The Millennium Falcon
At the turn of the new millennium, Brent June, of Trout Run, Pennsylvania, opened his own body shop. He figured one way to get the word out was to build some rolling propaganda; more specifically, a '56 Chevy basket case he picked up for $400. As the years ticked by, work in the shop piled up and the truck was put on hold.
When Brent decided to get around to the truck, he realized the truck was in worse shape than he originally perceived, and figured it was a lost cause. However, later that month he had a chance encounter with a rust-free cab and decided that with this new cab he could restore the '56. Armed with a new cab, the build was back on.
First, the factory suspension up front was removed and Brent installed a Mustang II setup. Out back a Ford 9-inch rearend was installed with new leaf springs. Brent's close friend then helped him assemble a Chevy 350 with Edelbrock heads, intake manifold, and carburetor. He also installed a Comp Cams camshaft and Dynamax headers.
Being a bodyman, Brent took the Chevy under his wing and began working the body to perfection over the next few years. An entire bed assembly, which he got from Mar-K, was also ordered and installed. Adding his own touch, Brent installed '39 Ford taillights in the bed. The truck was then sprayed with PPG Tri-stage Radiance Wineberry Red.
On the inside Brent ordered ABS plastic and a roll of Ultraleather and built his own door panels and kick panels. The seat was purchased from RodDoors. After 4 years the '56 is on the road, and Brent is now contemplating what to build next.
Editor's Note: Getting your truck into Readers' Trucks is a snap, of the camera, that is. All it takes is a stack of good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs. Send photos of your truck (no Polaroids or printouts) to: CCT, Readers' Trucks, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. It is important that you include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it.
Shop Till You Drop
Plain and simple, Jeff Nelsen, of Beaverdam Road, New York, wanted to build a shop truck, so he did. He found this '51 Ford F-1 in a friend's backyard and figured it would be the perfect canvas to work with.
Once home, the truck was stripped down and then built from the ground up. First, an S-10 front clip was grafted onto the Ford. Next, a 350ci Chevy and TCI Turbo 350 tranny were dropped into the truck. Since the truck was in pretty bad shape, much of the tin needed to be replaced. In fact, an entire new bed was ordered from Pro's Pick. Once the body was assembled, Doug's Place laid down the suede black paintjob. Adding some spice to the mix is a set of Wheel Vintiques red steelies and Coker whitewalls. The grille was also painted red to tie it into the red theme.
Lastly, Jeff had Smart Signs and Designs apply the "Quinn's Service Center" logo, which officially makes the truck exactly what Jeff wanted, a shop truck.