When trucks are part of your business day as well as your hobby, you are doubly fortunate. That's the case with Chip Wilson from St. Augustine, Florida. As the service advisor for the local Toyota dealership, "I'm with them all the time," he told us. Active in the automotive hobby for 38 of his 56 years, Chip recalls times when he could not always afford the vehicles that he wanted but still somehow managed to acquire a '69 Mach 1 Cobra Jet that he has owned since 1971 and a '74 Pantera that he has been enjoying since 1982. "I keep the cars I like." And you can bet he likes this truck.
This latest acquisition started with a call from friends in North Carolina who told him about a unique pickup for sale. Originally, the '47 International Harvester pickup was a small-town fire department vehicle that was sold to the local preacher when it got too old for fire service. The truck languished in a barn for several years until the preacher's son began the customizing process, creating the current look of the truck. When Chip first saw it, he was happy to discover that much of the hard work was already done and he took it home that day.
Lots of mods were accomplished on the body, cleaning it up by shaving the door handles, frenching the headlights, eliminating the antenna, smoothing the hood, and scrapping emblems along with miscellaneous trim pieces. Both front and rear bumpers were removed and the chrome was eliminated from the front end. Painting the grille to match the body helped to continue the unbroken lines. After the gas tank was relocated from the passenger compartment to under the bed, a teardrop gas filler door was cut into the driver-side rear fender. Work on the bed included welding the tailgate and adding a custom roll pan with LED taillights and an inset license plate. A smooth tonneau cover was fabricated to fit and covered with tan vinyl. The cab also received its share of mods with a V-butted windshield, sport mirrors, and a center-mounted LED brake light cut in below the rear window. Of course, the biggest eye-catcher was the bright Hugger Orange acrylic enamel paintjob with ghost flames.
But this truck is more than just a pretty face. Underneath, modern suspension upgrades ensure it will handle backroads as well as interstate highways with ease, thanks to the Mustang II frontend with disc brakes and a 12-bolt Chevrolet rear. Lowering the truck's profile is also just a buttonpush away. An Air Ride Technologies air suspension system, complete with compressor and reserve tank, is mounted on a platform in the bed. Filling the International's wheelwells are 17x8.5 American Racing five-spoke rims, wrapped in Toyo Proxes 235/40R17 rubber.
Cool customs need hot powerplants and the rejuvenated International can run with the best of them, thanks to the 350-inch Chevy crate motor under the hood. Fitted with all the latest equipment, the motor gets its big gulp of air and gas from the Weiand intake and 650 Edelbrock carb. Mallory ignition lights the fire and the factory exhaust manifolds dump into a pair of SuperTrapp mufflers. Although the truck has never been on a dyno, Chip has a seat-of-the-pants estimate of about 325 horsepower. The 350 automatic, equipped with a B&M shift-improvement kit, makes for comfortable grand touring.
Moving inside, there are lots more custom touches, beginning with the tan tweed bench seat and matching door inserts. Modern conveniences include Vintage Air with chrome vents built into the dash. The Chevy column is topped with a Lecarra wheel while VDO instruments monitor the engine and air suspension. Located in the overhead console, the Pioneer head unit controls the 4-channel Super Tuner amp and 12-CD changer located behind the seats. A pair of 6x9 speakers in the doors and four 5-inch coaxials under the dash fill the cab with sound, the perfect option for a long cruise.
Chip has been continuously updating the truck over the last three years and the International has become the favorite family travel vehicle. It has been driven everywhere and Chip says it is the most reliable hot rod he has ever owned. We get the feeling that this truck, like his other favorites, will be part of the family for quite some time.