By Gary Rosier
Joi Fleet and her dad, Al Pineau, own this 1947 Ford pickup. Joi’s husband Jon dared her to have a ride ready for an upcoming annual Father’s Day car show. Never mind that she didn’t even HAVE a ride! This was in January 2019 and the show was in June, just six months away. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Joi shook hands and took the $1,000 bet proposed by her husband. Seems simple enough. doesn’t it? There is quite a lot more to this story, however.
Joi and Al had talked about building something “different” for a long time. Like her favorite comic book villain, Harley Quinn, she was driven to get this thing in gear, and with the help of her dad they got to work! And like Harley, she was able to transform herself…..in this case, into a mechanic and fabricator, overnight!
You have to understand Joi a bit to know she likes a challenge. She was always a fan of comic books, and particularly the Harley Quinn series. “Call me a comic book nerd,”she says with a big smile. Somehow, I think she IS that character first introduced in 1992 as the only girl in Jokers entourage. She is independent and powerful, just like her heroine.
For the uninitiated: Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum and fell for the Joker’s story. The Joker, as you might remember, was fascinated that her name sounded like “Harlequin” and tells her about his childhood abuse. She later busts the Joker out of prison, transforms herself into a sexy villain, and Harley Quinn was born!
Dad and daughter started with a 1947 Ford pickup, actually THREE, that were scattered about the property. All were in pretty sad shape. With some vision though, and a “can-do” attitude, they started cutting up and fabricating this “Ritzy Rat,” as she called it at first. Al already had a pretty well-appointed shop. Benders, presses, welding and fabricating were all in place and handy enough to get to work.
A passion for cars and trucks was in Joi’s blood, as Al had many projects, drivers and cool rides scattered all over the property and garages. These included a ’59 Morgan, a cool ’50 Ford pickup, a ’23 T-Bucket, a ’95 GMC truck with a very cool custom scallop paint job, and more!
As a child, Joi was always outside with him, assisting wherever she could, asking questions, and learning. She even helped to rebuild the ’66 El Camino 283 engine that powers this ride, she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty! A ’65 Mustang radiator keeps it all cool. Most all of the brackets, engine mounts and exhausts had to be custom fabricated by Al.
The steering wheel was scrounged from the yard, brand unknown. They removed the rear seat from a Geo Tracker and adapted it to fit inside the cab. About the only thing new is the Lokar shifter that selects the gearing from the two-speed powerglide. Sun Pro gauges monitor all the vitals. A push button on the dash is for the horn and is quite loud because “she wants to be heard,” she said! As IF those loud “zoomie” custom exhausts made out of one-and-a half inch square tubing didn’t announce you were there already!
The basic underpinnings of this “ritzy rod” all started with an ’88 Blazer. It was a rolling chassis, complete with brakes, rear end, and power steering. A friend of Al’s donated a unique piece to get it all started actually – a Rolls Royce front grill! Soon after, 1947 Ford front fenders (both one-ton and half-ton!) found their way to the chassis and cab. The cab had to be cut up into many different pieces just to make one whole ’47 Ford from the many wrecked ones lying around. They needed some rear fenders, so Al decided to use some of the many front hoods they had, cut in half, for these.
The rear bed was all handmade out of 18-gauge steel. Joi fabricated the battery box, under the front seat, out of rectangular tubing and more 18-gauge sheet metal. Al had taught her to weld, and wrenching on cars came naturally for a girl who’d spent her childhood following Dad around the shop, day in and day out.
Undaunted by a cancer scare with her husband, and then her dad too, (both of whom are doing well once again), Joi marched on. She and Al shared in this passion and were driven to succeed, each one contributing various skills and ideas- and that $1,000 dare too! Dad was instrumental in keeping this thing going while Joi supported the effort as his biggest fan.
And the creative juices just kept flowing! A beer keg from Joi’s 2007 wedding became the gas tank. They cleaned it out, installed a fuel pump and wired it up themselves. The hood and side running boards were all louvered by Joe, her brother. The little red grenades were a touch that again came from the whole comic book theme of Harley Quinn. The front and rear glass were custom made by New Smyrna glass. Peterbilt turn signals also were installed. The “look” might be unconventional, but Al never wanted to ignore the need for safety and reliability.
You’ll notice the many diamond shapes everywhere, all inspired by the villainess Harley Quinn. The Joker’s hold on Harley and references that she was “Daddy’s Little Monster” struck a chord with all readers, including Joi. This truck was built her way, with a tribute to the comic book character she fell in love with. Joi will always display the comic books and homemade aptly named bomb (Daddy’s little Monster”) in the bed of the truck too… not because she is a little monster but because she’s gone after her dream and realized it.
Throughout the build, Joi and her Dad got to spend quality time together and helped one another navigate some tough times but, like the fictional characters, persevered, evolved and did it their way. Comic books were a way to dream and fantasize but to Joi, her Dad was the true “Little Monster” because of the build he helped her create in such a short time frame. Regardless of who carries that title, there’s no doubt this unique but road-worthy creation was a ‘monster” of an accomplishment!
Car Images:
