With the fine art of hot rod auto fabrication becoming a less common practice with the passing of each generation, what once was a common skill, now with modern technology at our fingertips and the ease of bolt-ons, is now becoming a rare form of art. A skill that can often take years to become perfected, many are simply not taking the time to learn. However, even with the amazing skill of the modern day machine nothing can replace the skill of the hand or an old school tool in bringing a vision to life.

Recently found tucked away in a small Midwest town of Van Wert, Ohio we found an amazing craftsman hard at work in the most basic of garages with the simplest of tools creating his latest masterpiece. Humble in nature, and a bit reclusive, Douglas Butler agreed to spend a day with us, and invited us in to see first-hand his secret vault where magic does indeed still exist.

A small town boy, Butler grew up in the very rural town of Delphos, Ohio, where days were often spent hanging out at the local drive ins or at the local filling station. Butler gained his love early on for automobile fabrication when he would spend much of his time tinkering in the garage of his Uncle’s filling station learning the ins and outs of a variety of different, now classic, rides.

Butler quickly found he had a natural ability for the craftsmanship of automobile fabrication. Through the years Butler would improve his skill when he gained employment at International Harvester as a young man. While there, Butler learned the trade of machinist during his early years.  A skill that would aid in perfecting his natural ability for the craft throughout his life.

To date Douglas has owned over 500 hotrods and built 100 of them himself along with completing the paint refinishing on all but two during his years. One of the most amazing talents Douglas holds is his phenomenal ability to take a vision from mind to reality, never using a blue print or drawing as a guide. Putting this amazing talent to use recently, Butler has quite possibly created his piece de resistance with nothing more than scrap materials and parts scattered throughout his work shop.

A project that took roughly two years to complete, has come to a finish and is now ready for a proper introduction to the world.  A build intended for everyday use, with the goal in mind to create an eye catcher, Butler equipped this unique creation with a nice blend of the new and old. Maintaining a classic 40s exterior appearance, but with a modern feel to the ride, Butler has designed a one of a kind work of art.  

With that said, gazing upon this latest creation with a sense of familiarity to it, most are still not quite sure exactly “What it is.”  Is it Chevy, is it Ford? Prey tell what is it? Well Butler has actually taken the best of both world’s to create possibly what a Chevy/Ford pickup truck blend might have looked like during this time period had these two joined forces to create what, some might say, would have been the forbidden fruit.

In its original form, this latest build actually began its life as a 1945 Chevy utility pickup truck.  Since picking up this classic ride, Butler has taken it to a whole new level of elevation in the finished design. After acquiring the ’45 vintage pickup he quickly stripped it down to the bones leaving only the cabin to work from. He has hand crafted and molded the exterior and interior with only an image in his mind of what the final product would look like.

Working from the ’45 cabin base, Butler has molded into place ’39 Ford standard front fenders with a ridge added to the top fender crease. Along with ’41 Ford truck rear fenders, 40s Ford car bumpers, hand built custom inner fenders, grille, side panels, running boards, and frame give you an idea of his ingenuity.

The truck bed and tail gate sides that are trimmed in wood in many areas are all hand made. An aluminum bed cover along with a trailer hitch to pull a small camper also add to the utility of the truck. A Butterfly hood has also been put into place with a hinge cut out. It was shortened five inches, widened four inches at the rear, and hinged into place with ’38 Chevy truck hinges.

Moving to the cabin, the rear window was shortened one and a half inches with electric power windows and air conditioning installed for a modern feel. The original windshield frame was removed from the rear of the cabin and a stainless steel firewall was put into its place. A removable floor was installed into the cabin as well. All gauges are custom along with the shifter. Interior seating from a Saturn Vue was picked up from the local junkyard with Ron Francis wiring harness’s for unmatched convenience.  

Finishing with the engine bay of “What Is It,” the creation is powered by a stock 355 cubic-inch Chevy V8 and is backed by a five-speed transmission. A hydraulic clutch supports the five-speed transmission with an Edelbrock intake supplying airflow to the power plant. Currently this small-block beast is producing 350 horsepower with around 350 lbs-ft of torque.  It is rolling on Billet Specialties 10×15 and 7×15 wheels and BFGoodrich 285x70R15 tires in the rear and 195x60R15 tires in the front.

Sporting a traditional Chevy Maroon hue from the 1940s, this build was fabricated with what many would consider very primitive tools, an artist’s vision, and with a small overall investment compared to many modern day builds. However small the total investment, Douglas Butler has displayed with this culmination that it is not the money that builds beauty but an eye for the vision, and the talented skill of the artist beholding the tool.  Bringing together the best of both Chevy and Ford, what do you think of this tempting forbidden fruit?