Earlier this year, Clay Center resident Anthony Buckner became the proud owner of a 1952 Chevy Delivery Sedan DeLuxe. 

Boasting a V8 engine and the chassis of a car, Buckner said it’s not technically a truck, even though it was made to be a delivery vehicle.

He obtained the model eight months ago when the owner approached him with a unique trade. 

Buckner was selling a 1993 Chevy Dually, and the Delivery Sedan’s owner asked if he wanted to trade. Buckner said he liked the vehicle and agreed.

“I liked it so I said ‘Yeah let’s do it’ and we traded vehicles.” 

Adding that his daily driver is his work truck – he’s an estimator for McGee Roofing – the Delivery Sedan is kept on hand as a hobby driver. 

Buckner, who grew up learning mechanic skills from his Dad, Duane, said he spent six months rebuilding the engine of the Sedan. Most of that time was spent locating and waiting on parts, he said. 

During repairs, he also took on the vehicle’s speedometer; when he received it, there was a map of RPMs, showing which numbers correlated with each speed. 

“It’s been pretty fun, just something to drive sometimes and get it out and about,” he said. 

He also removed the fire suppression system, the Sedan’s original model. 

The fire suppression, he said, serves as a built-in fire extinguisher for the vehicle. If the device was hit with direct flame, it would deploy and send fire retardant to douse the flame.

Buckner got the vehicle registered the day before Cruise Night, taking it out on the town with its brand new mechanics for the annual event. 

However, driving an older vehicle can lead to its own complications. For instance, its small side mirrors make the vehicle difficult to maneuver, especially with a lack of back windows.

“If I’m backing up, I actually have to have someone with me. They have to stand watch and signal so I can back out of a parking spot.” 

Soon, it will go into storage for the winter. 

He has additional plans to fix up the Sedan, he said. Including a new paint job. 

“It came with the decals on it, so I’m not really sure what it means,” he said. “You’ll just have to guess what they meant.” 

However, he was impressed with the quality of work, particularly on the detail pin-striping that’s on the vehicle’s front and rear.

“The previous owner’s did it, she must’ve had a pretty steady hand because it’s all hand-painted,” he said. “It’s not a sticker.” 

Left: Buckner with his 1952 Chevy Delivery Sedan. Middle: a piece of paper that shows how many MPHs equal what driving speed, from 30 to 60 MPH. Above: Buckner holding the vehicle’s original fire suppression system.