Dodging fate

When the company you run specialises in restoring classic Porsches, what else than a gnarly old American pick-up would you want as your works truck?

- DB

The story begins back in early 2014 when Andy Hornby was on the trail of a ’38 Ford he was interested in buying. The car was located in the States and, as things worked out, Andy missed out on the sale by a few days. The story didn’t end there though as, by way of a kind of peace offering, the vendor offered him an alternative in the form of a ’48 Dodge B-Series pick-up. The truck had been put together by some of the seller’s friends, the guys at Miller’s Chop Shop in Nevada, and, whilst it wasn’t anything like what Andy was originally looking for, he instantly saw its appeal. With the deal done, the Dodge was put on a ship bound for the UK.

Andy is the man behind R to RSR, a Devon based workshop specialising in restoration, competition and custom work, predominantly on early Porsches. Whilst not strictly in keeping with the company’s business model, Andy immediately planned to utilise the Dodge as the works pick-up, and have some fun along the way.

Having comprehensive workshop facilities at his disposal, along with a skilled team of out and out car guys ready at hand, is obviously an advantage when dealing with a vehicle of this nature, and both were made full use of when the Dodge reached these shores. The pick-up was subjected to a thorough going over by the R to RSR guys. A new wiring loom and electrics were fitted, and some aspects of the build were re-engineered to better suit the rigours of being regularly driven on British roads, on an almost daily basis.

Moving forward