Pieced-Together Pickup

Ross Siddans bought this ’34 Ford as a pile of finished parts, but still had to build it...

- Larry O'toole

When you have been involved in hot rodding since you were 15 and completed several projects in typical street rodding fashion, there comes a time for a simpler project that you can play with in retirement and not worry too much about whether it might get scratched or damaged. Ross Siddans fits that profile perfectly having grown up on a farm and previously completed a barn find Model A roadster project, a shiny Model A Tudor and a Model A roadster pickup. Now 73 years of age, Ross came across this ’34 Ford pickup that was advertised as being a bit rough around the edges – exactly what he was seeking.

Fellow Queensland rodder, the late Chris Dansie, imported the pickup from California in 2010 where he had purchased it from a deceased estate as an incomplete project, but with body paint and upholstery done. All the other parts were there, but in need of reconditioning, rewiring and left to right hand steering conversion. The vehicle was all-steel, unchopped and even had good rear fenders, quite unusual for a pickup.