After Chris knocked out all the bodywork, it was on to the final prep and paint. This is where the entire Krajewski clan kicked in and got the job done. Chris' son, daughter, and wife took turns guide-coating and blocking the little Ford truck until it was completely blocked out five times. With the prep work done, it was off to Marty's Paints in Rosedale, Maryland, to pick up enough PPG '98 Cadillac red and Euro-clear to choke a chicken (remember, an Econoline is a small truck).
 Practically a mid-engine design,...  Practically a mid-engine design, the 144-inch inline-six tucks nicely into the cab-forward Econoline's doghouse. Modifications include a Crane cam, TRW pistons, Clifford Research headers, and a Mallory ignition setup to ignite gas from a Holley two-barrel carb. |  Pat's Upholstery of Essex,...  Pat's Upholstery of Essex, Maryland, stitched the modified stock buckets in grey vinyl and cloth. A Grant steering wheel is the gateway to a color-matched stock dashboard and gauge cluster. |  Custom door panels are a nice...  Custom door panels are a nice touch to an otherwise economically themed interior, hence the name Econoline. Note the modern billet door handles and window cranks. |
On Sunday afternoon, when most of America is stuck to couches watching sports that don't burn gas, Chris and his wife started laying on the paint. The two toiled unto 5 a.m. the next morning before the '61 saw its last coat of clear. As a custom painter, Chris has a thing for flames. He spent a week laying out and pulling the artwork off and on before he decided to lay out the super tasty scallops you see here.
Chris adapted taillight lenses...
Chris adapted taillight lenses from an unknown mid-'50s American car to add a custom touch.
Thanks to the availability of modern speed equipment, the original 144-inch Falcon inline-six Chris' Econoline came from the factory with was hopped up into a peppy yet practical powerplant. For added compression and a little extra displacement, the 144's head was milled, and a set of 0.30-over TRW pistons was stuffed in. The intake manifold is cast into the head, but Chris was able to acquire a set of Clifford Research headers to complement a Crane cam. Chris thanks Walker Engine Company along with his son Christopher for their help on the engine. Not only does the little truck have a lot more beans, but Chris told us it gets 22 mpg running at 75 mph to boot.
Since completing his '61 Econoline, Chris' truck has served him well as a billboard for his custom paint and body shop, CLK Kustoms. Considering Chris and his family have campaigned their little truck on the show circuit all the way from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, down to Daytona Beach, Florida, it shouldn't be very long before his shop is booked to the gills.