CAR SPOTTING with TRACI

May 1, 2019 | By Traci Sipple

Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill Has More Than Food and Entertainment – it’s the Home of a Great Classic Ford Truck!

Bringing forgotten vintage vehicles back to life, as well as creating customized cars, is what Richard Rawlings and the Gas Monkey Garage crew is all about. You may have seen their show, FAST N’ LOUD, on television and watched rusty classic cars become completely restored and auctioned off seemingly in the blink of an eye. Of course, lots of work and labor goes into these restoration projects to transform these vehicles into valuable cars that are also, needless to say, fast and loud.

Stop on by and grab a bite to eat and explore the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill’s classic Ford F-600 V8 truck!

A head-on look at the big Ford outside the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill. How fun would this be to take for a spin around town!

Richard and the Gas Monkey crew, although based in Dallas, Texas, travel across many back roads exploring sprawling fields, dilapidated barns, and attending swap meets on their TV show searching for a rare find to bring back to the Gas Monkey Garage where they will design, restore and create something really special out of a long since abandoned vehicle. These “Monkeys” are really talented restorers; they make these complicated projects seem to come together in no time and the finished product is always a magical transformation. Also, it’s important to note that no matter how hectic the Monkeys’ schedules become, they always find time to have fun on the show, such as doing donuts with their current projects and really enjoying what they do. They also make certain that these classic cars are fully functional as well as fun to drive. Making automotive restoration look like a fun, rewarding and exciting line of work is what Richard and the Monkeys do best, which is why I love to follow not only their show, but also their other endeavors, such as the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill.

Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill is a full-service restaurant, music venue and bar, also located in Dallas, Texas. (Gas Monkey Live is their larger music venue just across the street from the Bar N’ Grill where they regularly host some amazing artists – to check out their upcoming schedule of events, head to their website at gasmonkeybarngrill. com/live). The Bar N’ Grill offers both an indoor dining area as well as an outdoor patio and bar where they have live music playing all year. Check out their website at gasmonkeybarngrill.com to see who’s performing there and to explore their delicious menu.

The front entrance to the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill.

An original “unleaded” gas pump outside of the restaurant with a small yellow sign reading: “minimum octane rating 87.” How different it was to pump your gas from one of these.

the truck’s side view with a close-up of the grille reading: Bass Kustom 2016. I like overall rustic aesthetic instead of glamorizing this famous restaurant.

Besides all of these wonderful offerings, the Bar N’ Grill has something very special on display right in front of their restaurant: a gorgeous, rustic Ford V8 truck. My mom and fellow car-spotter, Judy Sipple, was traveling through Dallas and stopped by the Bar N’ Grill to have lunch and snap these great photos of the Ford, plus a very retro-looking gas pump! I’ve always thought that these old gas pumps are a true testament to time – you just can’t buy gas like this anymore and it’s a real treat to see these gas pumps still intact after all their years of use and wear and tear.

The Ford looks to have the original paint still mostly intact (although “some” rust is definitely showing through, giving it a rustic feel.) There is some customization to the truck, too: the lettering on the side reading “Gas Monkey Bar & Grill” with some small designs around the wheel wells and around the Ford logo on the front of the vehicle. If you watch the FAST N’ LOUD show, you know that the Gas Monkey crew has some really talented artists in their ranks specializing in hand-lettering and hand-drawn designs like this. When one thinks of art, usually paintings, sculpture or something of that sort comes to mind. However, vehicle painting is an art all in itself and can be as subtle as these little designs or as flashy as a full landscape hand-painted over an entire vehicle. We’ve all seen the ghost flames painted on some hot rods – imagine the time that goes into the creation of those perfectly faded and blended flames.

This F-600 looks to be a 1950s delivery truck with the full flatbed in the back and the “Friendly Service” lettering on the hood of the truck. I always wonder what kind of past life it might have had before coming to its new home at the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill. Either way, it certainly is a notable landmark now, as people come from all over to visit the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill and Garage (and to take photos for their social media accounts with this truck proving that they’ve been here).

I’d say this truck doesen’t get driven much anymore (noting the flat tires) but it sure is a fun and rustic vehicle (and piece of art) that lets you know right where you are – at the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill! If you’re ever in the Dallas area, stop by and see for yourself or if you’ve already visited and perhaps spotted some other Gas Monkey vehicles around town, we’d love to see your photos!

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