1942 fifth wheel combined with a 1995 Ford F800 street sweeper

His Wife Wanted  Her Own Truck But This Was Unexpected!

Sara and Chad Smith, a husband and wife team from Albemarle, North Carolina own Ace Towing and Steel Works, a versatile business that also does fabrication, metal work, and occasionally, builds cool custom trucks. Chad has built about a dozen trucks over the years but this one is special, built for Sara and surprisingly, this petite lady drives her massive rig everywhere!

In addition to being a fully functional car carrier that often holds the family’s station wagon or Cadillac, it’s also precisely tailored to Sarah’s business called Pin Ups and Pumps. Sarah describes her group as an “. . .all pinup girl gang out of Charlotte North Carolina, with the goal of empowering women by hosting all girl car shows in the Carolinas. Our Pin Up contests are part of the fun.”

The creation of this 40-foot long monster began when Sara told Chad that she wanted her own truck. Chad smiles when he says “Realistically, I think she was probably talking about something smaller, maybe like a C/10. I came home with this and after the initial shock, the build kind of took on a mind of its own.”

Although far removed from a C/10, both Sarah and Chad began warming to the idea of creating a true multipurpose vehicle. Since the Pin Up girls always needed a stage, it would be really cool to simply build one into the truck. The sleeper cab is unique, great for cross-country trips to car shows as well serving as a temporary dressing room during contests. While the rugged looking truck is all masculine, it definitely has a feminine touch and Sara has ideas to expand it even more.

How do you create a multi-purpose vehicle almost as long as a Greyhound bus? The origin of this heavy hauler began with a combination of two vehicles, an old 1942 gas-burning White fifth wheel road truck and a 1995 Ford F800 street sweeper. Once some preliminary sketches were finally down on paper, Chad completely stripped the street sweeper, amused that it had steering wheels and water jets on both sides. The important part of the rig however, was the strong 5.9L Cummins 12V and Allison automatic under the hood. Since a standard street sweeper is considerably shorter than the current truck, the extra length in the first phase of the creation was achieved by grafting on a full length, Freightliner air ride chassis with a 2006 Freightliner dually rear. Next, Chad hand formed the 23-foot long car hauler bed to fit the new frame, constructing it from 10 Gauge steel. Finally, he recalls the endless cutting and trimming involved to mate the 1942 White cab to the Ford Street Sweeper frame. Making the connections was a challenge but it was just the beginning.

An essential element of the truck was the need for a home away from home when Chad and Sara were on the road. By eliminating the White’s rear cab wall, Chad created a pass through that led to the addition of the plush Peterbilt sleeper. For a nostalgic touch, the original back window from the old White cab was grafted onto the rear wall of the sleeper.

Once all the major components were loosely in place, the real engineering began since the goal was to get the rig to rest its frame on the ground. Air suspension front and rear controls altitude using 7-inch bags, an engine driven compressor, and half-inch lines. Style concerns were next beginning with the front bumper, one of many unique found items laying around Chad’s shop. With a few revisions, he knew it could be added to the truck but repurposing it meant cutting it in half, fitting it closer to the body, then creating an edge contour that matched the profile of the front tire. Once he was done, it looks like it belongs. In the rear, big 109-inch stacks make it clear that this diesel is designed for hard work while the pair of Freightliner 80-gallon fuel tanks on the sides foster the big rig look while providing bladder-challenging, cross country range. The vintage 22.5-inch wheels complement the rugged image, accessorized with chrome center caps and spikes. Goodyear 255-70-22.5 load rated rubber gets the power to the ground.

Like any hand built item, the relentless refinement process never stops. There are plans to upgrade the 5.9L Cummins and Allison automatic but for now, the power plant runs beautifully. The combination has already logged thousands of miles with Sara behind the wheel. Her future plans are directed more towards cosmetics that include new seats with carefully stitched cowhide along with numerous leather accents chosen for the cab and sleeper. There will be additional lighting in the sleeper and maybe even a small chandelier, just for fun. Hardwood accents are scheduled for the dash and there will be artwork on the side of the truck. The current patina finish will remain, although it will be protected by a layer of clear.

You can’t have a cool truck like this without an equally cool name. Sarah devised a YouTube competition asking everyone for suggestions. The truck already has a big following and they received many possible names but the eventual winner was Sara’s original suggestion, Old Dirty Bastard. It just seemed to fit. The finished truck has already functioned as a mobile bandstand for local entertainment but probably the most asked about feature is the built-in stripper pole that drops into the center of the bed. We are going to leave coverage of that to another day . . .

Special thanks to Quality Wood Working, Seven Gables Upholstery, and Freeman’s Tire and Wheel.