Don’t Mess With Perfection

I have noticed a trend out there – people are accessorizing their trucks in ways that seem so extreme, that it almost seems as if all of the focus on clean customization has been lost, and bigger has become “better” in truck building. I’m totally in favor of people expressing their personal creativity through jazzing up their rides however they wish, I do the same thing. And when I’m not tricking out my truck, I’m probably thinking of my next big thing to trick it out. But, I often need to remind myself to use restraint. A big new flashy ride can turn every head in town, but it always makes me smile to see a simple, clean, classic truck that’s been well kept and modestly customized. In my opinion, Peterbilt and Kenworth peaked when they built the 359 Extended Hood and the A-Model, in either the long or standard hood length. Those were beautiful styles that maintain a timeless beauty. I’m reminded of the silver and gray 359 that Steve Chandler built that was later owned by Bill Bender (it currently belongs to Brian Van Laar). That truck was built to embrace the natural beauty of a timeless classic, with just a few modern subtle touches. The same restraint was used when Bryan Welsh built his yellow 1977 A-Model KW standard hood. The changes he made to that truck were so subtle, that only a true truck nut could see them at a glance, but the features that gave that truck its original appeal were retained. Today, we see visors that are nearly as big as a Texas bumper and chaotic graphics that don’t necessarily embrace the dynamic of the trucks shape. These are fine ways to personalize one’s ride if they so choose, but it’s always refreshing to see the attention turn to the timeless classics that needed no help to make a statement. This poem is just a silly way of making the point that all that fancy stuff is nice, but it can’t replace timeless beauty. I hope you enjoy it!

GREAT BIG TRUCK
By Trevor Hardwick

I’m gonna build a great big truck,
With all of the latest stuff.
I’m gonna order every little gadget,
And that still won’t be enough.

First I’ll have a GPS,
With the truck routes pre-installed.
I’ll make it store the numbers,
To the places I have called.

Then I’ll spec the truck with lights,
More lights than you can count.
You’ll see my LED’s lit up,
Wherever they can mount.

I won’t forget the visor,
It’s got to hang real low.
The same size as my bumper,
Just as low as it can go.

The lug nut caps will look like spikes,
My antennas look like springs.
My CB will do all the latest,
Unnecessary things.

I’m gonna build a great big truck,
With vinyl graphic stripes.
With a cattle smashin’ bumper,
And imitation pipes.

When I build this big new truck,
It’ll be the next big thing.
I can’t begin to tell you,
All the attention it’ll bring!

I plan to build this great big truck,
And give the thing away!
I’d rather drive my three-five-nine,
Or “A-Model” any day.