CREW LOVE

Something Different and HUGE

- MICHAEL PHILLIPS

Take a look at this gigantic 1956 F-600 Crew Cab, sitting idle on a custom chassis and widened by 6 inches. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Mel Gibson speeding through the Australian desert? Rat Fink’s hand reaching for a suicide shifter? Well, it’s probably not a Baby Blue F-100 from the same year. Yet that’s what Derrick and Riley Hodson see behind this custom behemoth. The father-son duo took on this monstrous crew cab project as a means to pay homage to Ray Hodson, their father and grandfather, respectively. The Baby Blue ’56 F-100 was a family figure of Derrick’s childhood. Its memories were carried into this project and infused with the new ones the family made. It’s arguably the most meaningful aspect of hot rodding—the passing on of traditions and memories. Certainly, it’s not unique to this build. But that is just about the only part that isn’t unique.

Not much fits underneath an F-600, especially one slammed on the pavement. The Hodson duo searched for a suitable candidate to place on the chopping block. They selected a 1985 Dodge motorhome. Yes, you read that correctly. This behemoth was built on an RV chassis. Once a timid home on wheels, it’s now a holy house of hot-rodding. Derrick and Riley joined forces with Airth Defined Hotrods in fabulous Las Vegas. The suspension was completely redesigned and built from scratch. The truck now floats on all-around Firestone airbags. Additionally, the frame was customized for the Ford powertrain and body mounts.