Home » This Work-Truck With An Interior Like A Ferrari Is Incredible

This Work-Truck With An Interior Like A Ferrari Is Incredible

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Earlier today I mentioned how much I like the concept of sleeper cars, which is usually understood to mean a car that looks tame or pedestrian on the outside but actually is hiding a vastly more potent engine, making a sort of very fast wolf in slow sheep’s clothing. But who said a sleeper has to be just about the mechanicals of a car? Why not have other sorts of sleepers, where the hidden magic is something else? What if the hidden element was a really stellar interior in something where luxury is usually considered to be a seat where the stains are no longer damp?

That’s pretty much exactly what we’re looking at here with this seemingly pedestrian work truck with a “service body,” as seen in a number of Instagram and Facebook posts: a sleeper truck, with a very utilitarian exterior and an absolutely stunning all-leather interior.

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Seriously, just look at this thing:

Let’s look at some of these interior images a little closer, why not?

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Luxo Util Int3
Image: JRA Kustomz

Damn, that’s a lot of leather. Did anything not get slathered in quilted leather here? I bet if a fly landed on that dashboard and you looked away for a moment you’d turn back to find a stunning fly with a tiny leather-wrapped abdomen that looked like a nutmeg-colored micro-pinecone until it flew off to the beat of tiny suede wings.

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Image: JRA Kustomz

Look at that quilted headliner! And these door cards:

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Image: JRA Kustomz

Man, you can almost smell and taste that leathery goodness, right?

Now, of course, the whole reason I give a brace of BMs about this kind of luxury is the context it’s in, which is, let’s not forget, this:

Luxo Util Ext
Image: JRA Kustomz

A work truck. A humble Chevy 2500 truck with the service body utility bed, cloudy headlights, and the general look of the truck that comes to fix things when a storm takes out a transformer or two in your neighborhood. This is the epitome of work truck, and as such the very idea of a lavish, sumptuous interior seems absurd.

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Which, again, is what makes this great.

I think our own goth designer snob Adrian Clark actually put it best when he tweetled about this thing:

That’s right, Coco Chanel, you sorta crypto-Nazi! Luxury is the opposite of vulgarity, and this humble (I wouldn’t call an honest work truck vulgar, but I suppose Coco might) work truck has definitely been elevated to a new, unexpected level here.

And, of course, the contrast is key. Simple and utilitarian outside, lavish inside, like if M&M made a variant with a little morsel of Kobe beef inside. It reminds one a bit of this old Saturday Night Live faux-commercial:

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A post shared by Hector Navarro (@hectornavarrol)

I really wanted to know the story behind this truck: who is transforming a utility truck into this sort of secret luxo-lair, and why? I reached out to JRA Kustomz, who actually did the work on this truck months ago, to try and find out. I spoke with Robert, who was part of the team that elevated this machine.

I also have to note that this company also did the interior of this stunning ’95 Mexibeetle:

 

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A post shared by JRA KUSTOMZ (@jrakustomz)

But let’s get back to this truck.

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“It was kind of a bait description,” Robert admitted. I asked Robert to clarify, and he told me that’s because he didn’t think the truck was going to stay in its current, utilitarian state. “They tell me what to do, and I get it done,” he told me, noting that he really didn’t have much of an idea what the client’s plans were for the truck after the significant interior upgrade.

He did admit that the post was really taking off, and had “positive outcomes,” and that’s great, but I still want to know more, dammit. So I reached out to the people who commissioned the work in the first place, Daddy & Son Towing and Performance.

Daddy & Son builds some impressive custom cars, and I was hoping the plan for this would be a custom take on the humble utility truck. Sadly, that’s not the case. I spoke with someone at the company (I want to guess Son?) and found that the truck is destined to become a custom truck, but a more conventional-type of one, and already has a normal bed on it. They’re not interested in keeping it a full utility truck.

And while I’m sure the end result will be fantastic, I can’t help but think there’s a missed opportunity here. The whole reason this truck has been blowing up online is because, clearly, we as a culture are starved for one of these service body-backed genuine utility trucks to be re-cast as a luxury vehicle that can go toe-to-toe with Rolls-Royce Cullinans or those Bentley SUVs or any of those other overpriced, overworked status-haulers.

Just think of the swanky-opportunities offered by a service-backed ultra-luxury vehicle:

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Luxo Util Diag
Image: JRA Kustomz/JDT

That service body’s many compartments could hold wet bars and chafing dishes and hors d’oeuvres and a whole long caviar trough on top! And that’s just one side! The other side could be full of cocaine and ayahuasca or pelts of exotic fauna or whatever the hell it is that excites rich people these days!

