Holden started working in a hot rod shop, which he credits for starting his passion for older trucks. He began seeing the old family truck from a different perspective and realized the ’58 Ford was very rare with a short bed and a big back window and he now wanted it for his own.
“I went and asked my grandparents if I could buy it from them and they said if I would just get it out of the field I could have it,” recalls Holden. “I think they were just relieved to have it finally gone.”
“My first truck was a 1986 Ford F250 with a 6.9L International diesel and every truck I’ve had since has been diesel,” says Holden. “A lot of people question why I would want a diesel engine in a hot rod and my reply is always, ‘Why not?’ I didn’t want to be like everyone else; I wanted to build something that was different and cool.”
Swapping the 2005 Cummins diesel engine into the ‘58 F100 meant that pretty much everything had to be rebuilt, but Holden was up for the task. To begin, the frame had to be boxed and braced to handle the torque of the Cummins and the stock suspension would not handle the weight of the engine so the front suspension was swapped to a Crown Vic IFS from a cop car and heavier springs were added for weight. Then, because he knew the stock rear axle wouldn’t handle the horsepower, to put the power to the ground he custom narrowed a Dana 80 rear axle. He also custom built a four-link rear suspension with adjustable coilovers to handle the anticipated horsepower. After the frame was built strong enough for the diesel engine, the cab had to be heavily modified as well. The fire wall was rebuilt and it now goes back to basically the dash.
All of the engine work and modifications to the truck were done by Holden himself and really the only thing he had to send out for help was the interior, which was done by Interior Revolution in Middleton, Idaho.
Unique features to the vintage truck include a custom engine bay with custom touches where he added a wrench for the air filter mount and a Jack Daniels bottle for coolant overflow. There are also plenty of LED lights along with a custom cowhide interior, Auto Meter gauges, an Edge CTS, TCI ratchet shifter, and a Kicker Audio stereo with a 10-inch subwoofer. He also incorporated custom barn wood for the bed floor, a pipe fitting for the fuel cap, and a dual square exhaust.
“My grandparents think the truck is awesome,” says Holden. “My grandfather watched me build it as it was all done in his shop. I finished it just in time to give him a ride in it before he passed away.”
“It is my goal to build one-of-a-kind vehicles for my customers with attention to detail paid to every feature,” says the new owner who is currently taking on new work. HJ Customs offers full restorations, fabrication, diesel conversions, motor swaps, as well as mechanical work.
623 N Robinson Rd Nampa, ID 83687
801-647-5077
512-355-9101
www.hamiltoncams.com
Hardway Performance
855-910-3823
www.hardwayperformance.com