Jim Batson from Deltona, Florida, is a retired Navy man and a veteran’s employment representative for the state of Florida. New to the truck scene at age 57, this is his first custom, and he did most of the work himself, learning as he went. Inspiration for the project came after seeing a friend’s custom truck. He liked the looks and, since friends told him that trucks were easier for the first-time builder, he jumped in with both feet, deciding it would make the perfect retirement project. The undertaking began in April 1999 and wasn’t completed until March 2005. Looking back, Jim confesses to having some second thoughts about that ease-of-construction notion, and he tells us that somehow along the way he picked up the nickname Grumpy!