The parties involved with elevating this workhorse have stumbled on to something here, and even if they can’t see what they could have unleashed just yet, I’m confident they will.

Someone will be making an ultra-luxurious service body utility truck soon. It’s now inevitable, and I can’t wait.

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Space
Space
2 days ago

Does anyone know what Torch means by “Coco Chanel, you sorta crypto-Nazi!”
I’m not hip with the young kid lingo and Google was not helpful.

Jason H.
Member
Jason H.
2 days ago
Reply to  Space

Coco Chanel was the founder of the Chanel luxury brand. The X post quoted her.

Maymar
Maymar
2 days ago
Reply to  Space

She collaborated with Nazi intelligence during the war.

No cap

MAX FRESH OFF
Member
MAX FRESH OFF
2 days ago
Reply to  Maymar

She also tried, unsuccessfully, to use the Nazi’s Aryan laws preventing Jews from owning businesses to try to take control of her perfume company from her Jewish partners.

Space
Space
2 days ago
Reply to  Maymar

Thanks!

Joe The Drummer
Joe The Drummer
2 days ago
Reply to  Space

Let Bill Burr give you the broad strokes.

https://youtube.com/shorts/9K5nwL2WcXc?si=fA45t3H43d08aZbt

Turd Ferguson
Member
Turd Ferguson
2 days ago

These are the articles I’m here for!

On a side note, I just got my new Autopian t shirt and I3 shirt pin for my membership renewal. Fantastic! I wasn’t expecting it because I’m happy to support you guys just for the articles. That’s how you keep the audience happy! Thanks guys!

DavidGC
DavidGC
2 days ago

Hey Jason could you fix the login doohickey on your site please I try signing in on my desktop then get th message in email then key in the code and it says invalid code try again then close try again same thing over and over then I get timed out. I can’t sign in on desktop but phone is fine. This is a recurring problem and it’s annoying. Thanks love you mean it!

Ppnw
Member
Ppnw
2 days ago

“Like a Ferrari” is an almighty stretch for this abomination of an interior. It’s still all plastic, just lightly masquerading as leather.

OrigamiSensei
Member
OrigamiSensei
2 days ago

A guy I know recently picked up an F-450 with a service body that had been decked out with full-luxe Ford top-end interior and a bunch of other custom options by some poser for whom the truck was some sort of cosplay. The poser paid $140,000, the new owner got the two or three year old truck in pristine condition for $60,000. The new owner puts that truck to actual useful work while enjoying all the luxury amenities of the interior and I applaud him since the F-450 replaced his old beat to snot utility body that had come from a fire department. He deserves something nice.

I find it a bit sad the utility body isn’t being kept on the truck in this article.

M SV
M SV
2 days ago

Alot of small businesses are investing in their older vehicles because they last. Once they have one of their newer vehicles become mechanically totaled eyes open. It is a shame to pull a service bed. It looks like it could have been a municipal fleet vehicle. The interiors really take a beating especially for small roads or water departments where they don’t so many miles but get in and out constantly. Flat beds seem to be making more of a comeback for different trades. I’ve seen a few GMT 800 trucks with Escalade parts. It’s probably cheaper in many cases. GMT 800 Escalades might be the cheapest GMT 800. A short box regular cab is almost a minute truck by today’s standards this really almost seems like the some of mini trucks of 20 years ago.

Jdoubledub
Member
Jdoubledub
2 days ago

Daddy & Son as a business name makes me extremely uncomfortable.

MAX FRESH OFF
Member
MAX FRESH OFF
2 days ago
Reply to  Jdoubledub

“I’m looking for something that says ‘Dad likes leather.'”
“Something that says… Leather Daddy?”
“Oh, is there such a thing?”

Tobias Funke, Arrested Development

Mr E
Member
Mr E
2 days ago

(/slaps side of service body bed)

“You could fit a lot of hors in there!”

Years ago, I did a factory order for a professional welder. He ordered a Green Gem Supercab F350 Lariat chassis with tan leather.

Weird, but it was his money, so…

10001010
Member
10001010
2 days ago

I bet that interior smells like a Banana Republic store.

Kevin Rhodes
Member
Kevin Rhodes
2 days ago
Reply to  10001010

I was thinking more like Marlboros and/or chew.

Speedway Sammy
Speedway Sammy
2 days ago

Why am I suddenly thinking about the upholstery shop in Better Call Saul?

Shop-Teacher
Member
Shop-Teacher
2 days ago

That is very disappointing to learn they’re taking the service bed off.

