COCHRANE— Sitting low on the road and boasting a one-of-a-kind design the So-Low Crop Dusting truck is a memorable ride.
Automotive enthusiast J Ostrowski and his son Jarrett transformed the 1950 Chevy pick-up truck into the rat rod of their dreams about five years ago.
They were inspired to take on the project after Jarrett was diagnosed with Lyme disease at the age of 16.
“He was extremely sick. He was deteriorating quite rapidly,” Ostrowski said. “I thought it would be cool to do a car build or a truck build with him because we didn’t know how long he was going to be with us.”
The mission of the build was to create a unique ride for Jarrett while immersing him in car culture and fostering a shared passion between father and son.
Jarrett is doing well now, but Lyme disease is a roller coaster of ups and downs, Ostrowski said.
The duo explored eBay searching for the perfect father-son project. They eventually decided on a 1950 3100 Chevy truck in Indiana and had it shipped to Canada so they could get to work.
The truck arrived in Alberta with a C-10 Chevy frame and a matching Chevy engine— But, it needed some work to become the rat rod of Jerrett's dreams.
They explored builders to collaborate with to bring the vision to life and came across Sam Hutchinson from Epic Rod and Custom in Calgary.
It took a little over 18 months to complete the project.
“We did it in stages,” Ostrowski said. "We would discuss our vision and options and we would bring Jer, sometimes in a wheelchair or he would walk in with his cane.”
The custom frame alone took about 1,000 hours to build and is a “true work of art,” Ostrowski said.
They changed the engine bringing in an LSX376 crate and motor bought from GM. The engine came with 460 horsepower and runs at a 6.2 with a solid power plant and aluminum light.
“It’s basically a Camaro engine,” Ostrowski said.
For the intake, they used a Holley carb fuel system with fuel injectors. The engine now pushes about 560 to 570 horsepower.
The duo chose to include an air ride in the truck that could slam right onto the ground and lifts the chassis about five inches of the road when raised. The air ride was paired with LED lighting and a unique custom interior.
“We wanted it to be new technology with an old school look,” Ostrowski said. “We took the old school approach and the history and we added new technology— Air ride, custom frame, brand new engine, custom interior, it has beautiful sound system … We just meshed all of the different genres and generations together.”
Each build takes on a personality and life of its own, he explained, and So-Low is done being modified for now.
Ostrowski said he enjoys taking the truck out to car shows and having the opportunity for him and his son to connect with local car clubs.
It is a great experiencing sharing the stories behind each ride and showcasing the different genres and generations of car culture.
“It’s the time the energy and the stories of your friends helping you, or where you had to search out a particular part,” Ostrowski said. “It’s a really nice community.’
