The saddest story in the car hobby is always “The one that got away”.
It could be your first car, your favorite car, or your dad’s car from the past, but once they’re gone, there’s always seller’s remorse.
In most cases the car is 100% lost, but there are exceptions—this 1960 Ford named Penelope is one example.
Jerry Sutherland
Tom McIsaac owned a 1960 Ford pickup back in his carefree high school days. This truck was like most high school vehicles because it met a grim fate. There wasn’t much left of the truck, but Tom hung on to the front clip and tailgate out of pure nostalgia.
That was years ago. Tom went down that perilous path of wanting a truck just like the one he had in high school. He started with what he thought was an old farm truck as a project base, but the truck was light years away from perfect.
You can’t open a major parts book for a 1960 Ford pickup like you can for a 1968 Camaro, so Tom had to take the old-fashioned route for parts. He used connections and pored through ‘For Sale’ ads to find what he needed to make this truck a realistic project.
These weren’t parts runs. Tom left with a whole truck every time he went on a road trip for 1960 Ford parts. This involved thousands of miles and a good chunk of cash because very few guys called up and asked if he would take a donor truck for free.
In total, Tom picked up eight ’60 Ford trucks to make one complete truck. Some of these donors were ravaged by time and had parts missing or disintegrated, but all of them played a role in the overall project.
Anyone who has done a major project knows how even the most brutal-looking donor vehicle can cough up a specific bolt or trim piece that could cost you your first born for the asking price. That’s why you buy derelicts. The other thing they provide is a 3D guide to reassembly.
Tom knew that, so every run he made to pick up a donor truck was worth the effort.
This was a slow process because it took 20 years from start to finish. Tom’s partner Deb told him to, “Hurry up and get that truck done!”.
That was the push Tom needed to get this classic truck back on the road. He went from a stock 272 cubic inch V-8 to a 312 because he wanted more power. He doubled down on that concept when he added a triple-carb setup to the Ford small block.
Tom picked a Corvette code for the blue paint, and he completely redid the interior to a full color-coordinated custom because he wanted to add his own style to the truck.
The best part about this donor truck project is this—Tom used the tailgate and front clip from his original high school truck.
That’s his favorite part of the truck.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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