Miller Hauler Special Paint Colors….

STINGER’S HOT ROD SHOP

The Miller Hauler colors.  The colors Stinger pick for the little truck were chosen even before he finished his last mock-up of the Hauler.  The Green Brian picked is called Lotus New Racing Green (Beach Craft).  It is Chroma One Dupont…paint number K9349G which was changed to Glasurit products using codes off the Chroma One.  The Yellow is a custom mix…”Martha Stewart 106″…that his wife picked while visiting LOWE’S.  The inside frame box plate, x-member, cross-member…is Dupont MM097.  The driveline, engine, transmission, drive-shaft, rear-end…is Dupont MM085.  The louvers on the truck are polished.  That look was applied because Brian liked the look of some louvers on various Duesenbergs he had seen.  The polished louvers fit with the polishing of the Miller grille.  Stinger actually did a number of paint test panels before picking each color and the correct look for the louvers.  Thanks to Moose (louver polish)…Warren (paint) and Tom Evans striping.

1932 FORD MILLER HAULER ~ BED SUPPORTS

STINGER’S HOT ROD SHOP

The creative bed supports were fabricated by Stinger out of 3/8 Inch tubing.  The tubing was heat and bent around a buck that Stinger made.  The flat steel is 1/4 Inch and Stinger drilled and counter sunk the holes.  The supports on the tailgate area are made to look just like the side bed supports but they double as a tailgate stop and latch pins.

DONOVAN MODEL D 4 CYLINDER ENGINE ~ 1932 FORD MILLER HAULER SPECIAL

STINGER’S HOT ROD SHOP

Miller Hauler Engine Build Photos

The engine in the Miller Hauler is a Donovan Model D 4 cylinder all aluminum.  Brian Stinger (Stinger’s Hot Rod Shop) fit the engine with a Steve Serr all aluminum “Hi-Speed Miller” head.  He put an aluminum no-leak Steve Serr water-pump on it….but Stinger had to make a billet aluminum water-pump drop (Joe Kerr and Ron Hively – Indy) so the Model A two blade fan could be lowered to fit under the hood for as low as Stinger made the chassis sit.  The engine sits on a hand-fabricated motor mount that Stinger made and doubles as an alternator mount.  Custom billet pulleys were made by Joe Kerr.  Stinger added a Power Master alternator/generator that has been modified with stainless steel screens…a brass Kokomo electric tag….and a faux oil-cup on the back of the generator.  There is a custom flip-top cap on a billet aluminum oil filler tube that Stinger made.  Stinger also hand-fabricated a spark plug wire separator made out of 1 inch steel tubing.  There’s a custom-made dual carb intake manifold.  Stinger custom-made billet aluminum heat exchangers that run from the headers to the intake manifold.  There is a custom Stinger engine turned stainless steel heat shield that sit on top of the intake manifold.  There are two Stromberg 97 carbs turned sideways with custom linkage.  The air cleaners were fabricated by Stinger out of 1930’s Chris Craft boat ventilators.  Stinger custom made a billet plate that joins the top of the carbs together and he clam-shelled the 4 air scoops together over the carbs.  The fan shoud is a work of art.  Stinger hand-fabricated it out of six piece of aluminum and riveted it together….it mounts onto a Steve Long brass radiator.  Lawrence at Rad Rides custom machined a brass Miller valve cover insert that fits on top of the engine.  Moose at Rad Rides sanded the block for painting and final detail then Warren painted it.  Stinger spiraled machined every bolt head on the truck.  All of bolts are drilled and safety wired by Jack.

1932 FORD MILLER HAULER SPECIAL ~ ENGINE COMPARTMENT PANS

STINGER’S HOT ROD SHOP

When you look down into the engine bay area of the Miller Hauler….you will see a set of pans that Brian made from stainless steel sheet that have been engine turned.  Brian hand-fabricated the two pans to fill in the space between the top of the frame rail and the engine block (they are called catch pans in many Duesenbergs, Bentley’s and many European cars….even Model T’s had them).

1932 FORD MILLER HAULER SPECIAL ~ PICK-UP ~ ALUMINUM BENCH SEAT

STINGER’S HOT ROD SHOP

The aluminum bench seat was designed and built by Brian Stinger.  It is completely made out of aluminum buck rivets.  A bench seat was fabricated because it fits the truck cab the best.  Brian designed it in two pieces….the bottom and the back.  The seat bottom has two doors that are attached by piano hinges. Under one of the seat compartments is the wiring harness and under the other one is a tool compartment.  The seat back tips forward on two quick release pins so there is access to the rear window…..which was made to go up and down by a leather strap.  The back of the seat has lower back lumbar.  The upper back of the seat is slightly contoured to fit a person shoulders.  Bell-holes, bead-ribs and doubling up of the aluminum was done to give the seat strength.  The top center of the seat was topped off by an acid etched…vintage aluminum winged badge that came off of Brian’s old furnace from his basement.

1932 Ford Miller Hauler Special GNRS Awards

Congratulations to George Poteet

2010 AMBR Outstanding Detail Truck and Car Award
2010 Sweepstakes Award Best Truck 2010
Blackie Geijan Award of Excellence

1932 Ford Miller Hauler Completed for 2010 Grand National Roadster Show

The Miller Hauler Special is owned by George Poteet of Memphis, Tennessee. It has been an honor for Brian Stinger…of Stinger’s Hot Rod Shop…to work for George for the past several years. In designing the truck (Miller Hauler Special)….Brian put his pencil to work and came up this dynamic design. It then went from the drawing board to Brian’s shop (Stinger’s Hot Rod Shop)…where Brian then hand fabricated 90% of the parts you see from top to bottom. You will never find a truck like this…it is one of a kind. Brian has endless hours and a little over 3 1/2 plus years in fabrication work and pre-mock-up work. After Brian had completed his build on the truck…it was time for the truck to be painted and assembled for the last time. George and Brian approached Rad Rides by Troy to help assist in the final body and paint work, machining and final assembly work. So, Brian traveled to Manteno, IL to work with the crew.  It has also been an honor for Brian to work with Troy and all the crew at Rad Rides by Troy.  Troy, Jack, Alex, Lawrence, Brian (Moose), Levi, Toffer, Jared, Adam, Warren, Ryan, Jason, Max and Chief….what an outstanding crew to work with.

1932 Ford Miller Hauler Special ~ Owner George Poteet

Stinger’s Hot Rod Shop

The Miller Hauler Special debuted in California at the Grand National Roadster Show.  Stinger’s Hot Rod Shop built this 1932 Ford Pick-Up Truck for George Poteet from Memphis, TN.  When designing the truck, Brian was influenced by Harry A. Miller.  Miller was one of the world’s greatest race car engineers and race car builders.  If Miller had built an “Indy” inspired shop truck…it was imagined that the “Miller Hauler Special” is what it would look like.