It is becoming a tradition: the Street Rodder Driven Award presented by Lokar Performance Products at the Detroit Autorama is gathering steam and prestige. Turns out rodders present at this year's Autorama remembered that SRM has an award just for them. No high-dollar rides here, drivers need only apply 'cause the award is called the Driven Award.
Taking home this year's hardware was Mike Reed of Brighton, Michigan, for his 1934 Ford pickup, which he has owned (and driven) since the late '60s. The prototype technician for Chrysler is no stranger to things mechanical and his love affair with this chopped, channeled, and sectioned pickup began at the ripe ol' rodding age of 10. He was aware of the pickup, as it belonged to a neighbor who lived down the road. The affair with his "gonna be his someday hot rod" was another nine years in the making. As luck would have it, the neighbors eventually put the truck up for sale and once the necessary $1,000 was rounded up between his wallet and uncle's wallet, the truck was Mike's.
He worked on and drove the pickup in this form until '72 when it underwent its first redo. In '86 the truck came apart for the second time, and in '99 it received the final paint and trim you see today. Longtime friend the late Richard "Chard" Lynch did the body- and paintwork while another friend, Bill Sibo, and fellow club members from the Cowtown Cruisers helped Bill ready his ride. It was also in '99 that the pickup was shown for the first time at the Detroit Autorama and took home First Place honors in the Altered Rod Pickup class. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The '34 pickup still rests on the original Ford frame with its 110-inch wheelbase, but the center X-member was modified for the Chrysler 904 automatic (Lokar shifter) and the 340 Chrysler V-8. Up front the suspension is based on a Mustang II with rack-and-pinion, Mustang spindles, disc brakes with a Chrysler master cylinder and ECI proportioning valve, Borgeson U-joints, Carrera coilover shocks, and a Chrysler minivan steering column topped with a LeCarra wheel. The rear suspension is based on a Chrysler 8 three-quarter rear with limited-slip 3.23 gears and Moser axles. The rear leaf spring kit comes by way of Chassis Engineering and the drum brakes are monstrous Chrysler 11x2 1/2-inch drums. The wheels are Chrysler Police Rally specials measuring 15x8 all the way around and wrapped with BFGoodrich P215/70R15 in front and Coker P235/70R15 in back.
The pickup is distinctive in its appearance not only because of the PPG Viper Yellow (wow, that's bright) but for the 5 inches taken out of the top and sectioned body. The body is also channeled over the stock frame and the bed has had 10 inches taken off of it. The headlights are King Bee while the taillights are '39 Ford (teardrop) mounted to the fenders. There is also a roll pan in back and a '34 Ford passenger car front bumper and door handles.
Inside the cab is a Deuce passenger-car dash with some of Mike's handiwork in the way of a dash insert outfitted with VDO gauges. He also installed the Clarion stereo while Norm Smith handled the wiring. The seating consists of a pair of Chrysler Sebring convertible buckets covered in multi-tan-colored cloth, as are the door panels.
Well, there you have it. Mike and his driven '34 Ford pickup are both most worth of this year's STREET RODDER Driven Award presented by Lokar Performance Products.