’49 Panel Delivery, ’90s style
The late 80′s and early 90′s were a unique time for hot rodding. The “smoothed, billet” look exploded on the scene, after cars like the California Kid and Billy Gibbon’s ’32 Deuce Coupe (of ZZ Top fame) started gracing movies and record covers with their unique style. Adding fuel to the fire was a young Disney Imagineer named Boyd Coddington who escaped from his job at DisneyLand to set up his own shop. Stamped metal hardware from the scrapyard and leftover bathroom carpeting was quickly replaced by sparkly clean paint and polished aluminum works of art masquerading as door hinges and steering wheels.
It was from this world of smooth and shiny that Tom Hutchison’s 1949 Ford Panel Delivery wagon was born. Although it started life as a dairy truck near Inwood, Manitoba, the wicked street rod is certainly far from its country roots. Starting up front, the bodywork was swapped with a ’51 Ford, and the hood was taken from the elusive, Canadian-built Mercury pickup. Behind the toothy grille, the delivery wagon is powered by a built Chevy 350 small-block, mated to a TH700-R4 transmission. Even though the classic drivetrain setup purrs like a kitten, Tom still takes a lot of flack over it. You see, Tom is a member of the Fabulous 50′s Ford Club of Manitoba. “They give me a hard time, but I tell them it’s to go behind and pick up all the parts that fall off their Fords.”
Tom purchased the truck in 1990, with its current spearmint green & magenta on black paint theme. He’s also still rolling on the same 15″ Weld Racing wheels, another popular 90′s hot rodding touch. However, it’s the inside that has received the Hutchinson touch, with a completely finished interior in the rear and electronic updates like a DVD player and rear-view camera mounted on the bumper.
Now, the fact that Tom owns a beautiful truck might not be news. He’s been a regular at cruise nights and car shows for nearly twenty years with his trusty wheels. What’s news is that Tom is currently recovering from a major stroke. According to his doctors, Mr. Hutchinson wasn’t expected to get out of a wheelchair again. But less than a year later, he’s back up to his old tricks and making his appearances across the city. Tom is proof that car guys are as tough as the vintage steel they drive.
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This week’s Reccomended Reading:
Short history of Ford Trucks in the 1940′s
Fabulous 50′s Ford Club of Manitoba
Wheels and Rubber: A look at the world through a fellow car blogger’s eyes
Suede & Chrome: A hip, happenin’ counter-culture hot rod guy who knows where it’s at, Daddio.
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