Not A Date Wagon

You can’t throw a dead cat around these parts without hitting a 1948-54 Chevrolet pickup. Central Texas must have been absolutely crawling with the damned things back in the day. Either that, or Old Navy sold their stock off to someone here in Austin.

But I’ve always liked these trucks… They are shapely, have a friendly personality, and for the most they are still pretty approachable. And it’s probably because of these relatively affordable prices that I see so many bad custom examples.

I prefer my trucks stock. Lowered, hopped up, but mostly stock in appearance. I mean, trucks are trucks. They aren’t coupes and they damned sure aren’t roadsters. So, y’all leave them the hell alone – ok?

I’m not the only old fart to think this way either… In 1954, Frank Benson’s old man told him the same thing when he took the torch to his brand new pickup truck.

“A truck is a truck,” Mr Benson told his son. “Not a damned date wagon.”

But kids are kids, punk rock is punk rock (no matter the period in question), and Frank was Frank. He chopped the damned thing 4-inches, shaved it, added Merc lights up front, Stude taillights out back, and then lowered the hell out of it.

The result is a pretty little thang that Frank’s dad hated… and I kind of like. Enjoy: