As the Beatles put it, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Maybe the idea of karma has some truth to it. If what you put into life is what you'll get back, then it's only fitting that Paul and Betty Rogers get to enjoy some of the childhood they missed by having kids at an early age. Paul began his fatherly duties at the ripe, old age of 19. This put his priorities in a new order, which pushed his personal desires aside so he could provide for his new family.
Much like the Brady Bunch, Paul and Betty both have three children from a previous marriage and got together to form the Rogers Bunch. With six kids grown and gone, Paul and Betty wanted to enjoy a desire that had been pushed back for so many years. They began by purchasing a Vette in 1991. They started going to Corvette shows and met tons of friends, but there was something missing. In 1997, Paul decided to build a '30 Model Ford at age 50, but this still didn't curb the missing link that was calling to his desires.
Then, one day, Paul and Betty were out and about looking for a custom vehicle to take to shows when they happened on this orange '51 five-window truck with a '95 Chevy truck bed and a Firebird Tuned Port Induction engine and instrument cluster. They knew this was the truck they wanted to take home. After the quick exchange of money and title went down, Paul and Betty took their newfound love home. It needed some detail work to finish up the personalization, but it didn't take much to bring the truck up to show standard. Now, the retired couple takes the truck to all their favorite shows.
We can't tell you how many people over the age of 60 just sit and rot away in front of the TV. I'm sure you've all been subjected to the grumpy elderly person yelling at the cashier at the local supermarket. We don't think Paul or Betty will ever be like this. Paul and Betty's shared interest in custom trucks, rod shows, cruises, and friends will keep them embracing life for many years to come. Maybe life's design is set up to provide the payoff of hard work in later years.
Some would say having kids at the age of 19 is too young. But, maybe not being able to follow your desires at a young age creates strength through the mystery of what you might have missed in life, which feeds the zeal you need to keep going later in years. Whatever the truth, we hope we have the passion to go to truck shows and have a cool truck to talk about when were 70 years old. That's true passion.
The 411
Owner/location: Paul Rogers / Lenoir City, Tennesse
Year/make/model: '51 Chevy five-window picku
Engine/drivetrain: Tuned Port Induction 350 from a Firebird GTA, with polisheSanderson headers, and a 700-R4 trann
Wheels/tires: (Front) 15x6-inch Billet Specialties Vintec / BFGoodrich 215/60R15 / (Rear) 15x8-inch Vintec / BFGoodrich 275/60R15
Suspension: Mustang II (front) / leaf spring 9-inch Ford differential
Builder: Rick Valenza of Freeland, Maryland
Body Mods: '95 fullsize stepside truck bed / molded running boards to new bed /capped and smoothed front bumper / relocated gas-filler door / molded roll pan
Custom Paint: PPG Calipso Coral (orange)
Interior: Custom center console / vintage heat and A/C / Firebird dash, steering column, window rocker switches, and seats
Audio/video: Sony head unit with remote face plate