I noticedyour post seeking information on Bob Jones Skyland Ford specials.

I am a native of Denver, Colorado and am 64 years old. I turned 16 in 1955 and have subscribed to Hot Rod magazine since I was 11 years old in 1950.

I remember the Bob Jones Specials well! The dealership was located at 23rd and Broadway in north/central Denver.

Bob Jones was also the predominant Ford heavy-duty dealer in Denver at that time. He sold quite a number of the big T-800 and T-850, T-700 and T-750 models at that time, mostly for dump trucks. Kenworth and Peterbilt were the "Gods" of the heavy truck industry then, and you probably have seen some of the "wild" paint and chrome schemes they employed in the '50s. (And still do today to some extent)

I think Bob Jones and some of his customers were Kenworth/Peterbilt wannabee's at that time.

Anyway Bob Jones started offering his heavy trucks with KW/Pete wannabee paint jobs.

About this time the '53 F-100 came out and was quite a styling success. Some of his customers began requesting that he paint a new pickup for them to match their new "big" truck.

I believe this is how it all started.

It later evolved year by year to where each salesman had a 'menu" of customizing options, each with an individual price, on what could be done to a new pickup. Vertical chrome stacks, dual chrome spotlights, tonneau covers, dropped axles, louvered hoods, scalloped and flamed paint jobs, fenders painted different colors from the body, etc, etc,

I am the owner of the Bob Jones Special featured in the August '03 issue of Classic Trucks. This unit is actually taken a little further that Bob Jones Specials had evolved in 1953, but is more like a lot of his "maxed-out" 56's

He contiuned this customizing at least into the early 60s including some Thunderbirds and Victoria's

e-mail me if you have any further questions.

JMcNaul3@netzero.com