IronMen Foundation and TCI Engineering Partner for Dress Blues Build

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There’s nothing quite like the building of a vehicle for charity, but when you partner with some of the biggest companies in the automotive world to make it happen, it makes for an even more substantial build.

These brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way so that we may sleep soundly.                  – Jason Wilcox,    TCI Engineering

That’s exactly what the IronMen Foundation is doing with the building of their 1934 Phantom Pickup Truck dubbed “Dress Blues.” With their partnerships to top tier automotive companies like TCI Engineering, Custom Classics Auto Body and Restoration and Rydell Chevrolet, as well as with the work of countless volunteers, this build is slated to be their most impressive yet!

A Bit of Background

The IronMen Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that was formed in 2007 by the men’s ministry at the Village Church of Barrington in Barrington, Illinois. Completely volunteer run, the organization raises money for and provides scholarships for children of fallen and disabled military veterans. The organization’s main fund-raising source is the building and auctioning off of custom street rods.

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The IronMen Foundation’s first build was Metal of Honor, a custom 1932 Ford roadster that made its debut at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show. Designed by John Caswell, a designer for Ford, and built completely by volunteers, this beautiful roadster is most recognizable by its custom camouflage paint scheme and unique rear decklid, which features the signatures of 43 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

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After its 2011 debut, the car toured the country, appeared on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage and was auctioned off at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. Most recently, we saw the Metal of Honor roadster at SEMA 2016.

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Images compliments of the IronMen Foundation and TCI Engineering.

For the organization’s second charity vehicle, Caswell came up with “Dress Blues,” a custom 1934 Ford Phantom pickup truck. Also being built completely by volunteers, this classic truck is set to be an even bigger project than the Metal of Honor build ever was.

Dress Blues (1)Those Involved

The volunteers that make up the team building Dress Blues is an incredible group of patriots and hot rod enthusiasts. This group consists of men from the Village Church of Barrington, as well as other area church men’s groups, hot rodders from the Chicago area, and a number of professionals from Custom Classics Restorations and Willett Coachworks. Owner of Custom Classics Restorations, Bryan Reehoff, volunteers his time and shop a couple times a week for all of the volunteers to go work on the truck.

Dress Blues Unloading

“Bryan is our project foreman, and his professional car builders guide and teach the volunteers how to do everything that needs to be done,” Chuck Caswell, Executive Director of the IronMen Foundation, told us when we reached out to him for details regarding the Dress Blues build.

So how does the Dress Blues build differ from the Metal of Honor roadster? Well, in a number of ways. “Dress Blues is a more complex custom than Metal of Honor,” explained Caswell. “Where MOH was a basic roadster, Dress Blues is a total phantom custom that marries a ’34 Ford roadster front to a ’32 Ford pickup rear. Our need for parts donors increased. A lot more body work [is] needed. A lot of special fabrication [is] needed. [And] volunteers will need much more tutelage and guidance from the professionals [for the build]. Additionally, whereas MoH utilized Ford power, Dress Blues has stepped into a more traditional use of Chevrolet power.”

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Specifications

The Dress Blues build isn’t slated to be done until, at the earliest, late 2017, but when it’s finished, it will have dozens of components from a number of industry leaders.

The body of the truck is a combination of an all steel 1934 Ford Phantom pickup truck cab, complete with steel fenders and running boards from Steve’s Auto Restorations. Add a 1932 Ford pickup bed from Pro’s Pick, complete with the floor, steel bed cover and a custom stamped tailgate and you have the basics.

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Adding more to the truck’s aesthetics is a Rootlieb hood, a Bob Drake grille surround as well as 1932 Ford commercial headlights and a 1934 stainless front bumper from the company, a custom aluminum grille from Legens Hot Rod Shop, Brookville Roadster 1932 Ford roadster rear fenders, custom Greening Auto taillights, and a 1932 Ford commercial rear bumper from Rock Valley Antique and Street-Rod Auto Parts.

All of the body rubber for the truck was provided by Steele Rubber Products, while the front windshield was provided by Wescott’s Auto. Once complete, the truck will be painted House of Kolors Kona Blue by Willett Coachworks.

Dress Blues Body 2

Inside the truck will be a complete custom interior designed and installed by Ogden Top & Trim. They’re adding a custom Wise Guys bench seat, and a traditional 1934 Ford dash trimmed with a Phoenix Machine instrument panel featuring Classic Instruments‘ V8 Red Steelie Series gauges. Other goodies include a Lokar shifter, E-brake and pedal assembly, ididit steering column and a Vintage Air heating and air conditioning system. The truck will also feature a custom sound system from Custom Autosound.

