Not a stitch of cloth on this...
Not a stitch of cloth on this baby, just Ken Fuher's stripes and a big ol' round speaker.
When Phil stated it was a labor of love, he wasn't kidding; just about everything done to the pickup Phil did himself. Starting with the stock Ford frame, Phil dumped the nose by adding a set of 2-inch-drop monoleaf springs to a 3-inch drop axle. For brakes and spindles, Phil stuck with the original '60 Ford parts. On the aft end the stock rear leaf springs were reattached to a 9-inch Ford differential packing a set of 3.25:1 gears. For propulsion Phil rebuilt the original '60s 292-inch Y-block back to stock specifications, including the cam and compression, but opted for an Offenhauser intake manifold with three Stromberg 94s to give it that old-time hot rod look.
When it came time to pay attention to the original Fordomatic transmission, things went a little differently. Phil didn't have to think twice about tossing out the cast-iron beast in favor of an aluminum C4 Cruisomatic.
In '64, when Phil took his first driver's test, it's a sure bet he never in his wildest dreams imagined he would be cherrying out the truck's bodywork some 40 years later. His dad sold the '60 in '71 to a friend who sold it to a friend, and in '82 the Ford was sold to a stranger, severing all family contact with the truck. By the time Phil got his chance to reclaim the '60, it had passed through eight owners.
That old-time rock 'n' roll-the...
That old-time rock 'n' roll-the original '60 292-inch Y-block rumbles to the tune of Smitty glasspacks fed by three Stromberg 94s on an Offenhauser intake. Note the original equipment power steering pump.
From the deluxe steering wheel...
From the deluxe steering wheel to its dash cluster packed full of gauges, one would be hard-pressed to find a '60 Ford shortbed with more factory options than Phil's.
The bed kit on the '60 is...
The bed kit on the '60 is a pretty good indication that this truck's work days are over.
With all traces of the four decades of servitude removed, Phil sprayed the '60 in Martin Senior Wimbledon white paint. From Phil's booth the next stop was to Ken Fuher, who worked his pinstriping magic in red One-Shot enamel. The only major work that was not done by Phil was the '60s upholstery. Country Cutters of Greenacres, Washington, stitched up off-white vinyl with red cloth, producing an interior so nostalgic "Wolfman" Jack practically blares over the radio whether it's turned on or not.
These days whitewalls on red wheels are just about as played out as "Achy Breaky Heart" or the Macarena, but set off with Merc caps rolling under Phil's '60, it's like the first time they were ever heard.