Backyard Built 1940 Ford Truck

Built, Not Bought

When we profile killer Ford truck builds from around the web, they often share one major thing in common - they were professional builds. Which isn't such a bad thing, of course. Not everyone has the cash, the skills, or the time to rebuild an old pickup from the ground up. But at the same time, we have mad respect for those who DIY. Thus is the story of Eric Aurentz's 1940 Ford pickup, which was recently featured over at Hot Rod. 

Backyard Shop

But this particular truck has a cool background story, too. Turns out, Aurentz's dad originally picked it up way back in 1970 with plans to restore it. Thanks to life and kids, however, the build didn't actually begin until 2012. But with the help of his son, the pair were amazingly able to finish the job right in their very back yard. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Tasteful Touches

The interior of the old truck is an impressive mesh of yellow metal and brown leather that looks downright inviting. One of the coolest touches, however, is the elder Aurentz's logo stitched on the glovebox door.  

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Fab It Up

To bring the old Ford up to speed, a custom chassis was fabbed up. Up front, you'll find a Mustang II independent front suspension. But out back, the rear suspension was designed and built by Eric himself. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Eye Catcher

The body of this '40 features a few tasteful mods to give it a custom look, but nothing too terribly crazy. A rear roll pan replaces the original bumper, though the rest of the exterior remains all steel. The whole thing is coated in a retina-burning shade of Tangerine Scream. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Termite's Dream

Likewise, the center console and seat surrounds were custom fabricated by the family. Zebrawood was used as an accent in the console and steering wheel, which matches the termite-friendly materials making up the bed floor. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Ford Power

Unlike many Ford trucks of this era, you won't find any Chevy power under the hood. Just a thoroughly modern 4.6-liter Ford that's been dressed up with a custom air intake tube. A 5-speed transmission and 8.8-inch rear end wrap up the all-Ford drivetrain. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic golden pickup right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Proper Tribute

Sadly, the elder Aurentz tragically passed away before this build was completed. But Eric knew that he had to soldier on and that he did. Now, this family project lives on as a proper tribute to the man who made it possible in the first place.