“A couple of years ago, I bought a ’30 Ford pickup from a guy on the H.A.M.B. It had an early Caddy motor and, for the most part, was pretty cool—but not quite how I wanted it. Initially I’d taken it to Arizona Street Rods in Phoenix to have some work done, but unfortunately, it burned in a shop fire before the work was finished. From there, I decided to take the remains of the pickup project clear across the country to Jason Graham Hot Rods. As I would learn, Jason’s shop had also suffered through a fire, but by this point he was back on his feet and quickly getting business back to normal.
“Jason and I discussed a whole new build while trying to use as much of the original truck as we could, yet at the same time keeping it as traditional as possible. And Jason nailed it. Proportion was just as important, so in order to provide more legroom and accommodate both the channeling and a 6-inch chop, we decided to extend the cab. Additionally, the frame was Z’d 5 inches in the front and 12 inches in the rear (all done with mandrel-bent 2x4 box tube), while the bed was shortened 9 inches. The grille, which is ’32 Ford commercial, was shortened 4 inches. Jason set the chassis up with a Winters quick-change, split ’35 Ford wishbones front and rear, Lincoln drums, and a Schroeder cowl steer unit.
“Another thing I wanted was to blend Ford with Cadillac accents beyond the quad 9Super7-equipped ’57 365ci motor, which Jason mated with a five-speed. So, the decision was made to go with Cadillac Kingswood Gray for the exterior color while using ’59 Caddy fabric inserts integrated with the gray leather upholstery. Blackwalled and black powdercoated early Ford wheels with ’caps and rings along with maroon engine components were chosen to complement the color scheme and still retain a clean, traditional look. The same effect was achieved inside the cab with a narrowed ’48 Ford dash and gauges, LimeWorks column, and a ’48 Ford steering wheel that Pearlcraft reduced to a 15-inch diameter.
“Jason works fast, and within just six months, the pickup was completely finished. He brought the pickup to the Goodguys in show Columbus, Ohio, where my wife and I flew in to see the finished product for the first time. I was blown away by the details. For its debut, we ended up taking home a Builder’s Choice award.”