It’s said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in 1960 that was certainly the case with Jim Dorman and his brand new Ford Custom Cab pickup.  He was a young man working at McLennan Ford in New Westminster, BC and the big window, black Ford was his pride and joy. "It had a 272 and I put a tri-carb setup on it and did the interior in cowhide upholstery,” says Dorman. He loved the truck but other’s weren’t as enamoured of the body style.
     “They were scrapped and considered ugly ducklings,” he says. When family responsibilities forced him to sell the 1960 Ford in 1964 it was replaced with a Ford Cortina 4-door.
     The 1960 Ford pickup, however, was never far from his thoughts. “It was always  on my mind and I often thought about what I’d do to one if I ever had the chance again.
     Opportunity knocked in 2000 when, during a trip to visit inlaws in Winnipeg, Dorman spied a 1960 Ford Custom Cab shortbox for sale in a classic car trader. The truck was in Windsor, ON and was being sold by the owner of a car museum. With thoughts of his ’60 Ford in his mind, he boarded a plane and flew to Windsor to check it out. “The guy did have a museum, he had a pile of neat stuff but the truck was parked in his backyard,” says Dorman.
     Like most pickups of that era, the ’60 had been beat up and ravaged by tin worm. “They were prone to rust,” explains Dorman. “They had bad drainage.”
     Despite the truck’s condition, a deal was made on the spot and the truck shipped back to B.C. Once there, Dorman tore it about and hauled out the original engine and tranny. At this point he started looking for someone who could help him build the truck of his dreams. He found him in Laurie Petersen at Canada Customs & Hot Rods in West Vancouver. Petersen was a mechanic by trade but was also a skilled fabricator and restoration guy who had just opened shop.
     Petersen had already built some very cool rides, including the iconic  Canada Customs & Hot Rods ’37 Ford pickup which was the progenitor of the new business’s name and which appeared in several major hot rod publications including Canadian Hot Rods September/October 2006 issue. Petersen has a great eye for fixing the design flaws of stock vehicles and with back and forth input with Dorman, they transformed an ugly duckling into a sweet-ass hauler. Like any build, they started with how the truck would sit at rest. Dorman liked a truck with a rake but he also wanted big wheels and a “big & littles” set of American Racing Torq Thrust wheels  helped there. Out back, wheels are 20x10s with 18x7 rollers up front.  A TCI crossmember and Air Ride Tech replaced the front suspension with a Mustang II rack and pinion taking over duties from a stock box. The truck’s stock 9” rear end was narrowed two inches and a Air Ride Tech 4-link takes care of the suspension. A 272 with a tri-carb set up was under the hood of Dorman’s first 1960 Ford pickup but he always wanted something different.
     “Back in those days a hot rod either had a Buick or Olds or a Chrysler,” he says. “That was the thing to do.”
     So, his second ’60 Ford had to have something different under the hood and that something turned out to be 1972 Oldsmobile 350 that’s tricked out with all the goodies and mated to a Turbo 350 transmission.
    Petersen, however, really started to get creative when it came to sorting out some of the truck’s more conspicuous cosmetic faults. Petersen felt the ’60 Ford’s two biggest flaws were the original roof design, which he described as “awkward and “ugly at best,” and the clunky grille styling.
     After consulting with Dorman a foot of the roof above the windshield was rolled over and restyled. Dorman’s fondness of the 1956 Ford roof style partially inspired the restyling.
     Next Petersen took a long hard look at the grille and then went to work.  When he was done, the grille was recessed 1 1/2” into the surround with use of expanded metal and three stainless bars to replicate the new style Ford grille.
    Out back, the stock taillights were replaced by a set from a 1950 Pontiac which were then frenched into the box ends. The tailgate  was custom built and carries the body line of the truck and operates by electric solenoids. A custom tonneau cover was created by Geoff Peterson. Interior upgrades are minimal for effective.
     The stock dash remains but it’s now stuffed with nifty Old Tyme White Autometer gauges. Unlike Dorman’s original truck, this one now has power windows and an AC unit thanks to a Gen II Compac unit from Vintage Air. The column is a GM tilt unit and the stock bench remains.  While Dorman always saw the potential in this body style, it’s safe to say after his collaboration with Petersen and the Canada Customs & Hot Rods gang, nobody will be calling this version an ugly duckling.
General Information

BODY MODS:
Door corners rounded. Drip rails removed. Roof above windshield was rolled over and restyled. 1950 Pontiac taillights frenched, custom made tailgate.
Rear bumped is a widened 1965 Nova with exhaust cutouts and mounted flush to the box. Front bumper is stock but narrowed and flush mounted. Box floor was raised 4” to clear rear frame kickup. Wheel wells widened 5”.
Grilles was recessed 1 1/2” into surround and stainless bars to replicate the new Ford style grilles. Custom tonneau cover.
Paint is Lesonal urethane base/clear by Gerry Dyke with a nod to False Creek Auto Body for use of the paint booth.
SUSPENSION
TCI crossmember with Air Ride Tech suspension and Mustang II power rack and pinion. Rear suspension is 4-Link with Air Ride Tech hung on a narrowed (2”) 9” rear end with 3.25:1 gear ratio. Front brakes are 11 GM rotors and calipers while out back 10-inch drum brakes give an assist.
WHEELS & TIRES
American Racing Torq Thrust M, 20x10 out back, 18x7 out back.  Rear tires ar 275/45ZR20 Yokohamas. Front tires are 225/40ZR18 Kumhos
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
1972 Olds 350 machined and assembled by Precision Valve & Crank in North Vancouver. Edelbrock Performer package which includes intake and cam. MSD ignition provides spark.  1 5/8 Long tube headers flow into 2 1/2” exhaust with an X-pipe and 50 series Flowmasters. The complete exhaust system is coated by Cool Coat in Langley. The transmission is a GM Turbo 350 rebuilt by Mr. Transmission in North Vancouver. Custom drive shaft by Driveline Services in Surrey.
FUEL SYSTEM
20 gallon aluminum gas tank custom built with stock GM fuel pump and Edelbrock 650 Carburetor
INTERIOR
Autometer Old Tyme White gauges, Vintage Air a/c unit. Billet Specialities Vintec Steering wheel on GM tilt column. Stock bench seat upholstered by Bob Cambell at Custom Auto Trim in Langley, BC. Headliner, carpet, door panels by George at Pacific Auto Trim in Vancouver.