The Mountain Pearl had a brief but illustrious and influential career in the hot rod and custom circuit in the early 1960’s.
Based upon a stock 1953 Ford F100, purchased in October of 1956 by Otto Rhodes, The Mountian Pearl has been modified from stem to stern by Otto and acclaimed builders Bill Dickie and Howard “Smokey” Gentemann. The restrained chopped top gracefully transitions into the wildly period nose featuring the front fenders pulled inward 5”, custom roll pan and a smoothed hood. The wild grill stylings are based upon a pair of canted 1958 Lincoln headlights framing a sectioned and inverted grill from a 1955 Chevrolet pickup that is used to border expanded metal adorned with drawer pulls and gold backings. All frenched in by round 2” tubing that has been welded and leaded to to make the wild face of the truck flow seamlessly. 1958 Oldsmobile bumper tips, acting as running light surrounds, were frenched and molded in to the front roll pan to match the canted 1958 Bel Air tail lights in the rear; both surrounding custom license plate recesses formed to match the grill. Out back another custom rollpan and fenders follow the inward sweep given to the bed, following the theme of the nose. The truck was coated in pearl over white to accentuate the compound rolls and curves of the truck and give it depth. Red candy paint beautifully offsets the chrome and polished surfaces while juxtaposing the white cab, fenders and interior.
The Mountain Pearl was debuted at the Sabers’ car show in the Denver Colliseum where it took home five trophies in the late spring of 1961. Otto’s time showing the car was short lived, however, when his draft number was pulled in October of 1961 and he was sent to Berlin. Bill Dickey continued to show it around the region, winning trophies and gaining enough fame for it to be featured in Hot Rod Magazine in July of 1962. In August of 1962 Hot Rod Magazine released its first color issue and brought The Mountain Pearl back a second time to be featured in full color.
Upon his return from Berlin in 1963, Otto Rhodes tore the truck down to be revamped before returning to the show circuit. Progress slowed over the next decade. A new front crossmember was formed and a twin I-beam front end replaced the straight axle. The stroked Oldsmobile rocket motor was replaced by a Ford 360, adorned with a Galaxie 406 Tripower intake a backed by a C6 transmission, and was traded for the copious amount of chrome under the car. Including the springs, axles, track bars, pedals, master cylinder, running boards, etc. The interior was gutted and firewall removed before marriage and a family took precedence and progress came to a screeching halt in 1973.
Fast forward a few decades and the truck still sits stagnant. The cool and dry mountain air has preserved the chrome parts and pristine metalwork beautifully. But Otto finally realizes that he will not be the one to finish it and decides to sell it to Tom Pagano .
Tom Pagano, who, with the aid of his son TJ, runs Pagano Rod and Custom out of Sacramento, California. For the last few decades he has been showing cars around the Western US recieveing trophies, articles and acclaim of his own. Nearly a half century earlier Tom had seen The Mountain Pearl at local show in Colorado and attributes his entire career with custom cars to that specific event. When he undertook the task of restoring The Mountain Pearl, the responsibility weighed heavily on him and he stayed in touch closely with Otto throughout the build.
The body was kept virtually untouched with the exception of body and paint. Being a masterful leadworker, Tom was determined to keep with tradition and finished the body in lead and without the use of filler.
Inside the cab, the interior beckons back to the futuristic theme that overwhelmed 1960’s customs. NOS 1964/1965 Ford Thunderbird gauges hang above the plexi-glass firewall that displays the engines candy and chrome. A floating steering column accents the sparse motif and is topped by a 1961 Oldsmobile steering wheel. The frames of swivel bucket seats out of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo were customized and covered by famous upholsterer Howdy Ledbetter who kept the followed the color and style themes throughout the rest of the interior and inside the bed.
Since its restoration, The Mountain Pearl has received tremendous acclaim and placing first in virtually every car show it has attended. In addition to being a cover car for Rod & Custom in October of 2009, Hotrod and Restoration in August of 2009, and the not yet released fall 2009 issue of Kustoms Illustrated, it has been featured in the Goodguys Goodtime Gazette in June 2009 as well as being featured in many show coverage articles in numerous magazines.
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