1955 Ford Truck - Hammered Sunshine

Some guys play it safe; a simple lowering, trick wheels, and a paint job is all they need to feel like they have the most stylin' ride on the planet. For some guys, they need to be wild. Some of the wilder projects get so involved and complex that they outlive their creator. This was the case with Ed and Joy Stuart of Pensacola, Florida.

The story begins in the early '90s on the opposite end of the country. Ed's brother, Howard Phetteplace, owned Howard's Metal Craft of Stanton, California. Every shop has a "shop car" that gets built one piece at a time in-between all of the customer's cars. Howard's car was this old Effie that was used to experiment with modifications. The cab went through an extensive metamorphosis for the next dozen or so years. First, the roof was scalped in favor of a much flatter skin from a '56. The top was then chopped 4 inches, yet the stock-sized rear window was kept. This keeps the top in proportion with the body--something that is often overlooked when customizing a truck. The truck's cab and front fenders were sectioned 3 inches for a lower profile, and then the hood was pie-sectioned 1 1/2 inches for the right attitude. The bed was widened 5 inches and shortened in length by an additional 5 inches. This, combined with the chop, section, and lowering job, gives the truck a nasty, aggressive look. The final touch is the frenched lighting.

Unfortunately Howard passed away in January of 2000. Ed purchased the truck from his brother's estate without really understanding the modifications. Upon picking it up to take it to Florida, Ed discovered the intricacies of the job and was simultaneously impressed and honored that he could finish the truck and keep it in the family.

When Ed tore into the project, he discovered a Plymouth Volare frontend on a stock frame, powered by a Ford 289/C4 combo. Ed and his crew of family and friends are all drag racers, so the truck needed to be mechanically as impressive as it is beautiful. The chassis was tossed in favor of a 2x4-inch rectangular tube frame by Art Morrison. The front suspension is a C4 Corvette complete with OEM steering and brakes. A Chris Alston four-link locates a Wilwood-braked, 9-inch rear to keep the hay-hauler firmly planted. An Air Ride Technologies' ShockWave air spring/shock system provides a good ride and gives adjustability for traversing speed bumps, driveway approaches, candy bar wrappers, and anything else too tall to drive over. The chassis was finished off with Billet Specialties' wheels measuring a 1/4-mile-inspired 15x14 wrapped in Hoosier meats out back and 15x7 in front.

A fuel-injected '00 Chevrolet 454 Vortec motor has plenty of torque to turn the tires into smoke--needing only a owner-built air intake with a K&N filter, DynoMax headers, and Flowmaster exhaust to make power. A GM 4L80E transmission can handle all of the torque that the big-block can muster.

After finishing the go-fast parts, the body was prepped and painted by Brian's Garage in Pensacola, Florida. Brian Crawford painted the truck PPG Gold Pearl over Sun Kiss Yellow, which gives the truck a radiant glow in the sunlight.

Wayne and Pam McGriff at M&M Interiors in Holly Pond, Alabama, tackled the interior. Honda Accord seats were covered in ivory leather and a matching suede headliner was installed. A Billet Specialties steering wheel perched atop a polished stainless Flaming River steering column looks great hanging from the 2-inch dropped and filled dash. Dakota Digital gauges monitor all of the vitals. To keep road trips entertaining, a Sony CD player pumps tunes through a Rockford-Fosgate amp powering two 10-inch Rockford-Fosgate subs and four 5x7 Polk Audio speakers.

Ed, his wife Joy, brothers Jimmy and Richard, nephew Eddy, and friends Donny McGowan and Juan Navado finished a fitting tribute to a fallen family member in approximately 30 months. Howard would be proud.