Everyone remembers that cool science teacher they had in middle school? That was the class where you not only got your hands dirty, but you also experienced working with some of the stuff you were learning about. That hands-on mentality is what brought educator Mr. Aaron Evans to the decision of buying an old truck rather than another new one.

This 1972 Chevy C10 Cheyenne Super belongs to Mr. Evans, a 7th grade science teacher and do-it-yourselfer from Kingston, Washington. “When I was younger, I enjoyed working on my cars. I would grab a couple wrenches, and I was good-to-go,” Mr. Evans explained. He decided after owning a 2002 Dodge Dakota for 13 years, and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma for a little over a year, that he wanted something different.

“I have always liked the older cars. They are easy to work on, have style, and now they have memories too,” Mr. Evans told us. “When I work on my old truck, I remember the late nights when I was younger working on cars with my father.” There is a lot to be said about the way it feels, and the satisfaction you get when working on an old truck.

Mr. Evans’ truck parked outside the school where he works.

His search for the perfect candidate lasted several months before finding what was meant to be his truck. It was located three hours from his home, was priced at a fair $3,000, and it was exactly what he was looking for. After some encouragement from his wife, the couple went for a ride, and made the purchase. “We made the three hour drive to Vancouver, and then drove my truck home,” He said. “My new/old truck made the trip without issue, and I have been happy with the purchase ever since.”

Mr. Evans drives the truck to work every day, and it has proven to be as reliable as anything he’s previously owned. “My plan is to restore it slowly,” Mr. Evans explained. “After purchasing it, I immediately replaced the windshield, and had Kingston Collision fix the rust on the windshield frame and re-seal the drip rail.”  Mr. Evans confirmed, “It has the usual rust but it’s a strong driver.”

It’s still powered by the original 350 cubic-inch engine, and it still has the three speed automatic transmission and two-barrel carburetor. “As far as I know, it is stock except for the headers and dual exhaust,” Mr. Evans told us. One aftermarket addition that Evans laments are, in his words, “those darn snaps around the bed.”

So far, the experience of owning the classic ’72 Cheyenne has been everything he thought it would be. “The truck is a lot of fun to drive,” Evans told us. “I like the way it looks, smells, feels, and sounds.” A huge benefit is that he is able to avoid any kind of payment, and has been able to do a lot of the work himself. “Usually when I buy a new car I think, ‘should I have just done that?”, but with the ’72 C10 I think, ‘why didn’t I do that sooner?'” Mr. Evans might not have the newest vehicle in the school parking lot, but he probably has the coolest. We can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.

So, what do you think of this cool-teacher meets cool-truck story? Did you have any teachers that drove cool cars when you were going to school? If so, let us know what they were. Tell us your thoughts, and tell us what kind of classic Chevy you’d make your daily, or tell us about the one you already have.