Uncle Dave’s FishingTruck Turned Full Custom

WORDS BY MIKE ALEXANDER

PHOTOS BY BRIAN GOUDE

FRED BISHOP’S TALE OF THIS GORGEOUS F-100 BUILD (NOW AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS EL DIABLO) BEGINS SEVEN YEARS BACK OR SO. Fred’s Uncle Dave gave him a rough “fishing truck” that had been sitting for many years. Dave had purchased the truck brand new off the lot in ’71, so he didn’t just want to see it rot out in his field. Knowing that Fred would bring her back to life properly, the plans began like many of ours do. A modest restore and driver refresh was all that was on the table for this ol’ Bump, in the beginning.

Fred dug out the truck from where she sat rotting away and got it over to his buddy’s shop, Big Willie’s Garage, for some simple drivability updates. The original plan began with some budget-minded Crown Vic suspension and drivetrain modifications just to see it back on the road again in a timely manner. Well, as it usually goes, about halfway through this round of updates, Fred visited Willie Davis and the two got to talking, brainstorming and the snowball effect may or may not have turned into a massive avalanche (you can be the judge of that by looking at all these killer shots!).