Hot Rods Trucks - thinking outside the box

I guess you could consider this one a little unusual too. Built this for the wife with EVERY conceivable accessory and chrome piece I could find (guuk wagon).

 

img012 by harpo1313 posted Feb 16, 2010 at 10:40 PM

This 34 plymouth started its life as a four door. Sold it before I tackled the rear door.

img001 by harpo1313 posted Feb 18, 2010 at 12:09 PM

 

Custom tailgate

 

Built this '46 back in the 80s. Tried to hide the "homely" with flames...it almost worked

 

<<<< My shop truck avatar 51 Cosmo built by Charlie Hall and Son Tucson Arizona late 50s Still in service.

 

1959


Hello,

Not only were there hot rods and custom cars, but custom trucks were also competing during the class elimination races in their own classes. This Ford F100 truck looks as if he pulled right off of the local streets and went right to the starting line in 1959. The cool side pickup bed exhaust pipes gave it its own character as a mild custom.

Most of the drag race cars that were not street legal had the 55-58 Ford pickup trucks as push/tow trucks.
1959 K.S. Pittman light blue push/tow truck
1959 Lions Dragstrip


Don Hampton Kenny Lindley “Here’s coming at you…”



My brother and I did want a truck of sorts for hauling all of the tools and tires back and forth to Lions Dragstrip weekly. We liked the 56 Ford models, but really wanted a 4 speed 335 hp 348 motor in a 1959 El Camino. That would have been the top of the line for our needs. A fast dual purpose truck for hauling parts or just plain cruising around. But, we made the 58 Impala do triple duty as a racer, parts hauler and when we built the 1940 Willys Coupe for the gas coupe class, the Impala became the tow car.

Others we saw were competitors.


Charlie Etienne, “The Painter’s” yellow Ford pickup truck, with a blown Hemi motor inside...


A very fast and competitive 1959 black El Camino : 335 HP, 4 Speed, Positraction, etc.

El Camino Bob Goggle film clip

Jnaki

Finally, one truck that surprised everyone: The Baker Automotive brown 1959 El Camino with handicapped controls for the driver, and a supercharged Cadillac motor in place of the 348.

This 59 El Camino was very impressive to say the least...

A supercharged, Cad powered El Camino



Trucks, not just for gardeners, garage shops or delivery people. They were everyday drivers for a lot of people, that started the trend of the present day huge, factory modified, pick up trucks we see on the road and in our rear view mirrors.

 

My daily driver. Certainly not as nice as the ones posted here but it works for me. Nothing really unique about it other than the Studebaker bed.

 

Hello,

For the last couple of months of running errands in and around our area, my wife keeps saying each time, that a cool old truck is sitting by the side of the road. To her, it was a rusty truck with nice wheels and tires. That is what stood out. The area where we saw the truck is on a curve and uphill/downhill, so stopping for a quick photo or two was not in the cards.

One day last week, there were no cars coming or going, so stopping in the middle of our lane, I took several shots with my digital camera. The first thing my wife noticed when we stopped was the sign on the side of the driver’s door. The main****le was blurry by old age, but the noticeable item on the door was BEND, ORE.


Jnaki

We have a few friends that have houses in Bend, OR. They spend the time in the summer there, while the winters are spent in So Cal. On our second tour of the Pacific Northwest, we took a different route home from the Portland area. We had already gone up the coast from So Cal, down I-5 from Portland and now we decided to go inland for a different route home. Our destination was the small town of Klamath Falls, OR. So, we did drive through the inland route of Gresham to Bend, to Klamath Falls. It certainly was a different route than the coast.



So, either the current owner is a transplant from Bend, OR, now living in So Cal. Or, he bought the cool truck from someone in Bend, OR.

Any PNW or Oregon folks know anything about the history of the truck or perhaps the business of the former owner? Something about “Sea Stacks?”

