Story: Evan “Evo” Yates
Photography: Andrew Link
In the ’90s, most of us rocked bright-ass Cross Colours gear, Starter jackets and the newest pair of Jordans. As we got older, our wardrobes were upgraded while paying homage to our original styles, discarding particular fads and grasping onto others. And as some things change, like ditching your three-sizes-too-big jeans and retiring those gold fronts, other practices—like overpaying for new (old) Jordans—remain. Maturation in the whip game parallels that same dedication to fashion, the longing to leave one foot in the game while altering the overall appearance to more accurately correspond to your lifestyle and, more importantly, your age. Such is the case with restaurant owner Fred Ferguson of Tifton, Georgia, and his ’74 Caprice convertible. After a couple rounds of bright and flashy, Fred decided to get his grown man on and graduate to clean and classy.
As most ’vert riders unfortunately do, Fred uncovered his Caprice three years ago in junkyard-grade condition, rotting away from the inside out, ultimately awaiting its final date with the crusher. “When I got it, it looked like garbage,” says Fred. “The top was rotten, the fenders were gone—it was a piece of trash.” After repaneling virtually the entire car, Fred went wild with the first rendition. “The first color I did was a dark purple with lavender guts,” he explains. “And then I did Outrageous Magenta after that.” After two complete flips, Fred settled for the more relaxed yet popular white on white. “I’m older now,” admits Fred. “The older you get, the more calm you become. Sometimes you get tired of all the colors, and 10 years from now, the white will still be clean.”
Fred linked up with Donk director Kent at Kent’s Automotive to undergo the avalanche of a makeover. The crew at Kent’s absolutely gutted the Caprice, swapping everything yet again, for the final time. In addition to the fresh fiberglass dash housing the custom-fit iPad, Fred went out on a limb and selected a wheel that had yet to be bolted to a Donk: the new Forgiato Maschili. “I was the first around to have those Forgis on a Donk,” proclaims Fred. “It’s a classier look and I’m a classy guy.” Fred also adds that he opted for a 26-inch wheel as opposed to one of larger dimensions, not only to properly squat the exquisite convertible but also to match the premise of his pearl ’vert. For the drivetrain, Fred stepped up his motor game in conjunction with the final flip, beefin’ up the 406 smallblock to the extent that it now runs exclusively on 110-octane gasoline. With the snow-white renovation complete, Fred insists his ride will stay this way for good. “I’m on top of my game in my area,” proclaims Fred. “It’s flawless, from the rear end to the motor. I’m complete; I don’t have anything else to do to it.”
Spec The Technique:
Year/Make/Model: 1974 Chevrolet Caprice convertible
Performance: 406 smallblock; 3.73 gears with positraction; Turbo 350 transmission; Lunati roller cam; World Products cylinder heads; Flowmaster exhaust system; Godley Performance transmission
Exterior: PPG Envirobase pearl white; custom grille
Interior: Four bucket seats wrapped in white leather; fiberglass dash, door panels, console and trunk; custom steering wheel; custom-built Champagne ice bucket in the backseat
Ice: Apple iPad integrated into the dash; Pioneer double-DIN head unit; fourteen 6.5-inch Eminence speakers; four 6.5-inch Kicker speakers; six DB Drive tweeters; six 12-inch MMATS subwoofers, 3,000-watt amplifier; PowerBass XEQ-5XOA equalizer; digital gauges
Wheels/Tires: Staggered 26-inch Forgiato Maschili wheels; Carbon Series CS88 tires, 275/25/26
