MIDVALE — Gregg Johnson is an artist who sculpts carpets and does gold leaf and decorative borders. He also loves trucks, so he brought the art and trucks together.
His 1929 Ford, called "Moonstruck," gave him the chance to bring his artistic talents to bear on something unique. Johnson's mother's family name is Moon. His business name is Half-Moon Studio because he is half Moon. If you put a little pause in the right place, "Moonstruck" sounds like "Moon's Truck." The tail art on the tonneau cover has a capital M and T.
It was a project to get the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles to recognize Moonstruck as a 1929 Ford Roadster pickup. It has brand new sheet metal and a custom-built frame. The DMV likes to know a vehicle isn't stolen or made of stolen parts before they assign a VIN, so Johnson documented the major parts like the frame, soft top and engine.
He wanted bare metal for an aircraft look, but went with olive drab paint. You may have seen the P-40 shark mouth on other cars, but Johnson went a milder route, making a cutout around the engine and using just the eyes from the iconic fighter plane's art. He added aircraft-style blisters, and his tail art, a Rat Fink-style Donald Duck, would've been nose art, but there was not enough room up front. Yes, Johnson can do the Donald Duck voice.