It Began As an Affordable Upgrade--It Became a Ground-Up Rebuild

Anyone who has planned a wedding knows how you can start with a certain budget in mind, and soon it grows to where the result is an out-of-control production that’s nothing like what was originally intended. Anne and Bert Del Villano, the owners of this ’41 Ford pickup, can relate.

What started as an affordable upgrade with new paint and wiring eventually became a ground-up rebuild—with a special little modification to the cab; a 4-inch extension through the doors that was created by Greg Barker of Kustom Body Shop in South San Francisco, California. It wouldn’t have been such a drastic deviation from the original plan if the doors were the only panels that had been extended; but if we add the floor, cab roof, framerails, and the running boards to the equation, you can see how the hours in the shop could skyrocket.

In addition to the extension, these details were added: a new Bruce Horkey bed with an ash wood floor, Heidt’s IFS, a custom fuel filler in the fender, and a new leather interior by Rich Santana that includes storage under the bucket seats.

It’s a good thing Anne and Bert enjoy the extra room, because, typically, it’s not until they park next to a stock ’40–’41 pickup that the modifications are noticed. Still, when people start checking out all the neat improvements, they can’t help thinking, “Maybe just a little upgrade to my ride….”