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.