How many times have you been driving down the road and caught a glimpse of a retired, old work truck staring out of a barn door or half obscured by weeds in some field? And how many times have you thought to yourself how great it would be to pump some life back into that neglected old truck and put it back on the road?
We know it happened to Ron Delucchi at least once because he told us it did. He saw the truck, a '65 F-100 shortbed, sitting out in a field-the only modifications being the cracks in the glass, a fusty old Indian blanket seat cover, several bullet holes, and a For Sale sign. The owner wanted cash and Ron needed a work truck-and this one ran-so he bought it.
Try to picture the truck in the condition just described, because that's the way Ron drove it for eight years, until he decided it was time to treat his faithful work truck to some fresh paint. By the time he'd removed the broken windows, weathered rubber, and deteriorated wiring, the body had been reduced to its sheetmetal shell-so he pulled it off the frame and, while James Paulk Body & Paint in Stockton, California, got busy with that, the chassis and driveline were rebuilt. A simple paintjob had somehow escalated into a full frame-off buildup.
With the body off the chassis, Ron stripped and detailed the 'rails, shortening the front by 1 3/4 inches to pull in the front bumper, and adding an X-member to carry the new transmission. Jim Holland at Jim's Alignment & Brake replaced the stock Twin I-Beam frontend with dropped I-beams to lower the stance by 3 inches, with another inch gained from the springs and KYB shocks. The rolling stock was upgraded to stout P275/60R15 and P235/60R15 BFG T/As on Stockton Wheel 15-inch steelies with 4 inches of backspacing-dressed up with chrome outers and caps.
Meanwhile, the engine was getting some attention from Performance Dyno Tuning in Oakdale, California. The '65's original 352 had always provided reliable power, but was ready for some work on the top end, including a Proform 600-cfm 4V on an Edelbrock intake and, at the other end, a pair of Doug Thorley headers. The Ford Motorsport finned air cleaner cover and valve covers provide some underhood eye appeal. A Tremec TKO-500 five-speed trans with a McLeod clutch replaces the factory compound four-speed. Ron likes the overdrive on the Interstate. In town, though, the hot rodder in him never moves the Hurst shifter farther than Fourth.
Back at the body shop, James Paulk's crew was applying their skills to the shell of the truck. The body was straight and rust-free when Ron found it and hadn't suffered any damage since, so the tin only needed some massaging-outside of those bullet holes. The plans never called for radical body modifications-nor did the truck need any. The one significant "custom" touch is the '66 grille; it's a reproduction piece from Dennis Carpenter Reproductions, since repopped '65 grilles aren't available and originals are scarce. Besides that, and the stock bumpers being tugged in 1 3/4 inches in front and 2 inches in back, the only other changes were the addition of side marker lights at all four corners and the relocation of the tailgate handle to the inside of the bed. B&B Truck Stuff installed the bedliner and the GemTop tonneau. And take note of the side toolbox; it's a rare accessory on '65 shortbeds. Bob McMurtries at James Paulk's shop sprayed the Cool Vanilla two-stage DuPont paint-it's actually the second paintjob of the buildup; the truck turned out so nice the first paintjob had to be redone.
Inside the cab is where the project really departs from the quick freshen-up that Ron originally planned. Tom's Custom Interior upholstered TEA's aftermarket buckets in burgundy Ultraleather. Auto Meter gauges fill the stock dash (with handmade knobs from Performance Dyno) and the Billet Specialties banjo wheel is mounted on an ididit column running into the stock box. A Classic Auto Air A/C system and overhead-mounted stereo contribute to cruising comfort.
The former work truck is off the job now, living a pampered life. Ron still drives it a lot, but now it's to local cruise nights and the occasional far-away truck show. The problem is that Ron still needs a pickup for work. He's got a '58 F-100 coming together that he says will fill that role. We'll see.