Vehicle Description
Watching show stopping customs roll through our RK Motors Charlotte
showroom never gets old. But sometimes we get the feeling that the
modern street rod movement has become more about show and less
about go. After all, hot rod culture started with guys who drove
their cars out of necessity, but raced them on dry lakes, dirt
tracks and drag strips out of desire. And that desire to
continually push the boundaries of both performance and appeal
spawned legendary events like Pikes Peak and the Mexican Road Race.
Built as an appealing mix of retro style and modern performance,
this cool pickup is a direct result of what happens when a roster
of top notch components meets timeless Ford steel. And if you're a
discerning rodder who's looking for a classic with a little more
substance than chrome and bright paint, it's your one-way ticket to
bigger and better things!
BODYWORK/TRIM
Owned by the same family for the first 86 years of its 87-year
existence, this awesome custom's tidy fuselage began life as
authentic Ford steel that, during a 2-year, ground-up restoration,
was stripped, solidified and fully refinished. When that 1996
transformation was almost complete, the truck's profile donned
custom 2-stage that began as '50s Chevrolet Tropical Turquoise
base. At the front of that pigment, a polished and painted grille
centers a small emblem behind a polished headlight bar and polished
Twolite headlights. Those lights reflect a louvered hood, which
fronts a stainless-trimmed cowl that's topped with a tilting
windshield and a polished electric wiper. At the sides of that
glass, shaved doors shadow matted running boards. And at the back
of the truck's wide bed body, a custom roll pan hangs flush
taillights above polished exhaust tips.
ENGINE
Lift the tapered hood and you'll find a hot GM Performance Parts
ZZ4 350 that utilizes a forged crank, powdered rods, a hydraulic
cam and hypereutectic pistons to turn stout 10 to 1 compression
into 355 horsepower and 405 lb./ft. of torque. At the top of the
smooth-spinning mill, a big Edelbrock carburetor funnels energy in
to a lightweight intake. That plane feeds L98 Corvette heads, which
hang polished valve covers over coated Sanderson headers. At the
back of those heads, an HEI distributor bounces fire through trusty
Taylor Spiro Core cables. At the front of those cables, pliable
V-belts spin a polished alternator opposite a coated AC compressor.
And cooling comes courtesy of a requisite Walker radiator that's
backed by an electric puller fan.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Behind that hot small block, a proven 700R4 4-speed twists torque
to a 9-inch Ford axle. That limited-slip differential funnels power
through a 4-bar rear-clip that's finished with modern
coil-over-shocks. That fully sorted suspension pushes a solid axle
front-half that's finished with traditional, mirrored shocks. That
polished TCI suspension is stopped by four power-assisted discs.
The aforementioned headers jettison spent gases through large
pipes, an H-shaped crossover and small, glasspack-style mufflers.
And everything rolls on polished Halibrand wheels, which twist
polished spinners inside two 195/75R14 Michelin RainForce MX4s and
two 235/75R15 Michelin RainForce MX4s.
INTERIOR
Pop the doors and you'll find a custom leather interior that was
installed by The Hot Rod Shop of Summerville, South Carolina. At
ground level, plush carpet frames a long shifter, which reflects
metal foot pedals, a polished fire extinguisher and switches for
the truck's power windows. In front of that shifter, a color-keyed
dash hides controls for modern air conditioning behind rich wood
trim and a full array of VDO telemetry. Seating is provided by a
broad bench. Above that bench, a small consolette secures an
Audiovox tape deck. And in front of the driver, a leather-wrapped
steering wheel laps a tilting column.
Very few pre-war classics possess the kind of reliable,
well-rounded performance that fuels street rodding's extravagant
folklore. But this hot rod Ford was built to run, and when your
foot hits the floor, that's exactly what it'll do! Tired of high
maintenance show queens that emphasize plastic trophies over proven
performance? Want to look good AND go fast? Don't miss your chance
to land this fully sorted pickup!
SUMMARY
The beneficiary of a 2-year, ground-up restoration that was
completed in 1996
Owned by the original purchaser's family until 2017
350 cubic inch GM Performance Parts ZZ4 V8
700R4 4-speed automatic transmission
Modern air conditioning
Custom leather interior
Polished TCI suspension / 4-wheel power disc brakes
Ford 9-inch rear axle / Limited-slip differential
14 and 15-inch Halibrand wheels
All-steel body / Custom mixed Chevrolet Tropical Turquoise
paint
