Dave Hochevar’s 1942 Dodge pickup is so sweet, it’s hard to believe it started life as a 1-ton, flatbed farm truck. Dave’s grandfather, Adolph, bought it brand new to haul fruit to town from his St. Catherines, ON farm.
The truck was manufactured in Windsor, ON  in 1942 and had a flathead 6-cylinder and a 3-speed standard transmission. When the truck was retired in the late 1960s, it had just 57,000 miles on it.
     “He (Adolf) only drove it 20, 30 miles a day for two or three months (a year),” says Dave Hochevar. “We lived just down the road...I can remember I used to go with him to deliver fruit.” Dave’s dad, Merko, even took his eventual wife, Olive, on their first date in the truck.
     When Adolf passed away, Dave and his father, Merko, ran the farm. When the family farm was eventually sold, Dave and his family moved to Perkinsfield, ON and the truck came with them.
     “I always planned on doing something with it,” he says. “I was actually keeping it more for my son, Mathew.” (A family friend created the inset photo at left, showing the four generations of Hochevar men).
     After selling his ’27 Model T street rod (it ended up in Victoria, BC) Dave and wife, Pat, decided in 2004 it was about time to do something with the truck. But a stock restoration wasn’t in the cards for this work horse Dodge. Instead, Hochevar planned to build a 1/2 ton street rod pickup.
     He started by discarding the stock chassis and replacing it with a Chevy S-10 unit because “it was pretty close to the same wheelbase and parts are accessible and inexpensive.”
     The frame was altered slightly - the outer “bulge” was cut out and the rails straightened - but the stock coil spring front end and Chevy 10-bolt with its 3:07 gears remained while 2 1/2 inch lowering blocks give the truck the right stance.  Smoothie 15-inch steel wheels are dressed up with Baby moons and chrome trim rings and wrapped in Coker wide whites; 215/75R up front and 235/75R out back.
     Next, it was time to tackle the most significant portion of the build: the body.
    When dissassembly began, the truck’s cab proved to be remarkably sound despite its age and resume. The cab mounts were rotten and a small hole in the rear of the cab needed patching, but there would be remarkably little metal work needed. That was saved for the 4-piece butterfly hood, which was welded together and pie cut, then hinged at the rear for a more contemporary setup. The louvered side panels can be removed for easy access to the mild 283ci, which sports a stock Quadrajet and HEI distributor.  A chrome water pump and alternator and a chrome dress up kit, including valve covers, air cleaners, timing cover, brighten things up under the hood. A Turbo 350 spins the power back to the S-10, 10-bolt stuffed with 3:07 gears.
   More body modifications followed. Hochevar thought the stock location of the truck’s headlights was literally “Mickey Mouse” so they were moved from the top of the fenders and grilleward a sublte, but very effective placement. The front fenders were rough so Hochevar opted for fibreglass units and did the same out back, but used 1940 rear fenders because he felt they had a nicer shape. Ken McLean of Orr Lake, ON did most of the metal fabrication and bodywork, including adding Dodge-style ribs to the ’40 Ford rear fenders. The pickup box and running boards were custom made and the rear taillights are ’37 Ford units.
     In the cab, Hochevar filled the dash and then installed a set of VDO gauges with a Moon Eyes tachometer. The original steering wheel was kept, but painted the same vanilla shake shade as the wheels. A 1942 American dime is glued to the centre cap on the steering wheel.
     “The night we brought it home from paint, we were standing around having a few beers,” says Hochevar.
“I got up to put a door handle on and when I opened the door the dime fell out.” Hochevar’s mom, Olive, thinks Adolf put it there for good luck. Cool story.
     Richard Vincent of Wasaga Beach, ON stitched the white tuck and roll on the truck’s bench seat and door panels. The carpet is sand. The stock door handles were kept inside, but outside, ’32 Ford handles were used.
Larry Davidson of Midland, ON prepped the body and painted the single stage custom colour, which the Hochevars call VISA green “because the VISA card took a beating while we built it.”
Bob Shantz of Midland, ON gets credit and thanks for wiring the truck and Dave gives special thanks to his kids, LeAnne, Kelly, Mathew and loving wife Pat for supporting him throughout the build.
     It seems appropriate that a truck with such a rich family tradition was rebuilt with the love and support of family.