Sometimes you see custom car projects in which the builder simply went too far. Changes look like they were made for, well, just the sake of making a change. But in the case of Scott Bonowski’s gorgeous 1956 Ford truck, the changes are mild, tasteful, and subtle. Maybe that’s why it earned the first finalist award for the 2016 Goodguys Truck of the Year – Late Model.
A quick glance at Bonowski’s truck gives a sense this is not quite a stock pick-up—but the list of nuanced custom modifications make it hard to see exactly what was done and to what degree.
The truck, owned by Tom Anderson, was at first shown off with just its primer. But then Anderson decided to powder-coat the frame—to match the creamy yellow sheet metal of the Ford. That kicked off two-and-a-half years of other work.
The subsequent mods include lengthening the cab by four inches through widening the doors and shortening both the bed and running boards. The builder dropped the cab, adjusted the front and rear fenders, created a custom roll pan, and made the rear window smaller. The interior is done up in browns and tans to compliment the custom yellow exterior.
The truck was shown at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, Calif., where it won overall Best Truck, after taking first place in the semi pick-up class.
Bonowski’s company, Hot Rods and Hobbies, is in Signal Hill, Calif. It’s currently working on an impressive 32 cars, including a mix of exotics and Detroit classics. Bonowski has been a custom painter for 26 years, and enjoys painting cars as well as just about anything else from guitars to surfboards. The company has been in business for more than 20 years—and operates a shop on eBay.
Goodguys will select other finalists for the honor of Truck of the Year and announce the winner in October 2016. But competitors beware: Bonowski has set a high bar by applying more finesse than muscle.
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