Pickup trucks gain in popularity this car show season on Long Island

Sonny Rawson, of Massapequa Park, has a pickup truck with celebrity credentials. His Chevrolet S-10 Xtreme was custom built on The History Channel series, “Leepu & Pitbull.” Here Leepu Nizamuddin Awlia  and Steve “Pitbull” Trimboli of Pit Bull Motors in Freeport turned his average pickup truck into a sporty custom-made dragster.

“They built the truck that I always wanted,” says Rawson, 69. “These guys put a V-8 Corvette motor in there and built it like Chevy should have built it as a hot rod truck. It runs like a go-kart.”

The kickoff to car show season has begun with roughly 25 events happening throughout spring-summer and pickup trucks are more common at shows these days. The vehicle, once just used to haul equipment, is becoming more of a fashionable ride.

“These pickup trucks are coming in with a performance look,” says Rawson, who is president of NY Wheelz Car Community, which oversees “Cruisin’ Thursdays” at the Milleridge Inn in Jericho.

“People are loving pickup trucks these days,” says Eric Hagenbruch, 60, of St. James, who owns three. “They used to think it was for farm work. But the trucks now are getting these nice paint jobs and all tricked out with fancy rims, nice interior, bucket seats plus cup holders.”

Here are six stories about Long Islanders who put bucks into their pickup trucks.

2021 Shelby F-150

In January 2023, Steve Hladki, of Plainview, felt the need for a change. On a whim, he decided to trade in his 2017 Dodge Ram and upgrade to a 2021 Shelby F-150, which cost him $86,000.

“From my peripheral vision, I caught this truck out of the corner of my eye,” says Hladki, 70. “It turned out it was a full-size pickup but the shortest version with the biggest engine.”

The vehicle was No. 238 in a limited production of 250, sporting a pearl white body with black stripes. It came loaded with four-wheel drive, 20-inch black wheels, a cover on the back and carpeting inside the bed.

“It sticks to the road like a race car with 775 horsepower,” says Hladki. “For me, pickups were always useful because I was constantly doing construction, tree work, landscaping or fixing up my house. If you make a Home Depot run, you’ve got to have something with an open back.”

Hladki can often be seen taking his Shelby to auto meet-ups at the Milleridge Inn every Thursday and the Bellmore train station on Friday nights.

1960 Ford F-100 Custom Cab

Hagenbruch has a thing for pickup trucks. Three years ago he fell in love with the 1960 Ford F-100 Custom Cab while sitting at a red light.

“I’ve always liked the way they look,” he says. “It’s something different.”

Last year, Hagenbruch saw the same truck on Facebook marketplace and then it appeared for sale at his mechanic’s shop.

“I made an offer of $18,000 and the seller took it,” he says. “Today, the truck is worth $32,000.”

The two-tone red and white colors make the vehicle pop.

“It stands out and draws your attention,” says Hagenbruch. “There’s even a pocket in the bed where I can put an American flag.”

The truck has a V-8 engine and automatic transmission with power brakes but no power steering. The entire truck is all original including the paint job. 

“I put nothing into it. I turned the key and went smiling down the road,” says Hagenbruch, who attends 8-10 car shows per year in Suffolk County with his Fabulous ‘50s & ‘60s Nostalgia Car Club. “When I drive it, I play all 1960 tunes keeping with the theme of the truck.”

1953 Chevrolet 3800 

The label on his truck might say Chevrolet, but Howard McCarron, of East Moriches, built his 1953 Chevrolet 3800 by himself over six years and $30,000 later.

“I bought this car in buckets of nuts, bolts and scrap pieces,” says McCarron, 67. “It’s never done. I’m still working on it.”

Originally the truck, which can hold up to 1-ton, had a 9-foot bed but McCarron cut a foot off the chassis so it could fit in his garage better. He upgraded the headers to six-cylinder with dual exhaust and twin carburetors. Plus, he borrowed a color from a Honda painting it Opal Sage.

Today, he brings the truck to various car shows and meet-ups where he received various awards including Best of Show at Long Island Cars’ Car Show & Swap Meet at Bald Hill in Farmingville.

“The first time I won a trophy I almost cried,” says McCarron. “It’s a sense of accomplishment. I never want to sell it. I built this truck, it’s my baby. My wife is going to have to bury me with it.”

2004 Chevrolet Silverado SS

Gary Arnold, of Levittown, was driving down Hempstead Turnpike with his son in his 1988 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck when he decided it was time for an upgrade.

“I saw this limited edition black 2004 Chevrolet Silverado SS sitting in the dealer lot and bought it within the hour for $50,000,” says Arnold, 61. “That truck changed my life because it allowed me to take the family camping. I attached my 1959 Airstream that I restored. We’d go up to the mountains and down to Florida. It adds an element of adventure.”

The four-wheel drive truck has leather bucket seats as well as an extended cab allowing it to seat up to five with clamshell doors.

“Everyone loves a pickup truck. You really can’t go wrong with one,” says Arnold. “Once you have a pickup truck everybody in the family is like, ‘Hey, can you move a piece of furniture for me?’ or ‘I got this junk that needs to go to the dump.’ It’s super handy. I can’t imagine not having that truck.”

1967 Chevrolet C-10 Shortbed

Back in 1973, Don Daries, of East Northport, found a deal in Newsday’s car classified section. A man from Manhasset was selling a 1967 Chevrolet C-10 Shortbed pickup truck for $1,000.

“It just worked out,” says Daries, 73. “I have a personal attachment to it after 51 years.”

Daries bought the pickup truck with 60,000 miles on it but had the engine rebuilt in 1985 and then he put on another 35,000.

“I kept the original engine, but I upgraded to an Edelbrock manifold and four-barrel carburetor as well as an electronic ignition,” he says. “The 1967 taillights had a little arm that came out. I wanted to smooth that out, so I took the taillights off and replaced them with some round ones I got off an old Studebaker pickup.”

1951 Ford F-1

Mark Shapiro, of Huntington, was always fond of the front grill on the 1951 Ford F-1 pickup. Eight years ago, he purchased a burgundy and black one online out of Michigan for an undisclosed amount and had it shipped to Long Island.

“The body was wider and it had a true truck frame. Ford added the five-bar grill and pushed the lights out further to the corners,” says Shapiro, 69. “A larger rear window was put in and the inside door panels were fixed up. The tailgate was changed to lay flat and hardwood was put in the bed.”

In 2019, Shapiro had the engine pulled out and rebuilt pouring $10,000 into the vehicle, which is currently worth over $40,000 today.

“I like driving and restoring old vehicles. I was probably born into the wrong generation,” says Shapiro. “I feel a certain pride from it like I’m preserving history.”

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.