# Coolest Thing I Saw Yesterday at Commodity Classic

**URL:** <https://discuss.machinerypete.com/t/coolest-thing-i-saw-yesterday-at-commodity-classic/1521>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [February 28, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://discuss.machinerypete.com/t/coolest-thing-i-saw-yesterday-at-commodity-classic/1521 "2020-02-28T16:16:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pete](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.machinerypete.com/pete/32/469_2.png) [@Pete](https://discuss.machinerypete.com/u/Pete)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://discuss.machinerypete.com/t/coolest-thing-i-saw-yesterday-at-commodity-classic/1521/1 "2020-02-28T16:16:29Z")

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**I love auctions and I love farm shows.**

Yes, for the equipment we find at both, but even more so for the people you meet…and the conversations we have.

**And for the stories folks share.**

Coolest thing I saw yesterday at the 2020 Commodity Classic show in San Antonio wasn’t a big new shiny piece of equipment, although there certainly plenty of those…nope, the coolest thing I saw yesterday at the show was on the cell phone of Randy Melvin of Buffalo, ND. Randy is VP of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association ([www.ndcorn.org](http://www.ndcorn.org)). Here’s the picture that got me.

 ![Chevy-KW-ND](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/machinerypete/original/2X/5/570c7aa62279e509a64cbfa9af4ed21943c7d612.jpeg)

Hard to be cooler the handiwork of Eldwyn Van Bruggen of Valley City, ND who in the early 1980’s custom built this beautiful rig from a 3/4 Ton Chevy chassis with 6.2 diesel with turbo and Kenworth cab and hood from a burnt out early 1970’s model truck. In the restoration process Eldwyn had the hood down into 5 pieces and molded the wheel wells and everything to scale to fit that truck.

Awesome.

“_Inside the cab its just like you’re driving an early 1970’s Kenworth semi down the road, air ride seats the whole nine yards, it’s a phenomenal ride_,” said Melvin. “_I had the honor and privilege in the mid 1990’s to drive it pulling a float in the homecoming parade for 2 years for our fraternity house at North Dakota State University. It was really fun seeing the parking lot before and during the parade seeing people watch the truck_.”

No doubt Melvin was big man on campus behind the wheel of this baby.

And the beautiful lady in the picture standing in front of this amazing custom made Chevy-Kenworth rig?

“_That is my grandmother, Esther Melvin, who at the time was the oldest person in our hometown of Buffalo, ND. She was the Grand Marshall in the parade and I had the honor of being able to drive her through the parade in that pickup_.”

Esther was 100 years young at the time and yes, grandma Esther did the beauty queen wave to the parade crowds along the way.

What a family memory that must be for the Melvin clan.

Eldwyn Van Bruggen’s restoration handiwork wasn’t limited just to this amazing Chevy-Kenworth rig, here’s a picture of a beautifully restored rare Samson tractor that Van Bruggen did. Behind the wheel is Randy Melvin’s young son…in his North Dakota State Bison jersey of course 🙂

 ![Samson-EldwynVanBruggen](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/machinerypete/original/2X/9/9c6cb2e46ff76b8d17cc7b40f15b0cd9bc14739c.jpeg)

Pete  
Machinery Pete  
[www.MachineryPete.com](http://www.MachineryPete.com)