Were customized trucks common in 1950's

The first real hot rod I ever saw was a pickup. You know the fenderless rods they make out of forties truck cabs? Like that but finished. It had a truck cab channelled over a lowered Ford frame with a Red Ram hemi. It was painted medium blue metallic. Behind the cab was a little box made of varnished wood, T bucket style. No doubt it had red wheels, full hubcaps and cycle fenders.

This was 1958 or 59 in Port Hope Ontario.

 

I wouldn't call them common but they were definitely around. Chuck Porters 1949 Ford, Ayala built GMC shop truck and House of Chrome Ford and the Barris built Wild Kat just to show a few of the more prominent ones that haven't been mentioned. I think the '53-'56 Ford pickups were the most widely customized as you seem to see more pictures of those from back in the '50's than any other makes and models.

 

Probably 80% to 90% Fords and the rest Chevrolet. Practically no Dodge, International or Jeep pickups were customized. I think even Rik Hoving would be challenged to come up with one.

 

Shined up paint, white wall tires, Olds fiesta hubcaps and dual exhausts with chrome extensions was about it for "custom" pickups in the late fifties around our town. I wanted one, bad! Oh yeah, dice hanging off the RV mirror.

 

This one was built in the late 40's - early 50's

later kb

 

I grew up in Southern California. Got my first car in 1954. It was a 1931 Model A pickup with a chopped top rolled pan and pontiac taillights. I was running a '48 Merc flathead. You could drive by most any fire department and you would find a nice looking pickup that belonged to a fireman. Although they weren't "Custom" in the pure sense of the word, they were far form stock. Some of the common features were chrome exhaust stacks or chrome pipes adjacent to the bed rail. Tube grills and occasionally custom grills made from cabinet hardware. Pickups were very popular in SoCal in the 40's & 50's and they still are.

 

Oh a few. I remember this truck in the early 60's I use to drewl over.


others..










Gene's truck.

 

Well I have to go back to earlier posts. In the 50's in central Illinois trucks were owned by farmers and shops. Mostly gas stations with a plow on the front and a chain in the back to tow cars.
I had a few fresh eggs and farmers' daughters. But that's nuther story. The only customized trucks I remember were in the Little Page magazines. A city dude like myself rarely got in a pick up truck or wanted to in the 50's.
By the 60's things were changing and a few trucks were mostly just getting accessorized. Not really customized. It wasn't till 1975 I put chrome slotted mags and polished diamond plate running boards on my new truck. That was different than most.
But that was central Illinois. We were always behind. I wanted the Ala Kart and followed that build .

 

Amazing how some posters from Illinois say trucks were all over the place in the fifties and others saw none.

 

I was there in central Illinois and the question was WERE CUSTOMIZED TRUCKS COMMON IN THE 50's. Not common around the Peoria/Pekin area. Sure there may have been a few older trucks customized. But it sure wasn't common.
Most posters wandered off into later times. I think they were dreaming too much about farmers' daughters and fresh eggs.

 

Denny, I think your right. Where I lived cars were the thing. Trucks were for farmers and service stations.

 

Possums Crotch sounds more like a truck sort of place than Peoria, Ill.
Now down here in the Boonies of Florida I'm sure there were more trucks. There sure are now but these are all mud boggin four wheel drive monsters. The only custom touches are the dog pens in the bed for the Pit Bull dogs and the gun racks in the back window.
Old custom trucks are now popular. But this is not the 50's.

 

The Mountain Pearl
www.rodandcustommagazine.com/.../091...



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

Denny, know what you mean. We have a house in the Florida Pan Handle.

 

Yeah, a few mild "custom" trucks with paint, chrome pipes and caps, and maybe lowered.

But hardly any chopped/channeled/sectioned full customs.

Still, it was done...so I don't see any reason for it not to be considered for an old-style, traditional-type build today. I think it'd be pretty cool in fact...and rare enough (as they were back then) to be novel and interesting.

 

I just happened to run into this when perusing Kijiji ads today.

Quote from ad:

"Wanted... 1947 - 1954 Chevrolet pickup box fenders for my 1941 Ford truck project. My 1941 Ford truck project similar to the one in the early 60's picture, is not for sale.
Let's make one thing perfectly clear, the truck in the picture no longer exists the picture was taken 54 years ago. I have carefully collected the vintage parts required to build a tribute and all I need now is 1947 to 1954 Chevrolet pickup box fenders as on the 1941 Ford truck in the photo from 1960."

 

I found one from the late 58s with custom paint

 

This current pic of my 40 pickup was last painted and pinstriped in 1957 or so.
It has the Chevrolet rear fenders as mentioned above.

I believe the Lincoln Zepher steering wheel been there that long, too.

Cool truck to me.

 

Trucks were for hauling hay or fertilizer - except my dads new F100 with a 352.
Got my first ticket clocked at 115 and it cost me a weeks wages - $25.

 

There seems to be some stripped threads in the context of the topic. Trucks? You bet your cheater slicks there were plenty, but old trucks that were 20,30, 40 or more years old. Picture the quintessential Model A or Deuce to 34 style truck. A frosty metallic color or a screamin bright red, white top, running boards and box toneau, Fat WW tires and some Fiesta or Lancer wheel covers. If that ain't custom then what is? None were spared, and my dear departed Dad liked Cadillac HP in just about everything. 2 Dodge PUs, 36 and 38, a late 40s F1, later on a 61 SWB unibody got a 63 Cad 390 and turbo trans. Look in the background at early dry lake events. Trucks will always be good rod/custom material and I think they always have been.

 

Must be a California thing. Not many real customs,the AlaKart being from my town. Got my drivers license in 1963. It seemed like every muffler shop or chrome shop had mild custom pick up of some kind. One muffler shop had a 1929 Ford roadster another muffler shop had a 1932 Ford PU, two or three of the other muffler shops had 1953 to 1956 Ford PU. Yes the 1955 and later Chevy PU were out on the street.

 

I just happened to run into this when perusing Kijiji ads today.

Quote from ad:

"Wanted... 1947 - 1954 Chevrolet pickup box fenders for my 1941 Ford truck project. My 1941 Ford truck project similar to the one in the early 60's picture, is not for sale.
Let's make one thing perfectly clear, the truck in the picture no longer exists the picture was taken 54 years ago. I have carefully collected the vintage parts required to build a tribute and all I need now is 1947 to 1954 Chevrolet pickup box fenders as on the 1941 Ford truck in the photo from 1960."
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Yes it does, I ran into it at El Mirage. It is now primer black, a bit long in tooth but driving. I thought the same and didn't believe it until I was shown some of the original color and the customized parts