Maymar
Maymar
2 days ago

Sort of the inverse of every tow truck wearing the front clip of an Escalade.

LTDScott
Member
LTDScott
2 days ago

Modifying trucks with utility beds had become a hot trend lately. I dig it.

Kookster
Member
Kookster
2 days ago

give a brace of BMs” Torch is a fucking legend with his prose! Also, he owes me another keyboard…again

1978fiatspyderfan
Member
1978fiatspyderfan
2 days ago
Reply to  Kookster

I think Amazon has keyboards in bulk, or it might be Costco

Sklooner
Sklooner
2 days ago

Five minutes into me driving it I would get in with a screwdriver in my back pocket and poke a hole in the seat

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
3 days ago

“Damn, thats a lot of leather”

Except there’s no leather.

If you look at the caption for the Beetle – they used mainly vinyl.
And if you look at the description for the truck on their Facebook page – it’s “Carrera distressed vinyl”

Sofonda Wagons
Member
Sofonda Wagons
2 days ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

They had to use vinyl in the beetle because there was no NOS “Rich Corinthian Leather” to be found anywhere.

Cars? I've owned a few
Member
Cars? I've owned a few
3 days ago

Would you guys ‘effing stop using ‘effing Instagram for illustrations? Is there you a reason you can’t?

I’d love to know what kind of actual work the owner does. Or did.

Space
Space
2 days ago

+1 to this. Instagram, and X refuse to show anything for me while reading the Autopian, it’s just an empty black square.

Westboundbiker
Member
Westboundbiker
2 days ago

Yup, this is my only gripe with the site. I don’t want an insta or Twitter account, so I miss out on much of the image content on the site.

Jeff Fite
Member
Jeff Fite
2 days ago
Reply to  Westboundbiker

+1!

Alexk98
Member
Alexk98
3 days ago

Love the full leather everything, but keeping the crank windows.

Cars? I've owned a few
Member
Cars? I've owned a few
3 days ago
Reply to  Alexk98

And the handbrake door pulls are a fun touch.

Tbird
Member
Tbird
3 days ago

Sadly, it’s still a GMT800, however nicely upholstered. The interior and dash on these always fell flat with me for some reason. Not a big fan of the ovoid contemporary Ford, but it always felt “better” to me somehow.

Last edited 3 days ago by Tbird
Jack Trade
Member
Jack Trade
3 days ago

I was hoping you meant the gauge cluster!

One of things I like about full-sized trucks is that plenty of them, until recently when everything went digital, used to have very full analog gauge setups (compared to cars) and they were often laid out in a a decidededly utilitarian panel format, much like classic Ferraris and other race-oriented cars. There’s something beautiful – to my eyes anyway – about that kind of utilitarianism.

Tbird
Member
Tbird
3 days ago
Reply to  Jack Trade

Ford did this exceptionally well from late’80s -’00s. GenII Ram also had great gauges. Actually gauges on the early GMT400 are a weak point! They look cool but legibility is an issue.

Last edited 3 days ago by Tbird
Sid Bridge
Member
Sid Bridge
3 days ago

I don’t think this is the work of a leathersmith. Clearly an interdimensional being or a wizard of some time has a false front for his supernatural operations and we now know too much.

Drive By Commenter
Member
Drive By Commenter
3 days ago

Torch, you forgot the cooled wheelbarrow for shrimp!

Dan Parker
Dan Parker
3 days ago

The bosses “work” truck… For when they need to go do supervisor things in the field.

TheDrunkenWrench
TheDrunkenWrench
3 days ago

Gives a new meaning to the term Leather Daddy.

Adrian Clarke
Editor
Adrian Clarke
3 days ago

It is vulgar and tasteless and entirely not within the keeping of the context of the truck.

Palmetto Ranger
Palmetto Ranger
3 days ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke
Nick
Nick
3 days ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

I actually appreciate the approach to luxury, as in it’s for “me” not “you” with the outside of the truck being stock.

“I work hard but want to like where I work and I don’t need you to know about it.”

Adrian Clarke
Editor
Adrian Clarke
2 days ago
Reply to  Nick

Buy a Silverado High Country then for that blue collar boss vibe. This is like gold plating a toilet because you think that’s what luxury is.

Nick
Nick
6 hours ago
Reply to  Adrian Clarke

But that conveys it on the outside. It’s truly personal taste at that point, because if no one knows who cares what you think luxury is. Luxury is what it means to you in this case if no one is there to see it…

It’s like the luxury philosophical equivalent to if a tree falls in the woods…

Not my taste, but my idea of “private luxury” is different.

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