Every issue of Custom Classic Trucks is filled with stories of hobbyists' hot-rod hauler dreams coming true. CCT's Feature Editor acquired the automotive enthusiast gene from his dad. Going to car shows from the age of five, he developed a passion for vehicles from the '20s up to the present day. Father and son Smith have dreamed of building and owning a drop-top Ford from the '30s for more than 30 years. The '33/34 Ford roadsters have always been at the top of the wish list for "Top 10 Vehicles to One-day Own."
Traveling to shows throughout the country, we see an abundance of Ford Model A and '32 Ford roadster pickups. We rarely see a '33/34 phantom Ford roadster pickup (car-bodied roadster pickup). And we've never seen a real commercial-bodied '33/34 roadster pickup, except in photographs.
But, they do exist. By commercial body, we refer to the '33/34 Ford truck grille, hood, fenders, doors, bed, and other truck body panels that were used. According to Jim Wagner, author of Ford Trucks Since 1905, The Ford Motor Company manufactured 347 roadster pickups in 1934. Also in 1934, Ford of Australia began building Coupe Utilities, or Utes, for short. Utes were the first Rancheros, in which the bed and cab were one piece. They had the wondrous Art Deco-influenced car grille and flowing coupe/roadster fenders, first penned by a talented British-born Ford automotive designer Gene "Bob" Gregori. Aussie Ford Utes were available either with folding roadster tops or as closed cabs. They were an instant hit Down Under. So much so, several automotive manufacturers based in Australia and New Zealand still offer present-day Ranchero and El Camino variants.
What we're getting to is the new CCT Project Truck that's being built--a Real Steel '34 Ford roadster pickup. Real Steel Inc. is a division owned and operated by Steve's Auto Restorations (SAR) in Portland, Oregon. SAR is a multi-faceted professional shop that specializes in transforming automotive dreams into reality. As a youngster, SAR's owner, Steve Frisbie, nurtured his love for all-things-automotive in his father's service station. Given Steve's passion, experience, knowledge, and expertise with vintage automobiles in general, and the '33/34 Ford roadster in particular, we knew SAR would be the place to create the '34 Ford roadster pickup cab.
To give the roadster pickup an aggressive street-rod look, we needed a shortened, hot-rod-style bed that would be in proportion to the graceful '34 roadster-car-styled cab. We investigated several vintage pickup bed manufacturers and learned that Pro's Pick in Fergus, Ontario, Canada, manufactures custom-length pickup beds to order.
Since the project truck would look more like an Aussie roadster pickup than one of the 347 commercial-bodied Ford roadster pickups, we needed to obtain steel coupe/roadster fenders. Specialized Sheetmetal in Clayton, Ohio, stamps '33/34 fenders and sells to pro shops across the U.S., including SAR. That was enough to sell us, so we ordered the fronts and rears.
While we lined up the necessary components to go with SAR's first '33/34 Ford roadster pickup cab build, Steve commissioned one of his craftsmen, Dave Brost, to create a rendering of the truck. The stylized drawing would serve as a blueprint to proceed--and proceed, they did. SAR's crew isn't as fast as Ford's '30s assembly line, but they're abundantly more creative and talented. Follow along in words and photos to see how Steve's Auto Restorations worked bare-metal magic with 19-gauge sheetmetal.
After getting feedback from...
After getting feedback from CCT's Feature Editor and his father on what the pickup should look like, Dave Brost of Steve's Auto Restorations rendered the '34 Ford roadster pickup.
In virgin steel, the roadster...
In virgin steel, the roadster pickup cab and bed appear even more artful than Mr. Brost's rendering. Find out how SAR's talented crew crafted the drop-top truck by reading on.
Since the roadster pickup...
Since the roadster pickup cab would be fabricated from SAR's '33/34 Real Steel roadster body from the rear door jamb forward, the first build step involved assembling the cowl and firewall in the Real Steel body fixture.
Because much of the body is...
Because much of the body is aligned to the cowl top and sides, positioning the cowl top and sides exactly right is crucial to correctly fabricating the roadster pickup cab.
SAR next installed the front...
SAR next installed the front half of the cab's floor and the subrails in the body fixture.
After SAR's crew positioned...
After SAR's crew positioned the cab floor, they mounted the fixtures that locate the doorposts.
With the cowl and floor in...
With the cowl and floor in position, SAR's technicians constructed the door frames.
Once the door posts, doorframes,...
Once the door posts, doorframes, and rear cockpit reveal were in place, SAR began to shape the rear cab wall.
SAR tack-welded thin strips...
SAR tack-welded thin strips of sheetmetal together to form a malleable web. The flexible metal web makes it feasible to determine the optimal shape of the new rear panel.
To achieve the proper contour...
To achieve the proper contour of the rear lower cab corners, SAR's craftsmen trimmed and shaped foam blocks, which would serve as a template for forming the corners in metal.
As shown with the web wall,...
As shown with the web wall, the new rear panel requires a complex curve that rolls from top to bottom, but also from side to side.
So that the cab sides behind...
So that the cab sides behind the doors match the contour of the doors, SAR first skinned them with sheetmetal.
To avoid any future alignment...
To avoid any future alignment problems, SAR's fabricators welded the doors, floor, and cowl fully into place before shaping the rear cab wall and the rear cab corners.
After receiving initial shaping...
After receiving initial shaping with the power hammer, a craftsman trial-fitted the rear panel and cab corners to the malleable mesh template.
Utilizing Cleco clips to hold...
Utilizing Cleco clips to hold the rear panels in place, SAR used the new body fixture to inspect the fit and position of the freshly formed rear and corner panels.
SAR installed temporary braces...
SAR installed temporary braces to firmly secure the finished rear panel and cab corners.
After removing the rear panel...
After removing the rear panel fixture from the shaped and formed panels, the crew used lime-green tape to determine where the body reveal should be positioned. Notice the panels are Cleco-clipped together. They won't be welded together until after the body reveal is formed into each of the three panels.
After intense scrutiny, SAR's...
After intense scrutiny, SAR's crew agreed upon the final position of the body reveal.
Utilizing a special die in...
Utilizing a special die in the pulmax machine, a craftsman put the body reveal in both rear cab corners, as well as the rear cab wall.
Held in place with Cleco clips,...
Held in place with Cleco clips, SAR repositioned the three panels on the body to check their alignment before being welded together.
While on the body fixture,...
While on the body fixture, SAR tack-welded the three panels together. SAR removed the panel from the fixture so it could be fully welded and smoothed with a hammer and dolly.
With the panel fully welded...
With the panel fully welded and smoothed, SAR repositioned it in the fixture and welded it into place.