where he could focus on the future.

"I was out here doing this, in constant prayer, it was a good thing," Brian Maleski said.

"It was very helpful," Rene' Maleski added. "So, he would go out and get strong in the garage and then come back in when I needed him to be strong for me."

Brian Maleski finished the truck this summer. For the family, it was victory in both restoration and recovery.

"My goal was to go to 'Back to the 50s' with it, and it came together from that standpoint," Brian Maleski said. "We were able to go and enjoy the weekend. It was a goal of mine to be with her to be able to do this."

After pouring himself into the pickup for five and half years, he thought it would be his last vehicle restoration. Fate had a different plan.

Two months ago, Brian Maleski once again began the long process of rehabilitating the worn out frame of a 1930 Model A Coop, timed just as Rene' Maleski would get word of another health battle.

"Thursday, I found out the cancer is coming back. And so, he'll be working on that truck," Rene' Maleski said.

"It's a form of therapy in a way," Brian Maleski added.

As the Maleskis begin a familiar journey, an unfinished piece of the past will once again have a small role in their future, helping them navigate the long road ahead.

"We're going to be together through the process," Rene' Maleski said.

Brian Maleski is looking to sell his rare 1938 Plymouth pickup to help pay for the repairs and restoration on his Model A Coop.

If you'd like to learn more, you can contact Brian Maleski at Brianmaleski@yahoo.com.