In Calvin and the Red Neck Wagon, young Calvin asks Dad for a wagon, but Dad suggests rather than buy one, they drive to rural Virginia to visit Auntie Carol and Uncle Loren to build a wagon from used car and truck parts where Uncle Loren has stored many old cars up on blocks under blue tarps.

Together, Uncle Loren, Dad, and Calvin search for used parts and build a 6-foot wagon complete with truck steering wheels for tires, a truck toolbox for a wagon bed, dual mirrors, and a red fuel filler neck from an ancient VW Beetle. They even found a Hurst shifter knob to accent the wagon handle. For authenticity, an actual photo of the completed wagon appears in the back of the book.