Keeping a Classic Roaring

Longtime car enthusiast Bud Johnson proves that with enough creativity, patience, and welding skills, even the most worn-out or burned-up vehicle can be brought back to life.

People got to see the result of that kind of dedication at this year’s Celebration at the McKenzie Community Track.

The ambitious project began with a burned-out Chevy truck sitting outside the remains local contractor Ron Short’s shop that was destroyed in the Holiday Farm Fire. Planning at first to turn the vehicle into yard art, Johnson instead got “carried away” and rebuilt it with his sons in their home shop.

Starting with things like replacing the frame and installing Mustang II front crossmember with tubular A-arms, Johnson was back on the road in time for this year’s Walterville parade. The vehicle now cruises smoothly at 70 miles per hour and holds a straight line without steering input – though he admits wearing ear protection when driving, a nod to the truck’s powerful growl.

People in the car community know Johnson and some of the vehicles he’s worked on. Since high school, he’s owned a black ’33 coupe with a Hemi engine and flame detailing, nicknamed The Oregon Kid. The moniker came from the cult car movie The California Kid, and his girlfriend later surprised him with license plates reading “OR KID.”

The truck he brought to the Celebration originally had a six-cylinder engine and three-on-the-tree transmission, Its new custom frame was fitted with a 392 Chrysler Hemi and a Torqueflite transmission, “the right motor for this project,” he said. The rebuild stretched over a year, with the cab removed and reinstalled multiple times before being welded permanently into the roll cage. He described how he staged the body, bed, and running boards to achieve a low profile look before taking measurements, referencing the original frame, and building that new custom frame.

Project vehicles aren’t just about mechanical challenges, he believes, but also about carrying forward a lifelong passion for customizing. Whether roaring down the highway or gliding past the crowds at a parade, these type of creations are keeping the spirit of classic hot rods alive in the McKenzie Valley.