Custom Car – September 2019

2018 wasagoodyearforLukeandhis

Plymouth.Top1 0 attheSupernats,then

Participants’ChoiceandBestinShow

attheA602’sAutorama.Thisyearhas

continuedthattheme,thirdplacein

BestinBritainatStoneleighandaTop 5

placingattheNSRAFunRun.That’sfour

times,maybefive,he’shadtostandup

infrontofacrowd,hisabsoluteleast

favouritethingintheworld.

abeautifulpieceofformandfunctionfabrication

Wedroppedthetruckupthereat 11 pm

onaWednesdaynightandthencalledin

againaswewerenearbyontheSunday

andhealreadyhadthedoorskinson!”

Anagreementhadbeenreached

wherebyTimwoulddothemainrepair

workonthebodyyandthenthetruck

wouldgobacktoLuketobefinished

off.Intheend,though,Tim’sworkwas

sogood,andsoquick,thatwhatLuke

returnedtopickupafewmonthslater

wasafinishedtruckinetchprimer,ready

tobeblownapartforpaint,detailing

andtrimming.

Intheinterimweeks,Timhadmadea

wholenewrearpanelbelowtheswage

lineforthecab,newlowercowlpanels,

newdoorskinsandfettledandmodified

everypartooofthebonnet,grilleshell,

runningboooardsandwingsforperfectfit.

“Itjustwennntonandon,”recallsLuke.

“Weknewthetailgatewastrashed,but

wethoughtthebedwasokayoriginallyyy.”

ThatwasuntilTimcametofitthetail

ligghtsandfffoundthestakeppocketswereee

fulloffiller.Sotheycameoff,thenthe

bedsidescameoffanditendedupall

beingreplaced,withjustthepressed

Plymouthpartoftheoriginaltailgate

retained.“Still,thetruck'salloriginal

downtotheswageline,”hesmiles.At

leastIthinkhewassmiling.

Thereisoneotherpersonwhoneeds

anamecheckatthispoint,andthat’s

anotherfriend,MartinDowney,who

filledthesparewheelwellanddidaload

ofmetalworkonthewings,amongst

otherbits,beforetheywenttoTim.

Askedwhetherinthecourseofthe

buildLukehadfoundanywherethat

specialisesinpartsforvintageChrysler

trucks,hementionedSRPMStreet

Rods(www.srpmstreetrods.com)in

48 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019

°Thheworkkiintthheeppiicckk-uuppbbeeddaalloonneebbeeggggaa

rrssbbeelliieef.GaryyLayytonformed

thewheeltubsandthebeadrolledfloorpanelsan

dGavinPinkatThe

PaintShoplaiddowntheflawlessstraightblack

thatshowsoffhis

workmanshipbeautifully.

°BBuuttssooggooooddiissGGaarryyLLaayyttoonn’sscchhaassssiissffaabbrriiccattiionworkkbbeneatthhiitthhatiit

wasdecidedtomakealift-upcentrepaneltoshowitalloff.It’ssupported

onhydraulicramswithapushbuttonreleaseunderthedash.

Yeah,you’reright,it’suselessasapick-uptrucknow,butwhatthehell.

°Anoriginalwind-outscreenmechanismwas

anothertrickyparttosource,butLukewas

intentonhavingit.Helovesitsfunctionality,

butit’salsothesourceoftheonlyrattleinthe

wholetruck.