Renegade Issue 30

48-49 / 100

48
This custom build started 5 years ago with the purchase
of the cab that I found in my hometown of Jamestown
Ohio. After looking for all the parts that were needed to
complete the truck (which that is the fun part of the build).
I found the 1935 wheels and the original bed on an ebay
auction in northern Ohio. After winning the auction me
and my good friend Dave Firman made the trip up north
to get the parts. Deciding on running a big block Ford
motor was an easy decision. After all I bleed blue! It’s got
to be ford all the way. After
the custom frame z’d front
and rear, and the mock up
motor in came the years of
making these original ford parts and a lot if custom parts
and ideas work. I had a lot of ideas on how I wanted the
truck to look I decided on this design because I wanted it
to be apart of me. Being a carpenter and running my own
businesses. I thought it would fit me and my business
the best. After years of working on it in my spare time
another friend of mine Jerry Martin called and said he
was contacted by Renegade magazine and wanted us
to come to Sandusky Ohio for Ohio bike week and show
in a car and bike show. It sounded like a good time. Only
problem is my truck is far from done. Even after all the
years of work from me and my brother James and neph-
ew Cody we were far from being done. I had to gather
more friends to help get it done for the show. I now made
this the deadline for completing the truck. It looked like
a long shot. But we were going to try. I had the painter
from the Springvally Ohio to do the patina paint and
lay down the pinstripes and gold leaf. After getting the
truck back to my shop I only had about 15 days till the
show. After weeks of working till 230 in the morning
and everyone still working there normal jobs includ-
ing my future brother in law Brent Johnsman to help
out too. He had no idea what he was getting into.
Brent helped with a lot if mechanical work. Jerry done my
wiring while I was running the copper lines for my air ride.
Jerry also did the machine work on my copper manifold
and manual valves for the air ride. Now its crunch time its
6 days till the show and I have a lot of loose ends to finish
and it Friday and I need to order tires. So I call Coker and
bite the bullet I order the Coker classic wide white wall
radials. And had to get 2 day shipping since the weekend
was going to take some days away from getting the tires.
The tires should be there in
Monday. I had jerry run by
my shop on Monday and see
if the tires were there since I
was out in a job site. Af- ter a phone call from jerry say
they were not there I called Coker and they said they were
dropped off at noon. So I called jerry back and he said he
would look again after walking around the shop and the
house he went into the garage and even looked in the
house just to make sure they weren’t there. After walking
out if the garage Jerry was greeted by my neighbor and
his trusty side arm. After a few questions from my
neighbor and a little explaining from Jerry we still
have no tires. I now have to find the tires so back
on the phone with Coker they can’t find them
either. So we decided to order another set and
have them next day air. Later in the day I get
a call from the trucking company. They found
“After all I bleed blue!”
49
my tires but had no driver that could go get them so after
work I drove and got the tires myself. I took the tires and
wheels down to my local tire shop Hometown tire owned
by my friend Jake Robison hooked me up and got the
tires mounted and balanced. We now have 1 day left to
finish the truck. After work we gathered at the shop to
see if we could finish the truck fir the show. After getting
it all together and firing up the truck and getting some
more help from a couple more friend Nate and chad to
work out a few bugs and
making a driveshaft at the
last minute. I found I had
no reverse. Feeling bad for
everyone who worked so hard in the truck and think we
weren’t going to make the show. I decided to go with no
reverse we would just have to use some muscle and push
it anytime I needed reverse. After taking my fiancée Nic-
cole for the first drive around our country block its now
3:30 am the morning of the show (the neighbors probably
don’t like me now!). after loading the truck in the trailer
Niccole was running around like a crazy woman. She’s
packing my bags and loading the camper. I’ve got a
real good woman there! Niccole and her 10 year old
son Trenton have out up with a lot if long days of the
guys in the shop. Its now 4:30 am and after hooking up
the camper to my truck and the trailer to Brent’s truck.
Jerry and his friend head home to load his truck. After
only an hour and a half of rest me and Brent was greet-
ed by jerry who decided after
loading his truck to go to the
waffle house instead of sleep.
We now have a 3-hour plus
drive to Sandusky. After getting to Sandusky and meet-
ing new friends and hanging out for 4 days and showing
the truck. It was all well worth the long hours and years
of work to build the splinter jockey construction. Truck.
Looking at a few things that I added to the truck were
things I used in my life the toolbox air cleaner, which
was my first toolbox when I was a kid. And the
carpenter’s toolbox in back was the
box I used in school when I was
becoming a carpenter. The nail
bags I retired I used inside to
hold stuff since there’s no
glove old hammer for
a brake pedal, a drill for the
shifter. I would like to thank
all my friends and family
that helped with my truck.
Thank you all
Steve Irvin
“onedaylefttofnishthetruck”