I became seriously involved in building custom cars and trucks as a young punk during the mid-'60s. Fortunately, this was during the musclecar era, when Detroit was rolling cars equipped with big-cubic-inch, high-compression engines that produced mega horsepower on 110 percent, high octane gasoline. This high performance period unfortunately only lasted until 1973, when the Middle East's oil-producing countries announced a worldwide oil crisis. Detroit went into a down-sizing tailspin; we were seeing introductions of the K-car platform with Ford's Fairmont, GM's Chevette and front-wheel-drive Citation, and the '71-'81 Luv mini pickup.
In the '20s and '30s pickups came on the scene as a workhorse with the bare essentials: a cab and a bed. The '40s became more comfortable, but World War II slowed production. Throughout the '50s, we saw greater changes in the total package from styling, increased horsepower, improved suspension, and braking. Ford introduced the midsize Ranchero in '57, based on the Ranch Wagon station wagon chassis. Chevrolet introduced its El Camino in '59, also based on a station wagon chassis: the two-door Brookwood. Chevrolet made a short run of the El Camino for only two years '59 and '60. Then, in 1964, the El Camino was reintroduced and out-lasted the Ranchero by eight years. Dodge never did step up to the plate during this midsize era. The fullsize pickups of the '60s underwent major styling changes, presenting a better aero package-if there is ever such a thing when it comes to trucks. In the '70s, pickups began to take on a different identity, featuring the comfort of a car and the durability of a truck. During the ugly '80s, trucks became as uninspiring as the automobiles; they were about as tasteful as a soda cracker.
Today, we are fortunate to be able to revisit our youth and many of its memories. Early model trucks are plentiful because they have simply been around longer than the late-models. While covering nearly 20-plus custom truck shows each year, we have seen that the early model truck trend is getting bigger than ever. The street rods, custom classics, and musclecars have become a major expense, whereas early model trucks can still be bought for a reasonable price, built within a moderate budget, and enjoyed very much.
We notice the younger generation getting into the early models thanks to the cool image, variety, and affordability. If you put $25,000 into an early model project, you'll get a nice-looking ride. Plus, when you sell, it will have a better return value than a late-model. You can't even buy a late-model truck for $25,000.
At shows, we see everything from bone stock, mild custom, wild custom, to full-blown drag race/pro-street efforts. We have seen it many times where the hardest part of a project is the initial decision of what year, make, and model to start with. After making these final decisions, some time must be taken to sit down and come up with a finished image on paper. This helps to give the project some direction. As the project progresses, it may encounter some deceleration time. Patience is a virtue during the journey: Quality projects may take years to complete.
Currently, the early model truck aftermarket manufactures are producing high quality replacement and new products. Whether it's suspension, wheels and tires, brakes, engine and transmission, interior, or body and paint, the building effort is much more cost effective. Many newstalgic-built customs are powered by an OEM engine complete with wiring, computer, and electronic components. The best thing about OEM engines is that they are covered under a warranty. We have done some comparisons between building an engine ourselves or dropping an OEM engine with a warranty between the framerails, and the OEM option is a no-brainer
The classic truck market is as strong as ever, and whether it's a frame-off project or turnkey and completed cruise, now is a great time to get involved.