When he made the decision to move to Canada in 1970, he was immediately consumed by the sounds of American V-8’s which brought his obsession for performance to a whole new level. Without wasting any time, he instantly got involved by frequenting local burger joints in Toronto where some of the hottest street racers would hang out while waiting to run the lights. This led to a long-term affair with Ford Mustangs in the years to come where he would hop-up a number of them including a pair of Pro-Street fastback late ‘60s-models and a pair of ‘80’s-era drag cars.

It wasn’t until 2010 when his son, Stefano, took on the build of a ’49 Ford coupe that he fell under the trance of traditionally-styled hot rods and customs. By becoming involved in the build he gained a new appreciation for the styling of ’50s-era cars and trucks. Working alongside his son while also completing his latest build, a ’68 Mustang coupe, he made the decision to start looking for a new project. The stipulation was that it would need to be from the ‘50s while also being something completely different from the norm. One night while scanning through online ads he found an offering for a 1956 Dodge pickup that was located in a nearby town. He made an appointment to stop by and check it out and in conversation the owner advised he was selling it as he was looking for a muscle car to be able to accommodate his family for long drives. When the seller saw the freshly restored ’68 Mustang it was a perfect match so the pair exchanged titles with the Dodge making its way to Vince’s home garage.

When it came time to adding plenty of punch to the mix, Vince wanted to up the ante with a late-model Hemi V-8. He purchased a 5.7L Hemi from a 2009 Dodge Charger R/T and brought it to good friend Enzo Fedele at Tre Colori Motori in Woodbridge, Ontario, to work his magic on the install, which included custom engine and transmission mounts. The cool thing is that the 368hp V-8 was packed with all the right goods from the factory starting with an iron block filled with a nodular iron crank linked to powdered metal rods wearing cast aluminum pistons with thump from a nodular iron stick. Up top a set of aluminum Hemi heads breathe deep especially when matched to the factory fuel injection set-up. A factory ignition lights the fire while spent gasses dump through a custom 3-inch steel exhaust mated to Flowmaster 40-Series mufflers. To move the goods, Enzo adapted the Hemi to a Ford C4 trans and also fabricated a driveshaft to complete the combination.

Thankfully, the cab and bed were in mint condition when the truck was purchased. The original builder had stripped the original sheetmetal, massaged it to perfection and set all the gaps prior to laying down a mile-deep coating of Axalta Sonoma Red vibe. Christian Melchior then added the fine lines to complete the look. Additional cool details include an accessory visor, 1956 Ford F100 rear bumper, neat Ford Model A taillights and peep mirrors, both from Mooneyes. Stepping inside, the original dash was filled with a custom insert by Vince and filled with Old Tyme-series dials from AutoMeter to monitor the vitals. A ’40 Ford steering wheel mounted to a Flaming River tilt column carves the course while shifts move through a unit from Lokar and a custom wiring harness by Enzo and Vince brings it all to life. For comfort the original factory bench seat was recovered with a classic pleat-style in black and red vinyl with complimenting door panels by Maple Crest Auto Trim and Glass in Toronto. Finally, the bed was finished in a rich oak complete with a vintage shipping trunk to carry the goods. It’s easy to see that this Dodge stands out in a crowd and to us that’s extremely cool!