Taking it to the streets

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, many strange things have been happening, most unexplainable. There was a toilet paper shortage, murder hornets and mysterious seeds. And then there is cue ball, a 1954 Chevrolet that originated out of Savannah, Ga. 

According to 65-year-old Rod Archibald, an Army veteran and Ocala, Fla. resident who is originally from Owego, cue ball is known all over.

“I can’t stop anywhere without people looking at it,” said Archibald, cue ball’s owner.

The name fits, as cue ball is a rat rod that takes a pool table, sticks, and the rack and balls to the streets. 

With “Cue Ball” painted on the side, and surrounded by clichés such as “Don’t Scratch”, “Watch Your English”, and my favorite, “Always Behind the Eight Ball” gracing the rat rod’s raw exterior, this 1954 Chevy that sits on a 1998 S-10 frame and carries a High Performance Chevy 350 engine, seems to be the talk of the town.

When I first met cue ball, and its owner, I had plenty of questions as the rat rod also contained many details that were of great interest – like the pool balls representing the year of the original build on the front, and a full rack and then a scattered break affixed to the vehicle’s body.

But when I asked the most obvious question, why, it was the story behind the truck and its owner that soon became a story of hope – a story about a man who seems to be beating the odds.

Rod Archibald moved from Owego to Florida in 1990 and never moved back. He worked for years as an over the road truck driver and was also into restoring old cars. That was a factor in what led to the creation of cue ball.

When Rod purchased the 1954 Chevrolet in Georgia, and then put it together in its rat rod form, he soon added a pool table to the truck’s bed. 

“I had to cut a foot and a half off of the table to get it to fit,” said Archibald as he talked about his project. 

With that, he then began designing the truck.

“Whatever came to my mind, that’s what I did,” he added.

But it was Rod’s father, William “Archie” Archibald that was his real inspiration.

Archie, who raced at the original Shangri-La track in Owego from 1964 to 1966, was also a pool player. 

“My dad was the best of the best up here,” said Rod, adding, “He shot all over the northeast.”

As for the name, Rod said he went to bed one night and his dad came to him, telling him to call the truck cue ball. So that he did.

As for the rest of the design, Rod explained that many of the cue sticks and balls were acquired while working as a truck driver. For example, he explained, a cue ball, cue stick, and 7-ball came out of an 18-Wheeler bar in Kearney, N.J. Locally, several items came from the Station Inn, in Nichols, N.Y. 

And each item has meaning to include the license plate, IC7 315, which has some cue ball and 7-ball meaning to it, as well as being one day off from Rod’s birthday, which is March 16, or 3/16.

And cue ball itself is three years old now. Built in 2017, the project took Rod approximately three months to complete. This, in addition to other projects that he had waiting in the wings.

But these projects were cut short in September of last year when Rod suddenly lost 40 pounds in 60 days. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, or cancer of the lymphatic system. 

Rod immediately started treatment, but then almost died in February, so his family brought him up north and back to Owego in June. Here, Rod has been receiving chemotherapy and treatment at Guthrie in Sayre.

And according to Rod, and during an interview last week, he stated that he has completed 100% of his treatments and is now healing from some of the effects that the cancer had on his body.

And the best part of all is that Rod is on his way to a hopeful recovery. He is also thankful for those who helped him get through his treatment.

To thank the staff at Guthrie, Rod took cue ball to the Sayre complex at the beginning of July. While there, cue ball was parked in the lot, from about 1 to 4 p.m., and then staff members would come out to shoot a game or two. 

“They really loved it,” said Rod of an afternoon filled with outdoor billiards.

But Rod already has his sights set on his next project, a bowling alley. 

With a 51 Chevy Panel Truck waiting at home in Ocala, Rod has already found the mechanism for the pins. He noted that the taillights will be bowling pins, and the game will operate where you slide a puck down to knock the pins up. 

In the meantime, he’s sticking close to his home in Owego until he returns to Ocala at the end of this month. 

He remains very appreciative, as well, of all the support he’s received while here from his daughters, Andrea Rossi and Jennifer Harrington, and his sister Cheryl and her husband Chip, who helped him get to his appointments.

Rod is especially grateful for the staff at Guthrie that helped him combat his cancer, and to his friends for all of their prayers.

And who knows, you may just see cue ball around for a little longer; or at least until it makes the 1,220-mile trek back to Florida.