Story and photos by Gary Rosier
White Lightning, Moonshine, white dog, all familiar phrases to those that like a little “spirits” now and then. Make no mistake – this is one bottle of spirits that when you unleash it, turns into a mean dog and goes like stink!
Meet John Ferenbach from Dow, Illinois and his 1949 Chevy 3100 series pick-up. This truck is engineered to handle all the stresses of some heavy use too! John’s business is Midland Railway Supply & Services where they train and provide Engineers for loading and unloading coal trains. And unload is what this truck does! How about to the tune of mid-tens in the quarter!
John prides himself on belonging to the Fat Boys (Southern Chapter) of Illinois. His truck is powered by a 496 Big Block (stroked 454) from Blue Print Crate Motors. It’s been dyno’d at 581HP and shifts through a TCI Super Street Fighter 700R4 trans with a 3500 Stall Converter. All that power gets hooked up via a Ford 9” Detroit True-Trac rear with 4:11 gears. The rear suspension is a ladder bar set up with QA1 adjustable coil-over shocks.
The front end is a Mustang II TCI with tubular control arms, wheels by American Torque Thrust and it rolls on Hoosier Tires (29x12:50’s rear and fronts are P205/70R15). The exhaust gases are handled by Flowmaster’s 40’s mufflers with 2 and a half inch exhaust spent by the Speedway Block Hugger Headers. Pertronix Ignition fires up the gasses which are fed thru the 770 Holley Street Avenger Carb. The frame has been modified and boxed to handle the stresses and power while the BeeDe Guages keep all the vitals front and center. It stops with disc brakes and drums in the rear.
On the exterior, the top has been chopped and a front grill from LMC Trucks (chromed) resides over the 49 Chromed front bumper (That’s a 54 on the rear). The rear bed is fitted with Black Walnut cut from the local sawmill and is beautiful! John painted the truck a 2008 Dodge Fleet Truck White and credits all the bodywork, paint to one of his employees – Craig Bailey. Low back Jeep seats were also purchased and installed from Speedway. Steering is handled by a Grant steering wheel and Chevy Van steering column.
Want to feel great without the side effects of Alcohol, just sit in this truck and listen, feel and smell that big block roar to life! The only hangover you’ll get is the one that leaves you leaning over the front fender checking it all out and wishing for more! A little “White Lightning” will definitely lift your spirits!!