Words & Photos: Tommy Parry

With the iconic Pizza Wagon as its main influence, Randy started building this C-Cab with a carefully laid-out, wooden mockup. From there on, the tentative, commemorative name “Pie Wagon” was selected, and the body was made from steel. Obviously, a sense of humor was important with the build of this machine.

Once the frame was welded together, Randy got in touch with his artistic side and crafted some stunning engine mounts that could double as Christmas tree decorations.

Next came the homemade front end with disc brakes at each end. With a near superhuman level of productivity, Randy fabbed up a masterpiece of a spaceframe. It seems no project is too much for this man, whose energy is limitless. What’s clear from this point in the build process is the attention to detail, the look of the components, and the fit and finish.

With the firewall and the front grille mocked up and the floor and some of the cab paneling put together, the final version could be envisioned. Next came the front cowling, and Randy was salivating at the progress; it was a work of art already. No doubt this took some energy and regular nights in the garage until 1 AM, but sleep is for the weak.

At this point, some might guess the total would be somewhere in the thousands, but it was only a fraction of that. The cost was only $600.00 dollars at the moment, which paid for 5 4×8’ sheets and plenty of rectangular tubing in a few different sizes. Keeping the look together throughout the body was a series of diamonds – the most noticeable one at the back end of the car and with the rear windows. The final touch for the backside was a set of four ‘59 Caddy taillights.

The tentative name was scrapped at that point, and something a little more relevant to the style of the build replaced it. While Randy was at it, a few hundred rivets were thrown in for good measure and a few extra style points. This was supposed to be a showcar, after all, and what beastly bruiser is complete without looking a little like a tank?

Next, a coat of black paint and a 454 Chevy big block came into the picture. With the big motor sitting behind the front axle and a transmission behind it, a Ford 8.8” rear end was employed to harness that torque – enough to turn the world backwards.

The panhard bars up front came next, and then a couple of stunning headlight supports, crafted with the same care and style the motor mounts had, and then some. A set of motorcycle headlights would sit on top the stands and give the car a custom look.

A set of 10” velocity stacks were bolted on top of the BBC, even though they obscured the driver’s view. Who cares – that look is hard to argue with, and the Crown Jewel would spend most of its time showing off, not commuting. Next, Randy’s friend stopped by to modify a Corvair steering box so that it would fit the frame. With a set of stainless steel headers and exhausts running the length of the body, one could already hear that BBC starting up and rattling all the windows in the neighborhood. At this point, with most of the external bodywork done, Randy could turn his attention to the interior.

There’s plenty of room for stylistic touches, and moving on that theme seen earlier in the build, the pedals were handmade in the shape of diamonds and the dash was fitted with a gauge cluster in the familiar shape. Not a bad addition. Continuing on this theme were the rear “fenders” which would minimize a bit of spray, but mainly just look damn cool.

The finishing touch was a repainting of radiator/grille shell, and of course, a little hood ornament – a handmade piece in the familiar shape – was added on top.  Not bad for a few hours’ work in the backyard, but then again, it’s nothing too surprising for a man of Randy’s talent. Without big bucks behind this project, it’s startling that this level of craftsmanship could be achieved. Yes, it took four years to complete this project, but that level of detail is hard to find, even with a fortune in funding.