Roger Ward’s Subtle Approach to Customization

Those who know Ottawa, Kansas’ Roger Ward are almost certainly aware of his dry wit, his candid demeanor, and his unique ability to create understated cars, one after the other. His talent in applying the most understated details to relatively unsung vehicles provides a lesson for us all—that the best way to make a strong statement is to say as little as possible and do it your own way.

A Subtle Yet Eye-Catching 1964 Chevy Pickup

While his daily duties revolved around reworked body panels and refining those efforts with a paint gun, his lifelong hobby has focused those skills on a series of cars that exude the same laid-back character which can be enjoyed in this extremely subtle, yet equally eye–catching, ’64 short-wheelbase Chevy pickup. As with so many trucks of this era, previous owners didn’t worry too much about retaining its pristine originality. Dented and rusty, this truck had been through the proverbial ringer, which made this conversion that much more difficult to achieve. Then again, Ward’s particular talents have made a great deal out of lesser vehicles, so this would simply be another test of his talents—and another example of the skills he wields.

Subtle Modifications to the Exterior

In addition to erasing the decades of abuse that had all but ruined the makings for this slick hauler, Ward also made a number of alterations that might go unnoticed by those unaware of what these trucks looked like originally. Even then, you have to look closely to see what often goes unseen. Take the front fender lips, for instance: They have been dropped 2.5 inches to reduce the size of the wheel openings, tightening the area around the wheels and tires. Combined with the alterations to the suspension below, the truck takes on an entirely new appearance.

Another nice update can be found in the tailgate as it, too, has been recreated with smoother lines that flow back from the side panels. All of the exterior emblems have also been shaved away, making more of the lengthy lines that are now slicker than ever. Once the modifications were complete, Ward laid down a basecoat of PPG Silver Moss Green paint topped with clearcoat to maximize the visual acuity of this pickup. Additional detail shines in the bumpers, headlight rings, and other details chromed by L.M.C. to a fine finish.

Custom Touches Inside the Truck

Inside, this truck displays the same subtle touches, although all of the adjoining surfaces here display ’01 Mitsubishi Sterling Silver, including the dash and door panels. Additional accents come by way of Mylar-coated sterling silver decal inserts around the Auto Meter gauges and glovebox area; this storage has gone away in favor of the Vintage Air A/C unit positioned where the glovebox once was. Other dash-based details include a Pioneer CD head unit sounding out through Polk Audio amplifiers feeding 3-1/2 and 6-3/4-inch speakers positioned wherever possible; wiring came by way of a Kwik Wire kit. The Speedway four-spoke steering wheel suits these surroundings nicely, as do the custom seats from Sam Wright’s Hot Rod Interiors, the same shop that fitted silver ultra vinyl and the salt and pepper carpeting. Add in special details such as the map pockets in the seatbacks and the storage areas in the bottom of the door panels, and this interior provides far more function than it ever did in stock form. The evil skull from Blain Scott sets the mood for a perceived attitude. Lastly, the functional side of this truck shows itself in the black Line-X-coated bed and the simple yet effective GM seat belt buckles that secure the tailgate.

Chassis Modifications and Suspension

The aforementioned chassis modifications on this half-ton Chevy include the use of a front crossmember repositioned 2.5 inches higher in the frame. When fitted with heavy, half-ton coil front springs shortened 3 inches and a set of 3-inch dropped spindles, an airbag stance has been created through a conventional approach to this suspension. This keeps the 205/55-16 Goodyear Eagle GT IIs and 16×7-inch Wheel Vintiques steelie-style rims with rings and caps stuffed tight in the wheelwells, and while you can’t see them, a set of ’74 Chevy disc brakes replaces the original drums.

A 9-inch rearend spinning 3.89 gears rides ’91 Dodge Ram parallel leaf springs in back, and they follow the same theme initialized in front—placing the wider and taller 285/60-16s on 16x8s high in the fenderwells. This combination of slammed suspension modifications drops the pickup right to the pavement, allowing just enough room to keep fun in the function with KYB shocks absorbing the road imperfections.

Engine and Performance

While Ward’s creations are centered on a “soft-sell” approach, the visual elements of the engine follow in similar fashion—the internals are better suited to hanging on and shutting up. After all, with 383 cubic inches of Chevy small block replacing the original displacement and an Edelbrock 600cfm four-barrel feeding the mixture through a Performer intake manifold and Vortec heads, performance is anything but subtle. An Eagle crankshaft spins GM rods and pistons, while a Crane hydraulic cam times the valves with a GM HEI ignition system before B.H. Speedway-coated headers vent spent energy through a custom exhaust system. Externally, the little bits include a K&N filter in polished aluminum surroundings, matching valve covers and a few more silver-coated pieces to add form to the function. Beyond that, there’s a ’84 200R4 automatic transmission taking the ponies through the gears and it, like the engine, was reworked by Specialty Automotive in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Photo Shoot Location

As it turned out, Ward’s longtime friend, The Auto Builder’s Josh Mishler, ended up capturing these tremendous images in front of an abandoned manufacturing plant that Mishler had picked out some time before the photo shoot took place. The “small-world” part of this connection is the fact that when he and Ward arrived at this location, Ward recalled that he and his father, Reid, had built and painted “skyhook” sign-hanging cranes there. In fact, this was the location where Ward painted his first car (a ’49 Ford shoebox) when he was just 14 years old, some 50 years ago. Talk about full circle: This clandestine meeting was downright astonishing, and much more special in that it came about totally by accident. Then again, it’s said by some that there are no coincidences, which also applies to Ward’s capabilities in building vehicles such as this too-cool truck. His cars have taken shape because of his nature, and it’s a statement we can all learn from: Do as you do, and the results will reflect you.