Down to the performance aspects, the engine for Dress Blues is being built by Rydell Chevrolet of Grand Forks, North Dakota. When all is said and done, the ZZ5 small block Chevy engine will boast a Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine belt system, Powermaster polished aluminum starter and alternator, and a Walker radiator.

Exhaust is handled with Sanderson stainless Tight Tuck headers that dump into a custom exhaust system featuring Borla stainless pipes and mufflers, fabricated and installed by Doug Peterson of Rydell Toy Shop.

An Optima Yellow Top battery will be used to energize the small block while fuel for the engine will be fed to each cylinder via a steel TANKS Inc. fuel tank. Backing the engine will be a 4L60e automatic transmission from Bowler Performance Transmissions tied to an aluminum driveshaft from Inland Empire Driveline. This will push the SBC’s power to the pavement through a Currie 9-inch rearend flanked by US Mags Artillery wheels wrapped in sticky Pirelli rubber (mounted by Berry Tire and Auto in Libertyville, Illinois and aligned by Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops).

Dress Blues Engine 1

With a powertrain as outfitted as this, Dress Blues will need a hefty chassis and suspension system to support it, which is exactly what it will get with TCI Engineering’s complete Dropped Axle Front and 4-Link Rear Chassis.

Built for the classic 1933 and 1934 Fords, this chassis boasts a fully boxed frame while maintaining the original factory profile, offering enhanced driveability while maintaining a classic look. It also provides superior handling and ride comfort qualities with an overall lowered stance.

Highlights of the setup specific to Dress Blues include a Pete & Jakes SuperBell chromed I-beam front axle, SoCal Speed Shop front shocks, adjustable rear coilovers, Vega-style steering box, Wilwood dual-piston front disc brakes, rear Ford drums and stainless brake lines all the way around.

Fine tuning for any taste will be no problem with this setup, as the adjustable rear 4-link bars offer plenty of wheelbase and pinion angle options while the adjustable rear coilovers offer a variety of ride height configurations.

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“TCI assembled and presented the complete chassis to me in April – not just parts, the chassis was a complete roller when presented,” Caswell told us.

Other contributors to the Dress Blues build include Borgeson, Wizard Fabrication, Dynamat, Yogi’s Inc., California Car Cover Co., and CleanTools.

Where She’ll End Up

As impressive of a vehicle as the Dress Blues truck will be, the most endearing part of the build won’t happen until after the truck is finished. It is at that point that the truck can make its debut, go around the country gaining attention and then be auctioned off to benefit the IronMen Foundation’s scholarship program. This time around, the IronMen Foundation has partnered with the Folds of Honor Foundation to accept applications for and award the provided scholarships.

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Lined up to make its debut at the 2018 Grand National Roadster Show, plans are already coming together for Dress Blues to tour the country, which is also done using donated equipment and funds, making appearances at shows like all of the NSRA events in 2018, the Detroit Autorama and the World of Wheels show.

The truck will also more than likely make appearances at military bases, VA hospitals and in parades, just like the Metal of Honor build did. Donors to the build are also allowed to borrow and display the truck on a first-come-first-serve basis.

After it makes its promotional rounds, Dress Blues will be auctioned off at the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction, with all of the proceeds from its sale going to provide scholarships to the children of American military heroes.

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“What the IronMen Foundation provides to those in need is very special to TCI,” TCI Engineering’s Senior Marketing Coordinator, Jason Wilcox, shared with us. “These brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way so that we may sleep soundly. All too often these brave souls return home unable to provide for their families. We hope to provide the right parts [for Dress Blues] that will fetch the highest dollar amount once the gavel bangs.”

“We are grateful for all the support of our material and monetary donors,” Caswell concluded. “Keep in mind that every part of this car is made of donated parts from America’s premier hot rod suppliers. All have given generously and without reservation.”

And for that, we say a huge Thank You to all who are involved in the Dress Blues build in some way. We can’t wait to see the finished truck and watch it make its show rounds before bringing in a large chunk of money for such a great cause!

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About the author

Lindsey Fisher

Lindsey is a freelance writer and lover of anything with a rumble. Hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles - she's owned and driven it all. When she's not busy writing about them, she's out in her garage wrenching away. Who doesn't love a tech-savy gal that knows her way around a garage?
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