Cars and trucks are all about utilitarianism. Although vehicles have become status symbols, at the core, it’s all about getting people or things from one place to another. Through the years, Ford Motor Company has solidified its place in the annals of automotive history with its incredible lineup of consumer and commercial trucks. As the nameplate has been expanded and new options made available, Ford’s famed F-Series truly offers something for everyone.
When Tony Gonzalez says that it is his business to be cool, he really means it. Gonzalez owns an air conditioning repair and installation company, but what gets him hot in his spare time (read, winter) is to build and ride in his 1995 Chevy Silverado.
When Mitch Meyers was but a pup back in 1986, he experienced one of the greatest days of his life: He received his first ride, a ’71 Dodge stepside pickup. Now, the truck wasn’t anything like the one shown here, but it wasn’t a bad canvas for a cool high school cruiser, and the $700 purchase price was just right.
Let’s be real—when you’re thrashing your Jeep on gnarly trails, your rockers take a beating. Artec Industries just dropped their new Boatside Rocker Armor for the Jeep Gladiator (JT) and Wrangler (JLU), and it’s the kind of overbuilt, no-BS protection you need when the rocks start getting rowdy.
Gary Brigham bought his 1929 Ford roadster pickup several years ago. There was just something about it that he liked. First and foremost, it was a pickup. Even though he was not planning to haul any building materials, he did need the bed room for transporting the pop-up tent that he and wife, Janice, used at the many shows they attended. Second, it was a roadster, and he wanted an open car. The roadster pickup fulfilled both requirements.
We recently had the opportunity to work on a Levi’s Edition AMC Jeep Renegade—a unique piece of off-road history that has undoubtedly seen its fair share of adventures. The exterior still boasts its original paint, complete with bumps, scrapes, and surface rust that showcase the character that comes with many years of use and enjoyment. Rather than opting for a fresh new repaint, our mission was to preserve its tough, battle-worn patina while adding protection and a nice polished matte finish to show it some love. We wanted to enhance its character, highlighting its scars instead of hiding them, and, with the assistance of Sweet Patina’s products, we accomplished this beautifully. This Jeep didn’t spend its life tucked away in a garage; its paint tells a story, with each scratch, chip, and faded patch serving as a badge of honor. We felt that applying a shiny new paint job would be a disservice to this classic Renegade.
For the last ten years or so, SUVs have been the buzz in the world of new cars, soccer Moms, and the general motoring public. As a matter of fact, this trend is so strong that automakers from Kia to Porsche have offered myriad variations on the theme, to the point where most of us can’t even begin to name them all. With names ranging from half of a state name to words that don’t mean much of anything (Dakota, Cayenne, Rainier and on and on) the onslaught of SUVs seems to show no sign of slowing down.
Custom trucks have bulldozed their way into the hot rod world, turning what were once old workhorses from the ’30s through the ’90s into show-stopping, tire-shredding machines. These trucks aren’t just about hauling gear anymore—they’re packing serious muscle under the hood, killer suspension setups, and sleek designs that demand attention at events like the Triple Crown of Rodding.
This 1994 Chevy ½ Ton isn’t just another slammed truck built to win trophies—it’s got a job to do, and it’s built to do it right. Originally started over a decade ago as a hauler for café racers, this single cab, short bed rig morphed into a legit Pro Touring machine. But here’s the twist: the builder didn’t want anything flashy. This truck’s about subtlety, where the real magic reveals itself the closer you get. Every panel, every mod, it’s all dialed in so nothing steals the show—but together, it’s something you won’t forget.
The story of Terry Beaty’s ’50 Ford F-1 is no whopper of a fishing tale—this is the one that did not get away, a pickup that has been in possession of the Beaty family since the truck was nearly new.
