It doesn't matter if you hug trees or blow smoke out your tailpipe in the breeze—trucks have been and will continue to be a fixture in America for decades to come (mark my words, huggers, there's a Prius with a cargo box on the drawing table as we speak, I can just picture it now ). Whether for utilitarian purposes, recreational activities, commuting, or simply as a customized vehicular statement, pickup trucks in this day and age cover the gamut when it comes to the particular types of people who drive them as much as they love them—or rely on them to earn a living.

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But you won't find anyone more devoted and passionate than a classic truck enthusiast—takes a special kind of person to be committed to this hobby, something Robert Anderson knows all too well, especially when it comes to taking things to the next level. Once you commit, you just can't quit.

Back in 2004, the Savannah, GA, resident and former NASCAR driver happened upon this 1940 Ford 1/2-ton at a construction equipment sale in Mississippi. "The condition was an 8 out of 10 I drove the truck for 10 years, taking it to local and out-of-town shows," he recalls. "But in 2013, I wanted to show it on a larger scale, and it needed a refresh." And when Robert says "larger," he meant that quite literally in reference to the particular drivetrain upgrade he had in mind: a Gen II Power Module package from Ford Performance.

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"I contacted Steve Legens at Legens Hot Rod Shop and he was willing to try the Coyote engine install as well as the rest of the frame-off build," Robert says. Legens also had something "large" on his mind for the project: "Steve stated that he'd always wanted to do a big back window [in a pre-1948 Ford] it's the only 1940 Ford pickup with the large back glass that I know of, and we still have the build mold for it."

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Along with the big-window conversion, Legens and his Martin, Tennessee, team definitely took Anderson's truck to the next level, ultimately garnering it Goodguys' Early Truck of the Year shortly after it was completed back in 2015, and Robert's been loving the wheels off it ever since

Robert Anderson

1940 Ford 1/2-Ton

CHASSIS

Frame: Modified-stock by Legens Hot Rod, Martin, TN

Rearend: Currie Ford 9-inch

Rear Suspension: RideTech

Rear Brakes: Wilwood

Front Suspension: Total Cost Involved

Front Brakes: Wilwood

Steering Box: Flaming River

Wheels: 18/20-inch Schott Octane

Tires: Pirelli P-Zero

Gas Tank: Stainless

DRIVETRAIN

Engine: Ford 5.0L Coyote

Manifold / Induction: Stock / Borla stack injection with FAST XFI

Ignition: FAST XIM

Headers: Mustang

Exhaust / Mufflers: Legens / MagnaFlow

Transmission: Ford 4R70W

Shifter: Lokar

BODY

Style: 1/2-ton pickup

Modifications: 1 1/2-inch chop, big-window conversion, nosed and shaved

Fenders Front / Rear: Stock

Bed: Custom-made panels and tailgate, custom bed floor with Legens gas filler concealment kit

Grille: Custom by Legens

Bodywork and Paint by: Legens Hot Rod

Paint Type / Color: PPG / Custom-mix green metallic

Headlights / Taillights: Stock / 1937 Ford

Bumpers: Legens "skinny"

INTERIOR

Dashboard: Custom by Legens

Gauges: Classic Instruments

Air Conditioning: Vintage Air

Stereo: Pioneer

Steering Column: Flaming River

Seats: Wise Guys, modified by Legens

Upholstery by: Legens Hot Rod

Material / Color: Leather / Brown