The Champion Speed Shop 1934 Ford pickup truck is a running legend of hot rod history. Champion Speed Shop founder Jim “The Smiling Irishman” McLennan built the truck for his son Bob McLennan, who now owns and frequently operates the supercharged Chevy powered truck. Not so long ago an opportunity arose to drive this piece of history from South San Francisco to Bakersfield and back again. The mission was clear. Get the truck to Bakersfield for use as a tow vehicle for the Champion Speed Shop top fuel dragster at Dragfest. What’s it like to drive a 1934 Ford truck with a 400 horsepower blown small block Chevy under the bonnet? Soulful, fast, and hot.
What started life as a utilitarian pickup truck got its original hot rod stripes with an Oldsmobile overhead valve engine in 1953. The pushrod and OHV mill we know today as the small block Chevy had not yet been sussed out by Duntov. The Oldsmobile division was ahead of Chevy on this so-called monkey motion valve train. Various small block Chevrolets have lived under the hood since. The current 350 cubic inch small block is equipped with a Cragar V-belt drive that spins a roots-type GMC-style supercharger. Headers not only do well for exhaust, but help keep the cabin nice and toasty. Hit the loud pedal and the truck charges ahead without hesitation, and keeps going as long as you dare keep a foot in it.
The truck packs a independent rear suspension from a Jaguar out back and a Bell drop axle with disc brakes out front. Fully independent Jaguar rear ends were the hot setup for hot rods. The British-built limited slip differential is still holding up strong after a full rebuild in the eighties. Power goes from the engine through some automatic cogs, and hits the pavement through a set of tall final drive gears. This truck was built to drive the distance. A steady foot on the throttle runs through miles on the interstate at a velocity that the 75-year old truck was never designed to achieve.
The numbers and parts are far from what gives this Ford truck its soul. History always rides along. The Ford was striped by the legendary Tommy the Greek not once but twice. Jim McLennan and Andy “Rodfather” Brizio had a hand in painting the truck the first time around. The paint was on, but the truck wasn’t finished. They had only heard of a pinstriper in Oakland, California named Tommy the Greek. Legend has it that after the gang watched Tommy lay down the lines, he asked them if they liked his work. Of course was the answer.
“Oh yeah? Well, watch this. Nobody watches me stripe!” said the Greek as he smeared the damp enamel line down the side of the truck with a rag.
For that moment Andy and the rest of the car club had to hold Jim and Tommy apart, but Tommy “The Greek” Hrones was only goofing around with McLennan. Jim and Tommy became best of pals over the years. Fresh stripes went on, and the pickup made it to the Oakland Roadster Show that year as well as many years to follow. The truck was re-painted the eighties, and once again striped by Tommy The Greek. This paint, along with an award-winning interior and set of staggered Tru-Spokes is what the truck still rolls with today. The twice striped legend is still running strong.
Promotional considerations and hot rod pickup provided by the Bob McLennan and the Champion Speed Shop.
Now that is a beautiful piece of work. I think I’d lose my shit too if someone painted my ride and then wiped the paint off before my eyes. Haha.
Very cool to see it’s still running strong after all these years.
SWEEEEEEEET! ME WANT!!