John Lane's 1924 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup

An early photo of the truck taken late in 1956 or early in 1957, before Von Dutch pinstriped it, and before Lane had installed the Model T radiator cap ornament and the chromed and dropped front axle. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

A photo of the pickup taken at the 1957 National Roadster Show. John bought the Model T in the 1940s, but he didn't start building it before 1951. The build took over five years, culminating in a sensational debut at the 1957 Oakland Roadster Show. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Another photo from the 1957 National Roadster Show that shows Lane's truck in the background. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

A photo of Lane with the truck. The story of this iconic hot rod dates back to the Depression era, a time when a young and cash-strapped Lane could only dream of fully indulging in his hot rod hobby. This unfulfilled desire lingered for years until the 1950s saw Lane as a successful owner of a diesel truck fleet. Then, he saw the opportunity to merge his passion with a practical business need – creating an eye-catching hot rod pickup as a rolling advertising billboard for his company. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

The stock frame was scrapped and replaced with a custom-made frame that ran a 1934 Ford cross-member. The frame was dropped below the cowl, and the front was fitted with a special lowered axle and spring hangers to maintain a low yet functional profile. The rear featured lowered springs and special hangers, ensuring a balanced and even stance. The body was shortened 12 inches to align with the frame. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

The exhaust system was custom-made by Lane. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Chromed 15-inch wire wheels, borrowed from a Cadillac, a fully chromed front end, a chopped 1932 Ford grille shell, and the expertly crafted hood and fenders by Jack Hagemann added to the truck's deluxe appearance. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Von Dutch laid the subtle pinstriping in 1957. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Between the frame rails, Lane installed a 1940 Ford V8 60 engine that he had transformed into a powerhouse. It ran two Stomberg 81 carbs on an Edelbrock manifold and a Swiss Vertex Scintilla magneto. The heads were also of Edelbrock make, and according to an article published in Rod & Custom June 1957, the engine had a 14 to 1 compression ratio proven by its performance in a 7,000 rpm dyno test. Other sources claim that it had a 9.5 to 1 compression ratio, which sounds more plausible. Either way, meticulous porting, polishing, and balancing increased the engine's output. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

John receiving an award for the truck at the 1957 San Mateo Custom, Rod & Sports Car Show. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

The winner's circle. Another photo from the 1957 San Mateo Custom, Rod & Sports Car Show. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

A photo of the truck appeared in the souvenir program from the 1958 Oakland Roadster Show.

Lane's pickup appeared on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine April 1958. Titled "Honey of a Henry," the story inside the magazine was done by Al Paloczy.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

A photo of Lane's pickup that appeared in Car Craft June 1959. By then, the car had received quad headlights, an accessory item from Lee's Speed Shop in Oakland. It had also been dressed up with a nerf bar. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Best of the Forgotten Rods - In 2001, Tim Bernsau did a story about "Ten of the Hottest Traditional Rods You Haven't Seen Lately." The story was printed in Rod & Custom November 2001, and Lane's pickup was one of the lost jewels.

Some of the original memorabilia and paperwork that came with the car. Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Photo courtesy of Bob Owens.

Lost & Found - 1924 Ford - San Leandro

1924 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup owned and built by John Lane of San Leandro, California. The story of this iconic hot rod dates back to the Depression era, a time when a young and cash-strapped Lane could only dream of fully indulging in his hot rod hobby. This unfulfilled desire lingered for years until the 1950s saw Lane as a successful owner of a diesel truck fleet. Then, he saw the opportunity to merge his passion with a practical business need – creating an eye-catching hot rod pickup as a rolling advertising billboard for his company. This vision took form over five painstaking years, culminating in a sensational debut at the 1957 Oakland Roadster Show.

Custom Frane and Shortened Body

John bought the Model T in the 1940s, but he didn't start building it before 1951. The stock frame was scrapped and replaced with a custom-made frame that ran a 1934 Ford cross-member. The frame was dropped below the cowl, and the front was fitted with a special lowered axle and spring hangers to maintain a low yet functional profile. The rear featured lowered springs and special hangers, ensuring a balanced and even stance. The side view of the hot rod revealed a chromed, custom-made exhaust system by Lane and a pickup body that was artfully shortened 12 inches to align with the new frame.

Full Race Engine

Between the frame rails, Lane installed a 1940 Ford V8 60 engine that he had transformed into a powerhouse. It ran two Stomberg 81 carbs on an Edelbrock manifold and a Swiss Vertex Scintilla magneto. The heads were also of Edelbrock make, and according to an article published in Rod & Custom June 1957, the engine had a 14 to 1 compression ratio proven by its performance in a 7,000 rpm dyno test. Other sources claim that it had a 9.5 to 1 compression ratio, which sounds more plausible. Either way, meticulous porting, polishing, and balancing increased the engine's output. The transmission system perfectly complemented the enhanced engine, featuring a Ford box with Zephyr gears and a stock 60 rear end. John ran 6.70x15 tires up front and smaller 8.20x15 tires in the back. The steering wheel, borrowed from a 1956 Ford, was mounted on a Willys column that Lane hooked up to an International truck pitman arm. Juice-brakes were taken from a 1940 Ford.

National Recognition

Chromed 15-inch wire wheels, borrowed from a Cadillac, a fully chromed front end, a chopped 1932 Ford grille shell, and the expertly crafted hood and fenders by Jack Hagemann added to the truck's deluxe appearance. Once the bodywork was completed, the car was given 17 coats of hand-rubbed Hawaiian Blue lacquer, leaving a lasting impression on all who saw it. It was also dressed up with subtle pinstriping by Von Dutch. Inside, it ran a handmade dash with Stewart-Warner gauges and a custom blue and white Naugahyde interior. Completed in 1956, it made its debut at the 1957 National Roadster Show in Oakland. George Burnley did a story on the truck that was featured in Rod & Custom June 1957. A year later, it landed the cover of Hot Rod Magazine April 1958. Titled "Honey of a Henry," the story inside the magazine was done by Al Paloczy.

Hidden Away in Storage

The truck was also entered in the 1958 and the 1959 National Roadster Show before it, in 1961, was put away in storage at Lane's trucking company. The car stayed in storage until Lane passed away in 1989. After that, his daughter moved it to her place in Alburqureque, New Mexico.

Sold to Bob Owens in 2023

The hot rod stayed in the family from 1951 to 2023 until Lane's daughter passed away. After the daughter passed away, the family decided that the time had come to sell the old family relic. A buddy of Bob Owens came across the car and ended up buying it. Bob went to check it out and was blown away by its condition and quality, so it came back home to Wellington, Texas with him. "Like I needed another car," he told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in November of 2023. The pickup hadn't been seen in the public eye in 40-plus years. It was completely untouched and, according to Bob, in a super condition. "It is unbelievable quality and condition, and I am so excited to own it," he told Kustomrama, adding that only five items were missing when he purchased it. These were the horn, one license tag, the tag frame, the bed cover, and the quad lights. Late in 2023, Bob was working on getting the pickup ready for its big comeback in the spotlight at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show, and he had replicated all of the missing parts.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Rod & Custom June 1957
Hot Rod Magazine April 1958
Car Craft June 1959
Rod & Custom November 2001