Bill Lee says that his first collector car was a 1930 Model A Coupe that he bought from a friend for $10.00, in 1956.

“It was a driver,” he says. “And, I drove it to work for about six months before I turned around and sold it.”

Bill was 18-years-old when he bought that vehicle, and since then, he says that he has owned 12 to 14 other hot rods and collector cars.  But, he explains that he cannot even begin to count how many specialty cars he has worked on and built.

Bill says that he first got into the hobby because he “just liked old cars and was mechanically inclined.” And, the passion has stuck with him ever since.

In 1957, shortly after he bought and sold that Model A, Bill began working with a friend’s brother-in-law, painting cars as an apprentice. He says that it was while he was at that job that he learned some bodywork. And for 23 years, he did custom work and fabrication, before he “burned out” and took a job with the state of California.

But, after some time of working for the state, Bill retired in 1997 and went back to doing what he loved.

“I went back to doing custom work for my own pleasure,” he says. “Back in 1980, I had bought my son a 1965 Mustang for his sixteenth birthday. Eighteen years later, I got it out of the garage and customized it.”

“The next in line was this 1937 Pick-Up,” continues Bill. “A friend had it, and I fell in love with it.”

Bill chuckles a bit and adds that the truck is extra special because both he and it were “born the same year.”

He says that he has been working on the Pick-Up for eight years, now. He adds that it is still not complete, but it drives.

“It will probably never be completely completed,” adds Bill, mentioning that there is always something to add to the vehicle.

Thus far, Bill has built the car as follows:

• All steel body and fenders
• Stock front end w/77 Granada disc brakes
• 77 Granada 8" rear end
• 36 radius rods
• 82 LTD rear 11" drums
• 05 Expedition air ride in rear
• 14" front wheels...... 15" rear
• 302 & C-5 trans
• 37 shift tower w/cable shift
• Rear nerf bar bumper
• Front nerf bar bumper

• X member customized for C-5 trans
• 85 Cougar 6-way power bucket seats
• Custom bed w/front & rear custom panels
• Custom tail lights from 37 speedo housings
• Custom running boards
• Custom dash
• Custom radiator from 82 LTD
• Shaved door handles w/power locks
• Bed stake pockets filled
• Bed shortened 6"
• Dual electric w/s wipers
• All cab work done in lead
• 3" chopped top

This vehicle is “not like any other truck,” explains Bill. “Almost all of the parts that went into the Pick-Up were from You-Pull-It wrecking yards.”

 “And, I don’t believe in chrome and billet stuff…or building cars out of catalogs,” he continues.

This car was built from the ground-up, he explains, adding that he wouldn’t get the same feeling if he built the car from a catalog.

“It’s about taking nothing and building something out of it,” he continues. “And, we didn’t have those catalogs in the ‘50s and ‘60s!”

Bill adds that it’s the memories of precisely those ‘good ol’ times’ that keep him so enthusiastically involved in the collector car hobby.

“To me, it’s just… being part of the old past that I grew up in,” he says. “I graduated high school in the 1950’s. It was my hay day, and the old cars go along with it. It’s great to be able to step back in time.  And, I don’t know if some younger people can really understand what nostalgia really is. Parents can only try to explain it.”

Bill adds that he and some other locals are looking into starting up a car club in his town for “old school hot rodders,” like himself.

“It’s all the older people,” he says, laughing. “We’re trying to make an ‘old geezers club.’ In fact, we’ll probably call it that: “Old School Rodders.”

Bill is also currently working on a 1946 2-Door Sedan and a 1926 T-Roadster.

“I’ve got my work cut out for me,” he says.

Story by: Becky McLaughlin

To our readers: Don't forget! Grundy Worldwide wants to learn about your car club! E-mail us today