1941 Dr. Pepper Chopped Cab Pickup

Dr. Pepper Ford Pickup

The Dr. Pepper-themed 1941 Ford pickup you see in the photos above is a testament to keeping with the tried and true formula. In a world saturated by extensive restomod builds that often take away from the character of these classics, simplicity can be a breath of fresh air. And that was exactly the goal when Wayne and Nancy Osterhaus began planning for their next restoration project.

Photos: Hot Rod

Searching For a Project

Their search began on the internet, as most searches do nowadays, and after examining the best of what was out there, they landed on a 1941 Ford pickup. Natives of Seneca, Kansas, the Osterhauses decided to speak to the man who had built a 1934 Ford Coupe for them a few years prior, and that was Gary Rinehart of Eagleville, Missouri.

>>Join the conversation about this classic '41 pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Perfect Candidate

Gary happened to have a couple of 1941 pickups at his shop. The one Wayne picked for his build was this one, chopped 2-1/2 inches, and sitting there in primer for years before Wayne came to its rescue. He communicated his vision of subtlety and simplicity with Gary, and the two continued to bounce ideas back and forth through the build process.

>>Join the conversation about this classic '41 pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Keeping it Simple

"Gary would call and ask how I would want something done, and I would tell him to just build it like it was his. The only request I had was that it had to have that perfect Boyd Coddington stance—and air conditioning," Wayne recalls. The truck's frame was already set up for a GM small block, so the build continued in that direction. The GM 350 engine is decorated by an intake manifold that was painted by Wayne with a Dr. Pepper logo. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic '41 pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

Subtly Successful

The truck features a strong raked stance, sitting on the 15- and 16-inch steelies wearing 165/80R15 and 235/75R16 rubber. The theme was inspired by the fact that Wayne works for a Dr. Pepper distributor. The paint is a Midnight Canyon Red, which was a 1988 Ford color. And the old-school finish is achieved by rubbing the surface with an abrasive product. In interior upholstery was done Liberty Auto Upholstery. And with the exception of Lokar shifter, Vintage Air A/C, and a 15-inch '40s-style steering wheel on a tilt column, the Osterhauses keep things simple and to the point with the '41 pickup.

>>Join the conversation about this classic '41 pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.

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