Truckspotters

[Ranger850]

I'm trying to remember "Where have I seen this Truck before?"
Then I remembered. It's a Hot Wheels Truck named "La Troca"

La Troca

La Troca is based on a 1950 Chevrolet 3100 lowrider. It was retooled in 2020, gaining an actual interior. The casting was also slightly shortened and other cost-saving measures were taken, such as the window lip being cast into the body and made smaller and the truck bed using additional plastic...

hotwheels.fandom.com

 

[ekrampitzjr]

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I'm trying to remeber "Where have I seen this Truck before?"
Then I remebereed. It's a Hot Wheels Truck named "La Troca"
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La Troca

La Troca is based on a 1950 Chevrolet 3100 lowrider. It was retooled in 2020, gaining an actual interior. The casting was also slightly shortened and other cost-saving measures were taken, such as the window lip being cast into the body and made smaller and the truck bed using additional plastic...

hotwheels.fandom.com

One is an International, the other is based on a Chevrolet. Two American–made pickups made around the same time, but otherwise nothing in common.

 

[Ranger850]

One is an International, the other is based on a Chevrolet. Two American–made pickups made around the same time, but otherwise nothing in common.

I knew it wasn't the exact same truck. But to say "nothing in common" when they are both stepsides, both have the "visor" over the windsheild, both have chrome grills, both have little eyebrow thingies on the headlights, both have running boards. I'm jussayin' if you squint, there the same truck.

 

[fastpakr]

They're the same era, so the styling is similar...

 

[ekrampitzjr]

NO!!!!! Just NO! View attachment 96586View attachment 96587

What in the name of crystal meth...?

 

[fastpakr]

What in the name of crystal meth...?

I like to think there's a story there...

Giant tree landed on the trunk and someone got creative to salvage a functional vehicle from the carnage?

 

[ekrampitzjr]

I like to think there's a story there...

Giant tree landed on the trunk and someone got creative to salvage a functional vehicle from the carnage?

I thought about that too, but still...

 

[Fast Eddie]

I knew it wasn't the exact same truck. But to say "nothing in common" when they are both stepsides, both have the "visor" over the windsheild, both have chrome grills, both have little eyebrow thingies on the headlights, both have running boards. I'm jussayin' if you squint, there the same truck.

Those 'eyebrow thingies' were born out of the 50's. The technique was called 'frenching' as in 'frenching in the headlights'.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Those 'eyebrow thingies' were born out of the 50's. The technique was called 'frenching' as in 'frenching in the headlights'.

I could be mistaken, but I think "frenching" the headlights meant recessing them into the bodywork.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Today at the shop a Mr John Rich showed up with this beauty.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I could be mistaken, but I think "frenching" the headlights meant recessing them into the bodywork.

What I was schooled in for custom body work. Please be sure we're going back to high school shop class

Headlight 'trim' rings or 'buckets' were molded into the body panel by filling in the joint where the 'bucket' or 'ring' met the body panel. If the trim 'ring' extended out and over the headlight, it would simply be molded into the fender to seem like an extension of that body panel. So the headlight (or taillight) was neither 'recessed' or 'extended' in the body panel. The seam was simply filled in. In our reference above, the headlight buckets would have extended over the top of the headlight, protruding as excessively as you saw, and subsequently molded into the body panel using the same technique - lead filler, filed, sanded and painted. I think Chevy adopted this look as early as 55. May have been earlier but that's my frame of reference for automobile manufacturers adopting the look coming out of most custom body shops at the time. Less chrome meant higher margins for auto makes and the customers wanted that 'cool' or 'smooth' look. A win-win.

The same effect was also used on taillights and some door handles, though shaved door handles and a 'kick-button' under the rocker panel made frenched door handles a short-lived phenomena. The technique was also applied to windshield visors to appear part of the roof, which in effect they were once joined with a weld and lead filler.

 

[Ranger850]

I could be mistaken, but I think "frenching" the headlights meant recessing them into the bodywork.

I know "frenching" the tag plates is a recessed look.

Frenching the antenna is making it look like the antenna is coming out of a recessed tube/pipe.

So I see what your saying

 

[Fast Eddie]

Keep reading until you come to tunneling: Frenching (automobile) - Wikipedia

 

[Roert42]

I like to think there's a story there...

Giant tree landed on the trunk and someone got creative to salvage a functional vehicle from the carnage?

I feel like they had access to an old Prius and wanted it as a farm beater. So they turned it into a truck for a runner.

Or


It’s a poor man’s ford maverick.

 

[Roert42]