Natty Blue Oval

Frank Graves' '35 Ford Pickup

By D. Brian Smith

Photography by D. Brian Smith, Rich Boyd

When traveling to truck and street-rod shows, we often come across pickups that are the best builds we've ever seen. Comments such as, "That's the nicest Tri-Five Bow Tie I've ever laid eyes on," or "Man, what a sweet-looking Effie. I've never seen a better one," are voiced. It's almost as though with each successive show 'n' shine we go to, the bar keeps getting raised.

We have our opinions concerning Frank Graves' '35 Ford pickup, but in the interest of unbiased journalism, we'll keep our thoughts to ourselves. Considering the truck took just 2-1/2 years to build, no matter what your view is, you have to be impressed with how nice this hauler turned out.

Frank first found the old Ford at a chrome shop in his hometown of Greentown, Indiana. For nine years, most of the truck was in pieces and rusting away while resting on the concrete floor. Fortunately, the cab had been dipped and primed, and it was in primo shape. He convinced the shop's owner to part with the pickup, and hauled it to Gordon's Rod Shop, in Kokomo, Indiana. Since Gordon Riley's a good buddy of his, and a fellow hot rod hobbyist, his shop was the best place to renovate the relic.

By welding an additional 8-inch section into the framerails, the owner facilitated his plans to stretch the cab by the same amount. Frank welded a Fatman Fabrications IFS unit with Heidt's 2-inch drop spindles. In the back, a four-link triangulated suspension system was installed to support the '78 Ford 9-inch differential. KC's Rod Customs Pro Street polished stainless steel disc brakes supply ample clamping power for all four wheels.

The owner chose Air Ride Technologies airbags and front and rear shock absorbers to achieve a low ride height and to enable a compliant ride. Selected rolling stock consists of Boyd Coddington Timeless 5 billet aluminum wheels. With a 4-inch backspace, the 17x7-inch rims were shod with Michelin P215/45R17 radials in the front. A 3-3/4-inch backspace was required for the 20x8-inch Boyd Timeless 5 rear wheels, which were covered by Michelin P245/40R20 radials. Frank relocated the new fuel tank, an 18-gallon polished stainless steel Rock Valley unit, behind the third member. A Street & Performance 350ci LT4 motor was sourced to deliver reliable power.

Thanks in part to a performance-enhancing computer chip, the stock 330hp LT4 now makes a stout 375 horses. S&P engines, which come with S&P's legendary fuel-injection systems, are equipped with a full spectrum of polished aluminum components, including the cylinder heads, valve covers, and water pump. S&P's exhaust headers were Jet-Hot-coated and welded to a 2.25-inch aluminized Jet-Hot Coatings dual exhaust system, which sports Megaflow mufflers. Frank and Gordon mated the mill to an '84 700-R4 automatic transmission. The tranny fluid is kept cool by a frame-mounted Moroso transmisson cooler. They installed a Lokar shift-improvement kit to achieve smoother gear shifts.

Transferring his focus to the exterior, Frank hired Bill Miller, owner of Showtyme Body Shop, in Galveston, Indiana, for much of the extensive metalwork. Bill massaged the previously stretched cab to a professional standard and prepared the cab for a two-tone custom spray scheme. Smoothing out the firewall, creating the sunvisor from virgin metal, forming a new sheetmetal floor, and grafting in a custom roll pan came from the talented hands of Roger Sands.

Gordon and Frank custom-fabricated the bed tonneau out of a sheet of aluminum. They rolled the material's edges and rounded the corners. Frank fastened cherry hard-wood boards separated by stainless steel stringers for the craftsman-quality bed floor. Brass trim was hand-formed by the two friends before chrome-plating and eventual attachment to the professionally painted exterior. Bill Miller covered the truck in DuPont Pearl Ivory Metallic and Bright Amber Pearl. Lee, owner of Kustom Kut, installed new glass all around. Headwinds headlights and frenched taillights were put in place to make a dramatic statement, whether coming or going.

Frank wanted the interior to mirror the two-toned paintwork, so he commissioned Gary Galloway, a local professional upholsterer, to custom-stitch the cab's Larry Dennis Company (LDC) bucket seats. Dark Convalmore and Light Pinwhinnie leather were cleverly combined to cover the cabin, with the dark hue on top and the light color on the bottom. Using a Wiremaster panel, Frank installed Classic Instruments in the steel dash, and he put in an Eclipse stereo and six-disc CD system, in addition to a CB radio. Also, the meticulous owner installed the Air Ride and Vintage Air mini spacesaver controls. A Billet Specialties leather-wrapped steering wheel offered up the crowning touch, perching over the stock steel dashboard in regal style.

As you can imagine, Frank's nattily attired two-tone 1/2-ton Blue Oval hauler has received acclaim and awards. But, we really want to know: Is it the best '35 you've ever seen? It's our guess, if we took a scientific survey, many of you would respond with a resounding yes. At least, that might be your answer until you visit the next show 'n' shine, at which time, you'd see something that you like even more. The bar is always going up. If you're a custom vintage truck journalist, the ever-climbing bar provides great job security. Keep up the good work, builders, and we'll keep the photos and articles coming.