Taking over somebody else’s project vehicle can be a stroke of luck or a disaster. For Doug Wayne, it was luck. Until he acquired this now-beautiful red ’48 F-1, it had been traded around like a Pokemon card for almost 10 years. By the time it came to him, the frame was already built, the top had been chopped, and the doors and hood were finished—and the work was well done. An auto rebuilder by occupation with several street rod and truck projects already on his resume, Doug mixed his luck with a lot of talent to complete the in-progress ½-ton in a couple of years. Now it’s time to enjoy the rewards of his work. Doug and his wife Ann drive the truck about four times a month and hit shows all over the South, from national events to local runs. We ran into them not far from home at the Good Ole’ Boys Street Rodders Rod Run in Statesville, North Carolina, in April. Guess we were lucky too.
Drivetrain: Be careful about dismissing this engine as just a dressed-up stocker. George Beaver at B&B Engine bored the ’84 351W 0.030-inch over and packed it with 9.0:1 Keith Black pistons and TRW rings. An Edelbrock 650-cfm carburetor and Ford aluminum intake keep it fed, and 2-inch-diameter Block Hugger headers send spent gases through a Flowmaster exhaust system. The engine is matched to an ’84 C6 automatic transmission with a 2,200-stall converter. Webster Radiator in Concord, North Carolina, custom-built the radiator for the truck.
Chassis: Tommy Johnson at Pro Crafters added a late-’80s Hutchenson-Pagan NASCAR-type front clip to the mostly stock frame, which is suspended by rear Monroe gas shocks and front coilovers. Lincoln disc brakes were installed at the rear wheels and ’78 Lincoln spindles were added in the front. The rearend is also ’78 Lincoln, with 3.00:1 gears. Wheels & Tires: Can you think of a better-looking rim to complement the ’48 than these Billet Specialties GTX07 models? Doug chose 17x11s for the rear with P305/45R17 BFGoodrich Comp T/As, and 17x11s up front wearing P245/45R17 BFG hides.
Body: Custom bodywork was performed at Fatman Fabrications in Charlotte, North Carolina, with help from James Lail, Matt Trucy, and Doug himself. Every inch of every panel was worked. The top was treated to a 2-inch chop—just enough to set it off.
Paint: GM Torch Red—and loads of it—was shot by Matt Truby of Mooresville. Doug accented the red with just a few chrome elements at the front and polished rivet heads in the bed.
Interior: Inside the cab, the ’95 Chevy S-10 bench was finished in gray leather by Dave Crogan at Dave’s Trim shop. Dakota Digital instruments fill the stock dash. The LeCarra Mark 9 double-slot steering wheel is mounted on a ’66 T-Bird column. Atmosphere is provided by a Vintage Air A/C unit and a Pioneer sound system.