Fresh Served

An American Classic Built With a Modern Twist for a Retired Vet

- MIKE SELF

BARRY HOGUES COULD have had pretty much any ride he wanted. After serving 20 years as active military and following that up with a decade-long stint at the White House in the Department of Homeland Security under Presidents Clinton and Bush, Barry decided to retire and take some time to relax and reflect on his distinguished career. But, Barry’s mind eventually wandered to other things, such as what kind of sweet ride he wanted to get to celebrate his retirement.

Sure, he thought about some of the more obvious contemporary choices, such as a new C7 Corvette (or even a Stingray), but he knew it just didn’t have the same panache as something vintage. It eventually struck him that the dream ride of his youth had always been a ’55 Ford F-100, and now was the time to actually own his favorite truck. Buying one finished would have been the easy way out, and it would have saved him some time and definitely some money, but that wasn’t how Barry wanted to roll.

Instead, a buddy of Barry’s turned him on to a local shop, which just happens to be pretty well known (and legendary) in our circle: Little Shop MFG. Eric Saliba and his crew have been turning out metal masterpieces for many years now, and would have been the perfect choice even if he had been 10 states away. As luck would have it, though, they were in the same town, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.