The odd thing was that I am reading a mystery novel series about several cases located in Bend, Oregon. So, not only was a memory of the inland road trip back then, but with the current mystery novel series based in Bend and the surrounding areas, it hit “home” for me. The city and local area is bordered by a couple of national forests on one side and the drier mountain plains on the other, with a cool river running down through the town. What is not to like?

 

That's too funny. My (bastardized) '39 pickup used the Ford bed, but '39 Studebaker pu rear fenders.

 

I wrote a story outline about a couple of kids who built what little was left of a 1944 Dodge truck into a fenderless hotrod. It has two grille upper sections bolted together to make one grille, then they moved the cab and hood rearward so the grille was behind the leading edge of the front wheels similar to a '32 Ford. There were a few other mods, such as fixing the rusty rocker panels by cutting the rusted portion out and rolling the remaining sheet metal under to eliminate the overhang over the frame (which also got z'd front and rear). Fun to research it using the HAMB and figure out how a couple of kids would build it.

 

I dont understand. Thread started out ok, then went weird

 

Outside the box? Ditch the box altogether. Back in the 70s and 80s there were tons of hot rod flat bed trucks you would see at rod runs and in the magazines. They all just seem to have faded away? That is why when I found my GMC I decided to keep it a flatbed. Going to run 10s in the back and 5s up front. Hot rod rake etc,

 

I've been told that the following black '57 is a photoshop job but I don't know for sure.


And; I'm sorry; but I just can't resist:


Anyone got a pic of choprods' '58 El Camino?

And we can't leave out jakesbackyard's shoebox ranchero:

 

Looks like the one @choprods built

 

still love old trucks, even my '32

 

Photoshop or not, that works for me.

 

...a different take on an A...

 

‘65

 

Hello,

Old trucks abound in our neck of the So Cal “woods.” Living near any industrial complex has its ups and downs. In the Westside of Long Beach, we got the drift of industrial aromas every day and night. The prevailing winds came from the West and blew right into our neighborhood.

Fiberglass spray aroma, the oil refinery odors and smoke came blowing in everyday of our lives. There were also chemical factories, a vitamin factory that had the worst smell ever, along with the good smells of charcoal grilles from the newly created char-broil restaurants just down the street.

So, with the idea of working trucks in everyone’s minds, there are/were always trucks lingering around in our neighborhood, old and new.

Jnaki

Did this truck have ulterior motives? Some body work had been started, sanding primer has begun and the color looks like it is a base for a future complete paint job. Although, there are plenty of old trucks with age old patina still running and servicing their owners in our neighborhood.

Many years ago, the hot rods and trucks had finished paint jobs. In this day and age, the worn look of original patina is a sign of good old times and shows that the good old guy still has it in his blood lines. YRMV

 

Hello,

When these trucks first came out, the local gardeners and landscaping companies used them as they were smaller than full size pickup trucks, but gave a different ride and viewing. The ride in the front seat was felt as the driver/passenger sat over the front wheels. But the suspension did its best to make it comfortable. It was a new way to build a truck or van.

Our friend had one of the first Econoline vans that he converted to a sales showroom (Frantz Oil Filters) and a surf camper van. The ride was the same, except for the extra weight. Bumps were not to be taken at speed, but it made the driver be extra cautious. But, the Ford Econoline trucks and vans had an advantage over the popular VW vans… they had more power to get to the destination sooner.

Jnaki

During the pandemic, there were plenty of small businesses that had to bite the bullet and take an extended vacation. But, commercial businesses and office buildings still needed some loving care.

The Econoline truck was innovative, but was a hard sell in the long run versus the ever popular Ford F100 pickup trucks, then and throughout history to this day (F150-F250 versions).

 

Old cars look very cool; moreover, cars used to be made very well, so we still see cars that are 50 years old and in good condition. But maintenance of these cars can be very expensive because it is difficult to find quality parts. I don't have a car, so I usually drive my truck. I recently sold my old truck through https://nationalcarparts.co.nz/truck-wreckers-auckland/ and used the proceeds to buy a new truck. Modern truck models have many features that are not available in older versions.