Blue on Black – A Classic-Style 1934 Ford Pickup That Just Gets Better With Age
One of the benefits of building a traditional-flavor hot rod is getting to gather all those cool vintage parts and pieces that you come across at swap meets and in niche web groups. It’s like a scavenger hunt, where you’re constantly on the lookout for the next piece of the puzzle. Vintage Edelbrock 3×2 Flathead intake, scoop it up! Used steel fenders at a decent price, grab ’em! Rebuilt Flathead ready to bolt-in – sounds perfect, better load it up!
Longtime hot rodder Keith Murt started gathering pieces to build a traditional-style ’34 Ford pickup years ago. The truck he scored had already been chopped, had solid bones and its original chassis, but it was going to need a lot of work to get it just right. After a false start at a friend’s shop, Keith turned to Brad Starks Rod & Custom in Kentucky, a shop he had worked with on a couple other projects, including a ’32 Ford coupe that was a Top Five finalist for our 2024 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year title.
Brad and his crew dove right into the ’34 with the plan to keep things subtle and traditional while being a reliable, safe driver. Stance was paramount, so a 5-inch drop axle was used up front and capped with GM disc brakes and a Vega steering box. A 9-inch Ford with 3.90 gears was relocated in the rear to complement the low front stance, then secured through a custom four-link setup. A set of Kelsey Hays big ’n little wire wheel (15×5- and 15×7-inches) fit just perfectly under the fenders thanks to their 145-15 front tires with 255/70Rs in the rear.
One of the key ingredients that Keith scored for the pickup was a rebuilt Flathead from a shop that was going out of business. He was told the engine was going to be a little rowdy thanks to a slight overbore, a bump in compression, and a fairly hot cam. As a former Top Fuel and ARCA driver, that suited Keith’s plan just fine. A pair of Edelbrock heads and 3×2 intake finished off the top end, with Fenton headers expelling fumes. A T5 trans was originally put into play but that was later changed to a TCI-built C4 controlled through a Lokar shifter.
Digging into the cab and bed revealed very solid sheet metal, but the work on the chopped top, likely done in the ’70s, left a lot to be desired with excessive brazing holding things together, not to mention the half-inch difference between the A-pillars! Brad basically re-chopped the cab a total of 3-inches and replaced the drip rails with a contoured form over the door tops. A ’32 grille from a coupe was added and a full hood assembly covers the detailed Flattie. Keith and Brad decided on a traditional Washington Blue finish for the body contrasted with black for the fenders and running boards.
Like the exterior, minimal modifications were made inside the cab, with the dash receiving just a little smoothing and cleaning up. A ’40 Ford column and steering wheel were modified to fit, along with a gauge package from Classic Instruments. The custom-formed seat was covered in distressed gray vinyl with blue stitch work, original handles and cranks provide a little flair, and a one-piece aluminum headliner finishes the interior.
Add up all the subtle touches and attention to hot rod details and Brad delivered one great looking hot rod pickup. Believe it or not, the truck was originally finished nearly a dozen years ago! Keith thoroughly enjoyed the traditional cruiser for a number of years but eventually sold it to his friend Rodney Huband, who just had to have it. Now the pickup gets cruised and shared with even more friends, including Jack Barnett, who drove it out to the Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals where it caught our eye. That’s the cool thing about a traditional-style hot rod like this – it ages well and always manages to attract new folks to admire and enjoy it.
Photos: John Jackson
