This article originally appeared in the April 2021 issue.
When people see Taylor Teets get out of her 1995 Ford F350, they sometimes say, “There is no way you drive that.” Taylor simply responds, “Yeah, I drive that.”
Hailing from Biglerville, Pa., Taylor brings as much passion to diesel trucks as anyone and loves to prove wrong the haters who might dare doubt her. She knows her stuff, thanks to getting into the car scene at a young age. Taylor’s grandpa played a large role in raising her and showed her the ropes through his work as a mechanic.
“I was always with him in the garage, working on cars and trucks,” Taylor explained. “I got into it and then I took more of a liking to trucks than anything so that’s what really got me into diesels.” When Taylor turned 18 she decided it was time to find herself a diesel truck.
That’s The One
Three years ago, Taylor’s 2004.5 Chevy Duramax found itself with rust buildup beyond what could be repaired and had trouble staying road worthy. Essentially, it turned into a dreaded money pit. Now was the time to find her dream truck. Where did she look for this dream of hers? Craigslist, of course, and the online marketplace came through.
It was labeled as a farm truck in Virginia, just miles from her mom’s house. A “lifted manual four-door long-bed beast,” as Taylor described it. The stars seemed to be aligning. Her mom checked it out and within a week Taylor drove down herself and bought it.
Taylor generally names her diesel trucks after country music songs or artists. This time she ventured in a different direction.
“For some reason when I looked at the truck I immediately thought Pricilla,” Taylor said. “She’s like a queen to me.”
Priscilla Presley was married to Elvis Presley, dubbed the king of rock and roll, hence she was a queen. Taylor shortened the name to Pricilla to be different.
She used her “new” 1995 7.3L-powered Ford as her daily driver until the cab was damaged. Now Taylor lets a beater car pick up the damage that a daily driver accumulates and uses Pricilla as a show truck and occasional weekend vehicle to show off the white with purple accents paint job if the weather is nice.
Modifications
Taylor knew of a car show in Carlisle, Pa., and made it her goal to have her truck ready by then. Pricilla needed some work done for car show consideration and Taylor felt up to the task. Modifications included gold WARN hubs, 160cc Full Force injectors with a chip, a T500 HPOP, a big Valair single disk clutch and 17-inch wheels on 37-inch Toyo Tires with a 3-inch lift to go along with it.
The last step was the paint job. Taylor’s fiancé and his friend completed months of work in a week and a half to have
the truck looking fresh for the shows. They finished just days before the first event.
“We got it done and that’s one of the best memories that I have,” Taylor said. “The people who helped me and just the process of the late nights to get it to that show, and then it being there and everyone looking at it was like, ‘Wow this truck is really put together,’ is my favorite memory of it. Everywhere I go people look and it’s crazy to think that I got lucky enough to find a rust-free manual Ford that’s as old as she is.”
Taylor now faces constant inquiries about selling [Pricilla]. After investing time, money and energy into Pricilla, she wasn’t ready to just let it go, and that includes when it was considered totaled.
The truck was parked on a steep hill at a friend’s place, and the parking brake failed while Taylor attempted to start the truck. It rolled down a hill and side-swiped a tree. With everyone telling her to junk it and move on, Taylor decided to prove them wrong.
Dolly Parton once said, “You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try.” Taylor feels this quote fits her journey with her truck very well.
“Everyone was like, ‘You’re not going to get it back on the road. You’re never going to get it to be where it needs to be. It’s never going to be a show truck like you want it to be.’ Just the whole process proved them wrong,” Taylor said with confidence. “The truck proved them wrong. I made it happen.”
Future Plans
Taylor has developed both big and small plans for Pricilla’s future. Having only shown off her truck at one show, Taylor wants to attend a few more this year along the East Coast, COVID-19 permitting. To prepare for show season, Taylor wants to make small adjustments like headlights and taillights, but in the next couple years she wants to dually flop and flatbed it. Making these bigger changes is a simple matter of finding the right, undamaged parts that won’t require too much work. She loves her 7.3L, but if it ever goes out she’ll consider switching to a Cummins.
When first getting into the truck game, Taylor felt some judgment for being a female in a male-dominated industry, but feels there’s been improvement in that area.
“I think a lot of guys are finally starting to see that there are other girls who know what they’re doing, how to fix things, how to do more than just change the oil in their truck,” Taylor explained.
Follow Taylor on Instagram (@that_7.3_miss_pricilla) to follow her truck journey and watch her continue to prove doubters wrong.
Sources:
Full Force Diesel
615-962-8291
www.shop.fullforcediesel.com