A father and son relationship consists of love, affection, guidance, loyalty, inspiration, and honor. There is nothing more enduring than the eternal bond between a father and son. The shared experiences between them develop into timeless memories which last more than a lifetime. These testimonial photos on the following pages are proof of their commitment to one another.
The relationship between Craig Spangler and his father, Danny Spangler, was insurmountable and has become a fulfilled legacy. Not only were Danny and Craig father and son, they were best friends.
The '53 Ford F-100 was purchased by Craig's dad in 1965, who threw down $500 and a handshake, from the original owner, a farmer from Texas. The truck had 12,000 original miles on the odometer, and Danny swapped out the original flathead for a 398 Oldsmobile big-block. He set the engine up with a high-rise intake manifold and three deuces, which is how the truck stayed until Craig's mom drove it to a birthday party, where an untimely backfire melted the carbs down. After that final cruise, it was parked beside Danny's house for the next 17 years.
In 1990, Danny restored the '53 back to its original condition, including rebuilding the flathead V-8. The restoration was completed in 1991. Danny always talked about customizing his '53 with a bright-yellow paintjob with flames and a small-block Chevy engine. Unfortunately, Craig lost his dad and best friend in December of 1992. The following summer, Craig's mom, June, had Danny's '53 Ford F-100 transported on a flatbed from Texas up to Illinois, where for the next several years, Craig only drove it a few times.
In 1999, Craig decided to fulfill his father's dream. With help from the crew at Midwest Hot Rods in Plainfield, Illinois, the long-awaited dream commenced. Following delivery of a new frame ordered from Fatman Fabrications, it was boxed and C-notched in the rear. The truck was also outfitted with a Mustang II independent front suspension (IFS), 2-inch drop spindles, Monroe shock absorbers, and Air Ride Technologies pneumatic 'bags. A set of four GM 11-inch disc brakes was bolted up and linked with solid stainless brake lines, which are connected to stainless steel flex lines that extend the entire length of the framerail. A Ford 9-inch rearend was stuffed with 3.83 gears. A rear Fatman Fabrications four-link suspension was mated with the Air Ride Technologies pneumatic suspension and Monroe shocks. Papa's yellow legacy rolls on a set of Weld DFS Rodlite racing wheels with knock-offs, measuring 15x7 inches in the front and 15x12 inches in the rear, which are wrapped by 26x7x15-inch Hoosiers up front and chunky 29.5x12.5-inch Hoosiers in the rear.
The old Ford flathead V-8 was extracted and retired to make room for the new Chevrolet 350ci small-block crate engine that put out 370 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. These cast-iron four-bolt main blocks came with a 4x3.48-inch bore and stroke. The Hooker Headers flow into custom 2-1/2-inch exhaust pipes and a pair of Flowmaster mufflers to obtain that throaty Bow Tie rumble. Transmitting the horsepower and torque to the rearend was an '01 GM 350 automatic transmission.
The all-steel F-100 cab, front fenders, hood, bed sides, and tailgate would remain with the program. The team at Stowe Auto Body in Lockport, Illinois, performed all of the body mods, beginning with the frenched headlights, shaved door handles, and trim. All of the body seams were filled and smoothed, a custom roll pan was formed and installed, the tailgate was smoothed, and internal latches were installed to retain the tailgate. To accommodate the wider rear wheel and tire combo, 3-inch-wider rear fiberglass fenders were installed. A custom stainless steel front bumper was micro-polished and bolted up. A custom-built front-tilt hood was fabricated and installed. To obtain cool cruising night vision, a pair of crystalline blue-dot headlights were installed into the frenched front fenders. The rear also received a pair of '56 Ford script blue-dot taillights. In addition, the original gas filler neck was shaved from the cab and relocated to the driver-side rear fender. The bed pockets were filled and smoothed, while a bed floor with new oak slats and stainless steel strips was installed. The crew at Stowe Auto Body again showed off their talents by creating a custom diamond-pearl yellow-poison glistening basecoat followed by laying out some traditional wispy white pearl ghost flames, then burying them under multiple coats of clear. A Ford script logo was also airbrushed on the tailgate in ghost-flame-matching white pearl.
Craig used his interior talents by covering the doors, bench seat, door panels, and headliner in gray tweed. Before installing high-quality gray pile carpet, a layer of Dynamat was put in to deaden and insulate the '53 Ford's interior from engine heat and road noise. The smoothed dash is accented with a polished billet aluminum gauge cluster filled with Auto Meter vintage white-face gauges. A single polished aluminum strip sits across the entire length of the dash. Conveniently located in the center of the dash is a billet aluminum Vintage Air switch panel, while grafted underneath is a custom center console, which houses the JVC stereo head unit and the Air Ride Technologies pneumatic gauges and switches.
What an awesome tribute of an immortal father and son relationship. When Craig slips behind the banjo-style steering wheel, inserts the key, listens as the engine turns over as it ignites the fire of the Chevy muscle, and idles to the loopy cam to allow the carburetor to clean out with one rap of the throttle, Papa's dream becomes a reality for all of us to admire. As he backs out of the driveway for another cruise, you know Danny's riding shotgun with a proud grin and a twinkle in his eye. Craig, you've done your father proud.
Interior Interior Interior InteriorOften, when we have discovered a potential feature truck, whether an early or late model, we become disillusioned after opening the door to scan the truck's interior and finding it incomplete or poorly finished. Since we have substantial feature standards, the truck must be complete - body, paint, wheels and tires, engine, engine compartment, and interior. The interior can be subtle to exotic, with a simple or concert hall entertainment audio system.
A banjo-style Grant leather steering wheel caps the adjustable steering column. The billet aluminum turn indicator and shift levers match the billet aluminum cluster encasing the vintage-style Auto Meter white-face gauges.
Gazing into the cab's interior, a RodDoors bench-style seat is evident, covered in gray tweed, matching the gray tweed-embossed headliner and sunvisors. The interior tweed fabric is complemented by the gray pile carpet.
As we open the door, we see a simple, clean door panel covered in gray embossed tweed and an armrest with an electric window switch. Notice the polished stainless strip that continues from the dash strip.
A custom-built center pedestal console houses the JVC stereo head unit and Air Ride Technologies pneumatic system gauges and switches.