1966 Ford Pickup - Copper Chop

If your dad bought himself a new truck nearly 40 years ago, would you ever imagine that today you'd be touring it around the country and winning some of the biggest awards with it? Ed Davis might have. Back in Eastern Tennessee in '66, Ed's dad bought the truck brand new from the dealership and drove it regularly for many years. Twelve or so years ago, Ed took possession of it and found it to be in extremely pristine condition. So he did what any Ford lover would do: he chopped, Pro-Streeted, and painted it candy gold! Actually, besides the giant meats in back and a homemade cowl-induction hood, the truck was still pretty original. Ed found a young man by the name of Johnnie Cate to perform the not-so-mild 4-inch chop, and after the paint, the truck was driven and enjoyed for quite some time.

Skip ahead 10 or 11 years, and Ed decided that the truck was ready for an update. Lucky for him, Johnnie Cate's side business had become a full service shop by the name of Moe & Curley's Rod & Custom, and Johnnie, along with son Brad, Dee, and the rest of the crew, were ready to hit the project full throttle. Ed had grown accustomed to the Pro-Street look as well as the cumbersome-if-you-want-to-go-low I-beams. So M&C were instructed to incorporate these items into a complete contemporary redesign of the truck. The result is the unique but extremely clean truck you see here.

With the rearend already narrowed, a four-link was built and ShockWaves from Air Ride Technologies set the height about as low as you can with 31x18.5 tires. The '66 had to be 'bagged up front to match, and with the I-beams this proved difficult, but Brad worked closely with Bret at Air Ride Technologies to make it happen. With the stance just right, a 428 Ford engine was built, meticulously detailed, and backed by a B&M-equipped C6 transmission. The engine was topped with the usual from Edelbrock, Holley, MSD, and Hooker, and the unusual in the form of original Shelby Cobra valve covers and an extremely custom air cleaner built by Johnnie.

At this point, the truck's cab and bed were still in excellent condition, but the M&C crew still had their work cut out for them. They totally slicked the cab and bed, shaving just about everything possible. They also scratch built a steel bed floor using stock wheelhouses that they widened themselves to fit over the Sportmans. The color choice was DuPont Prowler Orange, and once the paint was rubbed to perfection, a newly chromed grille and bumpers were installed.

The immaculate interior was started off by satin-painting the dash to match the bone leather that was chosen. Pro Auto Fab stitched up a ton of leather and built the sweeping console, and the cab was finished off with a reworked stock dash insert and a LeCarra wheel atop an ididit column.

The 40 years of ownership definitely paid off for Ed. The '66 was literally finished on the way to the F-100 Supernationals, where the truck rolled straight to our feature shoot, even before it was parked at the Moe & Curley's booth. Come Sunday night, the truck also received the Truck of the Year honors for the '61-66 class. Not bad for Dad's old driver, eh?