1941 Ford Pickup: Hot Rods & Hobbies Bare Metal
The Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona spreads across several buildings, but Building 4 is the centerpiece. That’s where the competitors for the show’s premier award, America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, are on display. Hot Rods & Hobbies always has a display in the center aisle of Building 4, ensuring them a prime location for showing off their most recently finished projects. At this year’s show, they added an unfinished project to their display. This 1941 Ford pickup, still in bare metal, was exposing some crazy workmanship and drawing as much attention as the AMBR contenders parked a few feet away.
Scott Bonowski, owner of Hot Rods & Hobbies, found the Ford at the same fairgrounds a year before. The truck that was so impressive at the GNRS was a “barely driving hulk” when Scott saw it in the swap meet at the Los Angeles Roadsters Show. He decided to keep the heritage intact on the outside, but treat it to some modern amenities on the inside.
The exterior style was not changed, just embellished, especially at the lengthened stake bed. The fabricated headboard design mimics the look of the bead stamped tailgate and bed sides. Industrial-style tailgate latches keep the work truck character, and 1937 taillights were incorporated into the hinges. Drilled I-beam bed supports follow the industrial theme and continue the drilled-and-riveted look found all over the truck. A steel floor will be topped with a perforated panel.
The cab and bed are set on Art Morrison Enterprises “Builder’s Platform” chassis with mounts fabricated at HR&H. A triangulated four-link locates the 9-inch rear packing 3.73:1 gears. JRi coilovers were added at all corners. BFGoodrich tires roll on 15- and 17-inch wheels from Billet Specialties’ Limited Edition Lobeck series.
