Words & Photos: Gary Rosier
This 1940 Ford pickup was once a California truck that was purchased originally and taken to Oklahoma. It sat around for awhile before being posted on E-Bay and subsequently purchased by Howard Wilson and his fiancee Robin. Everything was pretty much stock bodywise, but it had no engine. Howard was without another project vehicle at the time, so off they went, with the new project in tow, all the way back to Florida with their prize!
Howard has always been a hands-on kind of guy and this was no exception. He grew up in the day when as a child, his father would take him to the tracks (stock car races) at the old Hinchcliffe Stadium in Patterson, N.J., his hometown as a youth. Growing up, he was always hanging out at the various tracks near where he lived (eventually the Middletown, N.Y. area) as his father was a big influence, he says, taking him to so many races back then. It got him interested in automobiles and racing early on!
Along the way, Howard owned and ran a successful auto parts business for over 20 years, after an initial 20 years in the construction business. This enabled him financially to participate as a driver, owner and mechanic, racing for over five years at the local tracks. You know he had the skills and knowledge to tackle most anything from this experience.
Tackle it he did, too, with help from his fiancee, on this 40 Ford P/U. It was in need of an engine/transmission, so since he always had a bunch of flat-heads around his shop, he chose an early Merc ('50). He cleaned it up, bored it out, ported and polished the Offenhauser heads which were fed by an Eldebrock manifold and two 97 Stromberg carbs.
Next was getting it rolling - and that, he says, required splitting the wishbones in the otherwise stock frame to accept the Tremec 5 speed. A Ford 8 inch resides out back and it all stops with a combo of GM disc brakes up front and drums in the rear.
Shark Bait Interiors of Edgewater, Fla. handled the gorgeous tan leather interior, headliner and carpets. A cut-down Banjo steering wheel (15") with ididit chrome steering column handles the point and drive aspect. Of course it had to have A/C, he says, with the Florida heat, so a vintage A/C unit worked out just fine. Also, it has a four core aluminum radiator with a 16" electric fan to keep it running cool.
A Dakota digital instrument cluster monitors all the important engine functions while a Kenwood backup camera/GPS unit guides him around a little more safely. It rolls on a set of 15" "steelies" with original Ford caps - but chrome trim rings that dress it up perfectly.
Howard will be the first to tell you that while he can paint, that's a job best left to someone who is a little better qualified (equipment and shop). For that he turned to his friend Ted Fior of Lake Helen, Fla. They have been friends for years, always swapping stuff, so it was a no-brainer, he says with a laugh! The car is painted in Pepsi Blue/clear-coat with black fenders.
Howard did all the work on this truck except the paint. He was quick to point out that his fiancee, Robin, was a huge help too, as she helped assemble the chassis and was there every step of the way. That's why, he says, "she can name it anything she wants." A boy is what she always wanted - to name "Charlie." She got no boy, she says with a chuckle, so the pickup was the perfect fit!
Old School... and COOL... you bet!