When resurrection of the panel began, Mike had only a few stipulations that he wanted seen through.
“I wanted the truck to be Ford drivetrain. I wanted the 460 in there, because it’s a heavy truck and as a great man once said, ‘there’s no replacement for displacement.’ I also wanted to maintain the original look it had, i.e. flat white paint and refurbished slot mags.”
For this end, Jed cleaned up the exterior, leaving the flat white paint and slot mags as they were, save a little bit elbow grease and moved his attention inside the truck. Here, the stock gauge cluster was retained, modified with individual gauges replacing the dummy lights that monitor the engine. A Dodge pickup truck bench seat was recovered in black leather with black carpet providing the foundation of the Spartan creature comforts while the rest of the panel’s floor was covered in custom wood flooring with polished stainless strips. A Flaming River tilt column topped by a Grant Formula GT steering wheel mounts under the dash. A full-length black leather headliner and side panels accent against the red interior, rounding out the cab’s accoutrements.
Mike relates that having the panel in purgatory while the crew did their magic was akin to visiting a good friend in the hospital.
“Only when this friend gets out, he should feel like a wolverine!”
Since the panel was completed, it’s responsibilities have been relegated from daily driver status to that more akin to a weekend warrior type. But Mike’s passion for the panel hasn’t diminished in the slightest and said, “This truck has been my band van, my second home, and a very dependable friend.”
No better description of a classic truck has ever been uttered! CCT