Having another woman on the side often brings disastrous results to one's marriage and pocketbook. On the other hand, having a truck named the Other Woman is a completely different story. James Sult of Boones Mill, Virginia, is the proud owner of this cool-looking '47 Ford pickup that he refers to as his Other Woman. As a member of Southern Rods and Customs truck club, James has spent thousands of dollars and countless hours customizing his second love. Along the way, the Ford has featured four different paint schemes, four different sets of wheels, and two different interiors. In view of this, it's easy to understand why he feels the way he does about his one-of-a-kind custom yellow Ford classic.
Beginning with the chassis, James Amos and his son Tim fabricated the frame and replaced the front suspension with OEM Mustang II spindles and coils, resulting in a 9-inch drop. The rear was tweaked and fitted with custom leaf springs from Roanoke Auto Spring Works, in Roanoke, Virginia, for a 4-1/2-inch drop. Monroe shocks were placed on all four corners to ensure a smooth ride on the rough Virginian roads. To complete his rolling chassis, James chose 15x7- and 15x8-inch American Eagle 206 wheels, which were wrapped by Goodyear Eagle P215/70R15s up front and Goodyear Eagle P245/60R16s at the rear.
The 351ci Windsor V-8 in the...
The 351ci Windsor V-8 in the engine compartment is covered with polished aluminum accessories for a cleaner look.
Under the homebuilt tonneau...
Under the homebuilt tonneau is a relocated Magatron battery, toolbox, and a JAZ gas tank.
The side angle offers a good...
The side angle offers a good look at the oak trim along the bed and the outlined flames that Tim Amos painted.
Under the hood, a 351ci Windsor V-8 engine provides power for the Ford. The pickup was taken to Interstate Motors of Danville, Virginia, where they bored the engine 0.030 over and installed an OEM four-barrel intake and an Edelbrock 600 carburetor. A '69 C4 transmission with a B&M Shift Improver Kit was also installed to back the powerplant. The transmission transfers power to a '57 Lincoln rearend equipped with a 3.43 gear ratio, via a custom-built driveshaft from Roanoke Auto Spring Works. The rear brakes were taken off a '76 Ford pickup and installed on the '47 Ford. With that out of the way, James directed the flow of exhaust through Blackjack headers into glasspack aluminized Minute mufflers. Also, for peak performance, an ACCEL distributor, ignition coil, and plug wires were installed.
The exterior is where most of the eye-catching modifications can be spotted. Tim and James started by installing fiberglass rear fenders from Terry's Fiberglass of North Carolina, along with fiberglass running boards. Then, they shaved the hood and molded in the custom-built grille to the front fenders for a cleaner and smoother custom look. The rear features a roll pan and custom tailgate, and is topped off by a custom tonneau, built by James and Tim. The bed of the truck is carpeted and has a relocated Megatron battery just behind the passenger's side of the cab. With the outer modifications complete, Tim applied several coats of DuPont Competition Yellow and outlined flame graphics along the side of the truck.
Stanley's Upholstery of Roanoke,...
Stanley's Upholstery of Roanoke, Virginia, performed the upholstery inside the cab.
The door panels are covered...
The door panels are covered in jade tweed and feature billet door handles and window cranks.
The interior is also equipped...
The interior is also equipped with a Grant Signature Series steering wheel and billet accessories.
The interior was stripped of the old stereo equipment and a Sony head unit was installed. Sony speakers were also installed throughout the cab. Two 6-inch speakers and two 1-inch tweeters went behind the seats, while two 5-1/2-inch speakers went in the kick panels. A Grant Signature Series steering wheel took the place of the stock item. The seats were ripped out of the cab and replaced with Ford Probe recliners. After these mods were complete, the truck was driven to Stanley's Upholstery in Roanoke, where the upholstery professionals covered the seats and headliner in jade tweed. The carpet color of choice in the cab was hunter green. The interior also has billet door handles, billet window cranks, a billet third brake light, and a smooth gauge panel that was color-matched to the exterior DuPont Competition Yellow.
The rear of the pickup features...
The rear of the pickup features a custom roll pan, a homebuilt tonneau, and taillights from a '42-'48 Ford passenger car.
As strange as it might seem, it was James' love affair with his Other Woman that brought his family closer together. Along the way, James received a great deal of help from his son Tim and his wife Nancy. The two were instrumental in helping James get a lot of the work done. As a result, the family is closer now than ever before. Although the family shares the same passion for work and hunting, it is this 13-year project that James credits for bonding his family together. Needless to say, this reward is greater than any trophy you could dream of winning.