Words: Tommy Parry
It began as nothing more than a healthy admiration of her husband’s rat rod, but soon enough Brooke took it upon herself to go a little further and one-up her beau. She was, after all, a self-professed Dodge girl, and she didn’t want to be left out of the game. She set her goals quite high with the idea of fitting a modern Cummins turbo inside a ‘42 Dodge truck, but with her ambition, skill with a welding torch, she produced something that would make any rat rod fan salivate.
The beginnings were modest, to say the least. A well-patinaed body was pulled off the frame for the 6BT Cummins motor and transmission, which were donated from a ‘90 Dodge 5-speed, to find a comfy mounting location. Brooke grabbed the front suspension from from the donor truck, fabbed it up and moved the diesel engine seven inches back from its stock location.
With the assistance of her knowledgable and supportive then-fiancée, she boxed the rear section of the frame with 2X4.188 tubing and snatched a bed off a mid-forties Dodge truck. With its striking terra cotta patina and green accents, the build could’ve ended there, but Brooke had a vision – the truck would have to be much prettier before she’s be proud enough to prowl down the boulevard with it.
Brooke then mounted the classic tailgate, which screams personality, as well as the air and fuel tanks. With the 6BT plumped and fed, Brooke turned the motor over joyously, but still had plenty of work to do with the finer points of the machine.
She widened the fenders to fit the 16X7” wheels underneath and added a multitude of creative touches, with cow signs acting as the door cards and the taillight buckets made from barbed wire and horse shoes. This build is certainly not short on character.
By then, the truck had power and a second helping of style, and time came for a name. Brooke decided to name her creation Gus, who had recently been given a little rhinoplasty and was looking fancy-fresh.
The interior was reworked with a T-Post shifter, old metal seats with Kenworth truck cushions, a Cat Grader steering wheel and a Cat tool box for the center console and drink holder. The bed was then lined with weathered boards and a T-post in between, and she wrapped the smokestack in barbed wire – a very nice addition to the overall ranch theme.
And with the final farmhand-finishing touch, Brooke mounted a shovel with her cattle brand cut into it. Born out of an urge to keep up with the equally-creative husband, and forged with his support and advice, Brooke’s build helped bring the two closer together. Shortly after completing the build, they tied the knot – proving that the couple which builds together, stays together.
