By Brian Brennan – Photography By Tommy Koppinger
Pickup trucks and hot rods are synonymous with the “horse and buggy.” It’s hard to imagine enjoying one without the other. Such is the case for Steve Caudle of Arizona, who grew up with this 1936 Ford Model 68 pickup truck before transforming it into his hot rod. Every hot rodder who has built a hot rod also owns a pickup truck—or wishes he had one.
Think of a pickup truck as a valuable implement in your toolbox. How does one transport parts and pieces to the sandblaster, the engine shop, or pick up treasures from a junkyard, not to mention repeatedly driving back and forth to the auto parts store? A pickup truck is the first step in building your hot rod. Unless, of course, your hot rod is your pickup truck.
When we asked Steve to share a bit about the backstory of this 1936 Ford pickup, he shared an intriguing narrative:
“I’ve always been a truck guy. As a child, I would sit in my grandfather Jerry Hyde’s two old vehicles in his garage and pretend to drive—one was a 1940 Ford coupe and the other a 1936 Ford truck. Years later, after my grandfather [died], the 1940 went to my dad, Jim Caudle, while the truck was given to my uncle, Mike Hyde. For nearly 20 years, I urged him to sell it to me, and finally, in 2015, he relented. I began restoring the truck in 2016.
“My grandfather owned an auto parts business, Jerry Hyde’s Auto Supply, located at 315 Avenue and Buckeye Road. Legend has it that he acquired the truck to settle a debt owed by future Sprint Car racer, Ken Sherwood, who raced at Manzanita Speedway. [Sherwood] became a family friend, and my dad was part of his pit crew.
“The truck served as my grandfather’s parts delivery vehicle, transporting goods to various auto repair shops. At the time, Buckeye Road (MC85) was the only route connecting east and westbound I-10 through Phoenix, making it a bustling thoroughfare. When not delivering parts, it was a family vehicle, taking my parents on drives along Central Avenue and to movie nights at the drive-in. Eventually, the engine failed, and my grandfather parked it in his garage until it came into my possession.”
But how did that old 1936 Ford pickup become a hot rodder’s dream ride? Steve collaborated with Hubcaps Hotrod and Custom in the Phoenix area. The body of the 1936 Ford pickup remains mostly stock, but it features a modified scissor-style hood, typical for many hot rods. Factory badging on the hood panels was removed. The bed floor was elevated 7 inches to create the necessary air suspension and spare tire mount clearance. This modification also allows the truck to sit much lower, giving it a more appealing hot rod stance. The rear bumper has been redesigned to be more compact and less obtrusive.
The taillights are from a 1937 Ford passenger car, while the headlights came with the truck, but Steve had the pedestals cut, lowering the headlight profile on the fender. The two-tone paint is a custom mix of light green and black for the running boards and fenders and was applied after the essential bodywork was completed by Phoenix Hot Rod.
We now view a factory dashboard with Classic Instruments gauges, small light diodes for turn signal indication, and bright light warnings. Mounted beneath and behind the dash is a Vintage Air Compact A/C system along with the original steering column and wheel. Steve Fratter handled all the required wiring. The custom front bench seat is now covered in Carrara Tan vinyl with brown German square-weave carpeting and lap belts from SO-CAL Speed Shop. Daniel Hurtado of Bell Auto Upholstery beautifully handled the stitchwork for the seating, carpeting, and the door and kick panels.
The chassis for this 1936 Ford pickup is based on the original frame, 112-inch wheelbase, but is now fully boxed. There are multiple crossmember modifications to account for the LS V-8, 4L60E trans, and 9-inch rearend. The front IFS is based on a Mustang II from Total Cost Involved that uses a stock steering box, airbags, and 11-inch Moser disc brake package. In back the rearend is a Strange 9-inch setup with 3.25 ring-and-pinion with Moser 31-spline axles, a TAD driveshaft, and more of the 11-inch Moser disc brake system. The brake system works off a Wilwood master cylinder. At the corners are original “artillery” wheels that measure a 16-inch diameter and are now wrapped with Excelsior by Coker, Stahl Radial Sport, measuring 5.50R16 in front and 7.00R16 in back.
Moving all of this down the road falls to the value of an engine swap from the original Flathead to a Chevy aluminum LS2 with a camshaft enhancement from Straub Technologies. The induction and computer system are GM while an Optima RedTop battery mounted in the bed supplies the juice. Factory exhaust manifolds are used along with a custom 2-1/2-inch dual pipe system that is tied into a pair of MagnaFlow mufflers. Ron Davis fabbed the custom radiator, shroud, and electric fan combination. The 4L60E was built by A&S Transmissions with a 2,300- to 2,500-rpm stall speed converter and utilizes a Lokar shifter. There are both engine and transmission oil coolers.
In closing, Steve shared these words of encouragement for the future:
“Getting any project to the finish line always takes help from other. Tom Higgins, a fellow firefighter and close family friend for the better part of 35 years, helped me with good ol’ hot rod knowhow, bringing the seven-year project to fruition.
“Although both Jerry and Christine have [died], I feel I carry a significant piece of their memory with me, and I hope they’re proud of how the truck has turned out. As for the 1940 coupe, I still have it and plan to restore it during my retirement.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
