Over in nearby Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, Rick Stewart was busy saving this Mercury from imminent death. Put up for bid at a local salvage auction, it was damaged on both ends, but a perfect candidate for a little restoration work. Judging by a plaque on the dash, the truck had been built into a street rod of sorts in the early ’80s, but lacked a number of modern conveniences typical of builds from that era. Sans wipers, a working heater, and an emergency brake, the truck did have a late model steering column installed that was angled towards the passenger in order to clear the headers. The seat meanwhile was bolted to a piece of plywood that floated around inside the cab. As Rick puts it, there were lots of little issues.
But having your own auto wrecking yard isn’t without benefits and before too long, Rick had sorted out an air suspension setup at all four corners as well as an airlifted bed to clear the huge rear tires when they need to be removed. A hopped up 289ci small-block Ford, mated to a C4 no doubt, came from one of the old cars in Rick’s yard as well. A ’68 Camaro sub frame was grafted to the front framerails to get rid of the stock Mercury straight-axle, but Rick has yet to get around to swapping out the drum brakes for discs. Something he has in the works, among other things, as his Merc is what he likes to call his “junkyard hot rod.” CCT
Editor’s Note: Getting your truck into Readers’ Trucks is a snap, of the camera, that is. All it takes are a few good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. High-resolution digital photos can be sent in via email to: ryan.manson@sorc.com. Traditional prints are also acceptable and should be sent to: CCT, c/o Readers’ Trucks, 1733 Alton Parkway, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92606. It is important that you include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs.