One thing I’ve never really considered myself to be is a “truck” guy. However, the majority of daily drivers carrying my name on their pink slips have been trucks; a number of past hot rod/mild custom projects were trucks; and for five years I was the editor of Classic Trucks magazine. Still, while I love trucks of all shapes, sizes, and guises, I’m not real truck guy, per se—more like a car guy with a finicky fondness for pickups. There’s just something very alluring about having a cool-looking vehicle that you can haul stuff in.
That said, I tend to shy away from finished-finished trucks, so as not to completely defeat their workhorse characteristic I so take advantage of (well, that’s the main reason, the other being the fact I never keep ’em long enough to see through to completion). So, when I first laid eyes on Scott Roberts’ ’41 Ford, not only did it awaken my inner non-truck guy, but the hot rodder and mild custom lover as well. It also piqued my appreciation for fine craftsmanship and flawless execution, perfect stance, and spot-on complementary color combination. I have to admit, there was really nothing I could find at fault with Scott’s pickup—not even the fact it wasn’t of GM birthright. Dare I say, faultless? Admittedly, others have declared his ’41 as perfect, and while I’m not always quick to agree with others, in this particular case, I have to say that I do.
Scott Roberts is not a truck guy either, so to speak—and up until this last decade, he wasn’t even a car guy. But this ’41 changed everything, thanks in no small part to his wife, Holly, who not only strongly encouraged him to buy the truck in the first place, but re-inspired Scott to keep going when the chips were down. In all likelihood, you wouldn’t be reading this—nor looking at these photos, for that matter—if it weren’t for Holly. And coincidentally, it all started and ended in the very same place: the Goodguys Del Mar Nats. In 2001, Scott purchased the truck at the show’s on-site Mecum collector car auction; 10 years later, the finished product was debuted at the Del Mar Fairgrounds where it all began.
Despite Scott not being a car/truck guy—nor having any real family automotive heritage to speak of—that didn’t stop him from tackling the ’41 himself from the get-go. Matter of fact, he went so far as to completely assemble the truck’s new chassis he’d acquired from Total Cost Involved and subsequently transfer the FoMoCo tin from its original platform. Eventually, Scott came to the realization that he needed outside help, and though his first foray would not net the positive results he’d anticipated (this is where Holly’s input kept things going), his second, a collaboration with Hot Rods & Custom Stuff, obviously did. For what it’s worth, HRCS’ role in the project is almost as vital as that of Scott’s better half. At the very least, it may not have ended up getting the faultless praise it’s been receiving had it not been for their involvement.
If there is such thing as a “born again” gearhead, it’s probably safe to say that’s truly what Scott Roberts is. And if so, he’s indeed living up to born-again standards by not just preaching the gospel, but dragging his entire family into his newfound, fueled religion.