John Bagshaw’s wife Dela passed away in 2017 and inspired him to work on a vintage vehicle resto mod project to help him cope with his loss and build a very unusual graduation gift for his granddaughter, Jordan.
Jordan had 5 ½ years of education ahead of her to achieve her long-held dream to become a veterinarian, so Grandpa John believed he had plenty of time to complete a build-and maybe even enjoy time behind the wheel of the completed project before Jordan became a full-fledged veterinarian.
Jim Sutherland
John chose to build a reliable retro ride with newer technology transplanted into it. The project vehicle was a 1953 Fargo pickup, a truck built by Chrysler of Canada and sold by its Canadian Plymouth dealers. He knew his granddaughter Jordan always loved old trucks.
John is a loyal Mopar guy, so he chose a 1985 Chrysler 5th Avenue as his donor to keep things in the Mopar family. John worked in a body shop when he was a young guy but eventually chose a career in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was always handy with the tools, so he mapped out his game plan for the Fargo upgrade.
He began the process in 2018 and undertook a tricky union of a unibody car with a full frame pickup. John wanted to build a resto mod with a careful eye on safety because the truck was going to be driven by his granddaughter, so he ensured the welding bond between the two vehicles was a perfect job.
Basically, John joined the front end of the Fifth Avenue with the frame of the Fargo so he could use its 318 engine and 3-speed automatic transmission, along with its steering assembly and front disc brakes for the resto mod. The Fifth Avenue powertrain and front-end components offered better safety and reliable performance for the Fargo because 1953 and 1985 were worlds apart in terms of advanced automotive engineering.
As mentioned earlier, the marriage between the old truck and the newer sedan had to be perfect for John, so he strengthened the truck’s frame by boxing it in (adding more metal sides to the original truck frame) to ensure it could handle the extra stress.
The truck now sports the best engineering features of the Fifth Avenue with the very cool style of the 73-year-old pickup truck and is big attention-grabber whenever Jordan drives her unique grad gift.
Jordan grew up in a family of car guys and learned how to drive a manual transmission vehicle before she ever drove an automatic. She loves her Fargo but is considering a switch from the automatic transmission back to a manual transmission because Jordan still loves to manually shift vehicles.
One of the more expensive parts of the build was the Fargo’s stylish emblem in its front grille because it required a professional refurbishment and cost big bucks, according to Jordan. However, the process was worth the investment because the emblem showcases the Fargo’s front end.
MyStarCollectorCar is very confident that Jordan’s gift from her grandfather is a one-of-a-kind grad present for her and now carries a truckload of family memories.
By the way, Rosie is part of a middle name of Jordan’s.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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