What happens when you need the versatility of a pickup truck bed, but don’t necessarily want to sport a pickup personality? You love the idea of an El Camino, but not necessarily everything about its design. Perhaps your idea of being a Cowboy Cadillac involves an honest-to-goodness Cadillac—or maybe a Buick.
Here’s what we’re getting at: any sedan with a long deck lid, or station wagon, can become a pickup. If you have mad metal skills, the possibilities are endless. If not, you can peruse eBay Motors to buy something cool that’s already been pickup-ified.
For example, did you see the stunning silver and black creature at the top of this page? It was converted from a 1955 Buick Caballero station wagon—and just sold on eBay. While Buick never officially built a pickup truck, a smattering of variants has appeared over the years. This one has a 370-horsepower 455 cubic-inch Buick Gran Sport V8 nestled under the hood. The cargo bed is covered by a snap-on tonneau cover, the tailgate has been welded shut, and the trademark Buick fender portholes are positively magnificent.
This Caballero is quite the resto-modded gentleman, with an interior wrapped in handsome red and black upholstery, modern gauges, a custom console, and a JVC sound system complete with SiriusXM Radio and iPod integration. The bucket seats feature power adjustment, seat heaters, and lumbar support. A tilt wheel, power windows, and air conditioning are icing on the cake. The auction just ended but just knowing it exists might get your creative juices flowing or help you know what to look for.
Fancy something a bit smaller? Well, A2ZFX, custom fabricators in Lancaster, Calif., prepared scores of Mini Cooper pickups for a Red Bull promotional fleet a few years back. The rear roofs were cut off, chilled cargo bays were dropped into the resulting hole, giant Red Bull cans were fitted to the rear deck, and the critters were festooned with branded livery. Perky Red Bull ambassadors roamed the land in the cartoon-like critters dispensing ice cold cans of the popular energy drink to appreciative fans at sporting events. As the promotion wound down, Red Bull Mini pickups found their way into the resale market.
This sweet silver 2004 Mini Cooper pickup was part of the Red Bull fleet. The giant Red Bull can was since removed and a custom tonneau cover snaps on to protect the carpeted cargo bay from the elements. The owner states that the 1.6-liter automatic-equipped Cooper-ino could use a “new paint job and some interior/exterior cosmetic finish work” and that the interior is in good shape, although the headliner is saggy. The trucklet comes complete with a Yakima roof rack and black 17-inch MiniI alloy wheels wrapped with a new set of tires.
Dreaming of a small but slightly larger pickup and willing to tackle the conversion process yourself? The Smyth Performance Volkswagen Jetta/Golf Truck Conversion Kit is the easiest and fastest way to make it happen. We profiled the kit earlier this year here on the eBay Motors Blog. Rumor has it that Mark Smith is hard at work on the next conversion platform. (Hint: fans of American muscle will be intrigued.)
Installing the Smith VW kit involves plenty of cutting, but no welding is required. It includes a fully functioning steel tailgate, aluminum bed, and fiberglass body panels. The kit is designed to accommodate 1999.5 to 2004 four-door Jettas and Golfs. (These model years are not affected by VW’s massive TDI not-so-clean-diesel issues.)
Reinventing Pickup History
The car-truck phenomenon has a storied past. It kicked off in force with the Ford Ranchero in 1957. The Ranchero was initially based on the Falcon, before moving to the Fairlane platform—enjoying a lengthy production run between 1957 and 1979. See this fine 1971 woodgrain example, or imagine this, an ultra-rare 1977 Lincoln Mark V Ranchero—both available now on eBay and shown below.
The Chevy El Camino followed in 1959 as a reaction to the Ranchero. It took a hiatus after a two-year run, then returned on the Chevelle platform in 1964, and was produced continuously until 1987. And then…nothing.
That can change with you. What car or station wagon should you convert? A Mercedes-Benz 300 turbo-diesel perhaps, or a Volvo 850? Or you might take the torch to a Buick Roadmaster and pay homage to the legendary unicorn Roadmaster pickup built by Buick Engineering in the 1940s, and shown in this November 2013 copy of Auto Restorer magazine.
Gentlemen, start your Sawzalls.
