Photos and story by Chadly Johnson
“Well, it can only get better,” Gary Morris of Decorah, Iowa thought to himself as he looked up at the 34 truck cab hanging from the shop’s ceiling. The cab was rough, even by midwestern standards. The bottom 6 inches were missing and the doors were wired to the cab since the lower hinge no longer existed. Morris had been looking for a sedan body to build, but none had turned up. Then he caught wind of the truck cab. The idea was that he could start playing with the cab, and if he liked where it was headed he’d continue. If not, he’d pursue a sedan again. As evidenced by the killer ride before here, the cab worked out just fine.
Gary really didn’t mind that the cab was rusty underneath as he intended to channel it. He looked at it as Mother Nature taking care of much of the floor and sub-rails that he would have removed anyway. A frame was mocked up, then assembled using 2x4 tubing that was kicked up a wild 15 inches out back with an 8 inch suicide perch up front. Gary made use of as many era components as possible while assembling the chassis stating that he wanted to experience what it would be like to build with old parts, and that he was curious about how it would handle and ride. He admits he was very surprised at how well it all works and how much he has grown to love a vehicle you actually have to “drive.” Gary comes from a muscle car back ground so working with 80+ year old technology opened up a whole new world for him. The chassis was made into a roller after mounting up a set of bias-ply tires on rare, 17 inch wire spoke rims. A drive line consisting of a 283 mated to an S-10 five speed, backed by an open drive shaft banjo rear end was then joined to the chassis.
Gary then turned his attention to fixing the cab and locating the rest of the body pieces. The cab received both a 4 ½ inch chop and channel job putting the rockers in the weeds. After discovering that someone had attempted to chisel out the cowl vent, Gary opted to fill it instead of fixing it, giving the cowl a smooth look. Several inches of the lower body and doors were recreated along with new floors that allowed room for the drive shaft due to the channeling. While this was going on feelers were put out to locate a truck bed and one was located in the middle of Iowa. A new, heavily raised bed floor was crafted out of wood Gary purchased from a small saw mill. Fir wood was chosen to replicate a durable bed that would be similar to what the factory would have used. Gary made use of a ‘34 Chevy grille shell given to him by a friend, then, preceded to section and pie-cut it to his liking. The Chevy grille on a Ford cab definitely causes some initial confusion to observers. Gary struck hot rod gold when he became friends with the owner of a small town Ford dealer. The dealership had closed many years prior, but they had held onto their inventory from which Gary was able to purchase many of the small components necessary to finish the 34.
Moving onto the inside of the cab, Gary was not sold on the idea of using a dash out of a different car, but instead chose to utilize the stock, flat dash. Gary put a hot rodder’s ingenuity to work and counter sunk the speedo and tach by cutting out the centers of stainless steel cat food bowls. A beautiful and unique panel was made for the remaining gauges out of an upside down switch panel from a Westinghouse stove. Stewart Warner gauges were used all around creating a neutral and timeless appearance. Gary built a custom center ring for a 1925 International truck steering wheel, then, removed one of its four spokes before mounting it in place. Yet another unique aspect of the truck’s interior is the gas pedal. Due to the reduced size of the firewall and driveshaft tunnel Gary knew he couldn’t run a traditional styled gas pedal. His solution came in the form of a wheel from a 1940s dresser. Even with the pedal mounted at an obscure angle the wheel allows for silky smooth acceleration.
Approximately 2 years after purchasing the cab, Gary took the truck to bare metal, sprayed it in a flat brown tone, and began cruising it. Driving the truck led to some revamping until everything fit and functioned properly. Gary had installed a relatively tired 283 that began to smoke under his thorough enjoyment of the truck. When the S-10 tranny’s 4th and 5th gears began to whine Gary pulled the drive line and installed a fresh, cam’d up 283 and another 5 speed, this time out of a Camaro. At this point Gary also figured he’d taken the truck this far, why not properly paint it as well. Choosing a paint color turned out to be the hardest decision Gary made through the entire build. He liked the brown, then, changed his mind to blue, but in the end, the day before paint he spotted a sample of PPG “Old Gold” and fell in love. Gary liked the unusual color, so his buddy Mark Stone laid down several coats of gold along with some sunshine yellow tint on the deserving sheet metal.
After 8 months of enjoying the ‘34 Gary figured it was time for interior. A van middle seat was modified to fit the driveshaft tunnel, then, templates were made for all the other panels. The actual stitch work was carried out by someone Gary knew he could trust…his Mom. With 20+ years of experience behind her she created a sleek interior that fits the truck perfectly. The finished truck is everything Gary had hoped for, and manages a solid 17 mpg with plenty of snort. People often ask Gary how he can drive the truck since it’s so low, but aside from a bump or a scrap here and there, the truck does really well. He did have a brake line fitting fail while cruising to the Symco Shakedown and found himself cursing out the person who would build a vehicle so low to the ground, but in the end Gary says he wouldn’t change a thing, it’s all part of the fun. “The build process is great,” says Gary, “and believe me the driving is too, but the best part of it is the people. The people you meet looking for parts, and all the little places along the road on a drive. The people you meet at the shows, the car clubs, vendors, artists, sponsors, and promoters…all the great people that we are lucky to have come to know.”