Bob Waldmire U-Haul Truck Restoration Begins

The Bob Waldmire U-Haul is loaded onto a truck at Radical Rods Automotive in Claremore, Oklahoma. Photo by Billy Stanbro.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - After nearly two decades of sitting, Bob Waldmire’s U-Haul truck is being restored.

If you’re not familiar with the story of artist Bob Waldmire, you can ask just about any roadie that was around in his lifetime and they’ll have a story about him. Bob was a traveling artist that had a passion for history, nature, and beauty. You can learn more about Bob with our Google Arts and Culture article here, but one part of the story that ties directly to Oklahoma is a retired U-Haul truck he acquired in 2007.

Bob painted a mural on the left side of the truck and put it up for sale, but those plans didn’t come together before his death in 2009. Ken and Marian Clark of Tulsa, who had helped Bob purchase the truck, donated it to the National Route 66 Museum and Transportation Museum in Elk City, but they didn’t have room for it. That’s how it eventually ended up with Laurel Kane at Afton Station in Ottawa County, where it remained until 2019.

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association acquired the truck late that year and stationed it in Chelsea for travelers to enjoy and always planned to restore it to working order. “We thought it would be a wonderful tribute to Bob’s legacy to turn it into a mobile museum of sorts,” said Association President Rhys Martin. “It would give us a way to deploy at events on-and-off Route 66 and hopefully inspire people to travel the road themselves.” The restoration project was designated as an official Route 66 Centennial project by the US Route 66 Centennial Commission and a full inspection was performed with the assistance of Association members Billy and Pam Stanbro of Chelsea…but the price tag to return the truck to the road was high.

The U-Haul as it appeared in Chelsea, Oklahoma.

At the Association’s Annual Membership Meeting in January, a teacher with the Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City approached the organization and pitched the idea of making the restoration a student project. “When Rhys was talking about the Bob Waldmire U-Haul project, I immediately thought, this would be an awesome project for my automotive collision repair class,” said Clint Drabek. “I knew it would be a great opportunity for my students to take part in the restoration of a historical piece of rolling art. We are extremely excited to be a part of the Bob Waldmire project and look forward to seeing it make its way back to service during the Route 66 Centennial Celebration!”

Bud and Bev at the Rock Cafe, a favorite stop for Bob Waldmire.

Getting the truck from northeast Oklahoma to Oklahoma City was another matter, but LD’s Wrecker in Chandler, a member of the Association since 1990, stepped up to help. In fact, they were so excited to be a part of the project that they made a special trip to a few Route 66 landmarks as they made their way across Eastern Oklahoma on Wednesday, February 25th. Bob had been a fixture at the Rock Café in Stroud and still has a booth specially decorated with his artwork. The truck stopped briefly at the Rock due to this history and the manager, Beverly Thomas, stepped outside for a moment to see the truck as it continued west.

The truck arrives at Francis Tuttle. Photo from Clint Drabek.

Now, students at Francis Tuttle will restore the mechanical parts of the truck. Other arrangements are being made locally to restore the exterior and interior of the cab. Bob’s artwork has faded over the last twenty years and the Association would like to restore it, too, but they are also highly aware of the potential for damaging it. “We want to honor Bob’s legacy, not ruin his work,” Martin said. “We have to figure that part out but we’re committed to doing it right.”

Once the truck is back on the road, the Association will begin seeking funding to build out the back of the truck with a customized, deployable educational experience. But in the meantime, it will give the Association some additional visibility at events and along the road itself.