It doesn't happen often that a hot rod appears and people are drawn to it like a new super version of gravity but Vancouver’s Laurie Peterson has created a "new Star" with his ’37 Ford pickup sporting a Hudson Terraplane grill and bucket-loads of attitude.
     Recent trips to the Paso Robles and Viva Las Vegas 2006 Rockabilly shows have earned Peterson's ride the nickname ‘Armadillo from Hell.’  
     It’s a term of endearment, really. Pretty good for a truck that’s pickup box is pieced together with door vents from an electrical box.
     The pickup was created from a nagging idea in the back of Peterson’s mind. A recent trip to the Monroe, WA swap meet netted the ’37 Ford pickup cab and from a different vendor a complete 1937 frame. The frame was about to be snapped up by an eager buyer that had to check with his wife first. So, Peterson stepped up with the princely sum of $125 and took home the prize.
     But because this was not planned he first had to come home and get a trailer to haul it all home. Peterson freely admits that his idea was influenced by Rudy Rodriguez’s Tijuana Zona Roja (Red-Light District) truck. Rudy's style has influenced numerous hot rod builders.
     Having these few parts made it necessary to find innumerable other parts to complete his vision. Although Peterson admits to being computer illiterate at the start of this project the lure of parts brought him up to speed with eBay very quickly. Many parts were found or "won" to quote Peterson, on eBay by himself or many friends enlisted to scrounge up parts. One parts run included an overnight trip through the snow to Spokane to bring home the ’37 pickup box.
     His buddy Mark Freeborn found the ’37 Terraplane grille on eBay which proved to be the source for the lion's share of the parts. Another vintage parts score was the "bomber" style seats from an old TR3 or MGA which cost just $7 and were reupholstered by Gary Economy, who also made the tonneau cover.
     The banjo-style rearend came out of a 1940 Ford woody that had a newer diff installed and was salvaged from a backyard in Burnaby. It came with juice brakes that were in perfect working order and it only needed fresh gear oil to be ready to go. The mill and tranny came out of Peterson’s dad's 1963 Studebaker Hawk.  The Stude's 289 and Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed had a rebuild started in the early 1980s and finished in the early 1990s but it had been sitting for years. (The camshaft for the Stude actually sat on a shelf at Barry Shadbolt’s machine shop for 10 years.  When Peterson recently went to enquire what might have happened to the bump stick he had forgotten about during all those years, Shadbolt walked directly to a shelf and got the perfectly ground cam shaft. He remembered Peterson well and knew he would be back one day. The rebuild also included Studebaker R1 pistons).
    The finished engine now breathes through an Offy duel deuce manifold originally from a 331ci Caddy mill. It’s fitted with hand built straight pipes and a pair of 2" carb spacers to give the two Rochester carbs a little more altitude.
     To assemble his ride with the correct "look" much cutting took place and by looking at the finished product anyone can see that the proportions are perfect. This rod looks killer from any angle.
     The frame was shortened a foot behind the cab and the rearend was bucked off and replaced with an 8" kick to achieve a 3" ride height. The front cross-member is a "flat" unit, Bob Bleed Style and is moved forward as far as possible.
     The front axle is a 32' Speedway Motor Set-up complete with hairpins. Peterson's brother, Geoff, came up with the VW turn signals to cover the mounting bolts. To stop, the Ford uses ’41 Lincoln backing plates with self energizing Bendix style brake shoes. Lukes' Custom machining in North Vancouver fabbed the adapter for the backing plates and 1960’s Buick finned aluminum drums were installed. Being a mechanic by trade, Peterson built his rod to be bullet proof and safe and it has hydraulic brakes and a dual master cylinder. A Vega steering box was donated by Bob Larson and a ’37 Ford steering shaft was shortened to fit the wildly cut cab.
     The cab is chopped 7", channeled 7" and the firewall is recessed 6" to allow the engine to be as far back as possible. Custom built linkages for the 1952 Ford clutch and brake pedals were built. The Grenade shifter nob is nice touch. The steering wheel is an early 1940s Chrysler wheel complete with a "Fluid Drive" crest in the centre of the wheel. The dash is a 1940 Merc unit cut to fit and door panels are not part of the plan. The box from 1937 was 4" longer than the ’35 and ’ 36 models, but had 10" cutout of the front and 12" out of the rear. Blackwall Firestones on original 1935 Ford powder coated wire wheels provide the right "Old School" look with rubber measuring 750 x 16 in the rear and 600 x 16 up front.
     Ed Loewan from Canadian Body Supplies mixed up a special "primer look" paint and with the right pieces of bright work, this truck turns heads!
     Another head turner is a Canada Customs sign Peterson's dad found in a ditch on Zero avenue years ago. The sign was in the basement and then donated to Peterson for his garage. He had his artist sister, Gill, paint it on the doors as "Canada Customs and Hot Rods".
     The guys at the border always get a kick out of the play on words and at a recent Vegas show a lady who worked for Canada Customs took a photo of the truck back to her office.
     Peterson likes to think of his ride as a combo traditional rod and Rat Rod. Whatever pigeon hole you try to stuff it in this truck is an absolute head turner and a rolling testement to what planning, scrounging and skill can accomplish.