Readers Rides

Neil Pope
Neil lives in New South Wales

AKA POPE DOWN UNDER on the Rodders Round Table

This car is based on a real US pickup cabin which was formerly a Mill truck in Montana. It was imported by John Philpot in 1988. It was very knocked about and fatigued, as mill trucks are, but it was cheap. I remember seeing it on the notice board at Valla with some others, including a 32 3W Coupe. At the time I had a nice roadster in the shed, which I was toying with selling as roadsers are really not "my thing", so the 3W was the attraction. After Valla I went straight to Brisbane. The 32 3W Coupe had a nasty left rear quarter and was "too hard" for me. I bought the truck. To drag it home I bought a "porta loo" trailer frame! A bloke had a few there that a contractor had ordered, but went broke. The Cab fit on sideways. I remember also going to Expo '88. Remember the Ford display where they had a '34 motor and reckoned it was a '32. I wonder how many people pointed that out?

Some year or so later, Robbo was on his honeymoon in SA in his pickup, and was approached by this fellow who said he had one just like it. It turned out he did alright and in conversation said he'd decided on a repop Model "A" bed. To cut a long story short I scored a geniune pickup bed. So the "porta loo" was off again. The bed was reasonable but had no tailgate. That bed slid onto the "porta loo" base like it was made for it. It looked like an old trailer made from a gennie '32 bed. I had a bit of fun with that when I came back via Castlemaine. That trip was combined with a trip to the Australian GP at Phillip island. Bike trailer? That "porta loo" base sure was versatile and well travelled. About the only thing it hasn't carried is a porta loo! I've still go it but it's now got a box attached.

I then used my local roadster's chassis and sold the rest to Maurie Evans. The fenders etc.from another famous roadster, the highboy of John Dywer, when Michael Sechos owned it and actually drove it to the Albury Nats in primer. So this little truck has some bloodlines in its "lations".

Some year or so later, Robbo was on his honeymoon in SA in his pickup, and was approached by this fellow who said he had one just like it. It turned out he did alright and in conversation said he'd decided on a repop Model "A" bed. To cut a long story short I scored a geniune pickup bed. So the "porta loo" was off again. The bed was reasonable but had no tailgate. That bed slid onto the "porta loo" base like it was made for it. It looked like an old trailer made from a gennie '32 bed. I had a bit of fun with that when I came back via Castlemaine. That trip was combined with a trip to the Australian GP at Phillip island. Bike trailer? That "porta loo" base sure was versatile and well travelled. About the only thing it hasn't carried is a porta loo! I've still go it but it's now got a box attached.

1932 Ford Pickup; Fact Sheet

Owner/Builder: Neil Pope
Cost to Date:$22,500

Basic Specs:

• Based on a US Pickup cab, (chopped 2.5in) and bed (narrowed and shortened) and assembled with a local passenger car chassis and fenders.
• Paint is "Blueish Red" PPG two pack. It is all steel,
• The Engine is a 283 ci Chev, bored 40 thou and modified with a mild cam, 4 barrel etc.
• It's fitted to a Turbo 350 automatic gearbox and a 9" Ford (Tank Fairlane) diff,
• The chassis is an original '32 boxed and fitted with an intricate tubular "X" member.
• The semi-elliptic rear suspension has upper parallel control links and a 4 bar conventional buggy sprung front suspension is used,

Special Thanks To:

Warren Goodall (The Chassis Shop, Taree) and Neil Pope for chassis work, Shane Rowe (Southern Rod & Custom) for body work and paint, My wife Sharon, for patience and support.