Fuller Moto Shows its Gorgeous Georgia Peach 1940 Ford Truck at the 2017 SEMA Show

Dec 5, 2017

The Fuller Moto 1940 pickup rides on an air suspension that can drop the truck to the frame rails

The meticulous work on the grille and the headlamp bezels was achieved through new and old tech

At 20 years old, a life-changing experience took Bryan Fuller from his intended trajectory of becoming a chiropractor to instead follow his true passion and build some of the most jaw-dropping custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles created over the last decade. One could say he changed his profession from back cracking to head turning.

Bryan enrolled in one of the top tech schools in the country. While he’d helped his dad restore a 1964 Mustang, and built his own 327-powered Model A, he wanted to become proficient on all the tools of his new trade.

He moved to Southern California and continued his education at the So-Cal Speed Shop and with Chip Foose. During that time his name became known to enthusiasts through his appearances on “Overhaulin” and “Rides”.

In 2005, Bryan decided he was ready to open his own shop and moved to Atlanta. Building both award-winning bikes and cars, Fuller’s presence became even more wide-spread, including appearances on shows like “Two Guys Garage”, “Naked Speed”, and his current TV gig hosting “Caffeine and Octane” on NBC Sports.

The bezel is held in place with way too many rivets to count

The exhaust exits through the panel below the bed on the side of the truck

You’d think that the media appearances - as well as publishing his own books and videos - would be a distraction to the builder, but it all seems to further fuel his creativity.

Take his latest creation, a 1940 Ford truck barn find that’s been completely rebuilt in Fuller Moto style. The “Georgia Gold” pickup debuted to widespread acclaim at the 2017 SEMA Show where it was on display at the WyoTech booth, his alma mater.

After the truck was hauled into the shop, the body was removed from the chassis. Not only is a 77-year-old frame not up to the rigors of normal driving, Bryan had plans to increase both power and grip. So a custom-made Art Morrison chassis with tubular independent front suspension became the starting point.

Around back, an Art Morrison four-bar kit makes certain the solid rear axle with Tiger magnesium quick-change travels up and down as it’s supposed to. The quick-change rearend is light and allows easy changing of the final drive ratio.

While it may seem like a Windsor is a modern engine in a 1940 Ford, they're only 20 years apart

At the top of the Ford Windsor 302 V8 proudly sits a 14-inch round K&N air filter

The new chassis has also been fitted with Wilwood disk brakes and Flaming River rack and pinion steering. A Ridetech fully-adjustable air ride suspension offers a range of ride heights and can even drop the frame to the ground.

The wheels are mounted on lightweight aluminum Sprint Car Wide-5 hubs, a fitting choice as after WW11 the 1937-1940 Ford was a popular choice among circle track racers right into the 1960s. The period correct looking bias-ply tires are actually modern Coker Firestone radials.

While some might have been tempted to install a Ford Flathead, truth be told they’re not the most efficient engines and take a great deal of work to produce reasonable power. Instead, Bryan went for an engine design that’s just 20 years older than the truck itself – a Ford Windsor. He selected one of the highest-performance versions of the Windsor, the 302, which itself debuted nearly 50 years ago.

The 302 Ford V8 is fitted with a K&N air filter feeding a Holley 650 CFM carb atop an Edelbrock manifold along with Edelbrock finned aluminum valve covers. Orange-colored headers catch the eye when the hood’s first opened.

The leather chosen for the interior matches the style of the truck perfectly

The seats, door panels, and shift boot are all covered in a rich, distressed saddle leather

The exhaust is 2.5” Magnaflow Hot Rod Exhaust Kit, which comes with all the components required to custom-fabricate a performance exhaust. The dual exhaust tips exit through a bezel in the side of the bed just in front of the rear wheels, held in place by over 40 rivets. That’s just how Bryan rolls.

As for design details, you could spend an hour or two combing over the truck and still not find all of them. For example, Bryan decided to honor the 67-year-old patina of the exterior even with new panels he created. Then he added a subtle gold pinstripe that looks like it's been clinging to the paint for decades. Another detail easily missed is the aircraft-type magnesium fuel filler on the left rear fender. Again surrounded by a riveted bezel, it looks as though it was fitted to the truck decades ago.

The front of the truck is the area that most people first notice. The grille and headlight bezels are both cut by waterjet, tig-welded, and aged like the fuel filler bezel and then mounted in place by more than 100 rivets.

The pinstriping inside and out adds an appreciable flair to the overall design of the truck

A little reminder on the gold leaf covered dash that you're riding in a very special pickup

The interior retains a very stock appearance with a few exceptions. First, the seats, door panels, and shift boot are all covered in a saddle brown distressed leather, while a Vintage Air system keeps riding in the truck bearable during those Georgia summer days. A delicate pinstriping accent has been added around a Ford V8 emblem on the center of the gold leaf covered dash, just to remind passengers they’re riding in a very special truck.

This truck took our breath away at the 2017 SEMA show and we heard lots of positive reactions while standing around gawking at all its beauty. K&N is honored to be a part of this and the other builds that Bryan Fuller and Fuller Moto has included us on.

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