1989 Dodge W350: A Patina Masterpiece

Lyndsay Carlyle’s 1989 Dodge W350

Words by Jonathan Daniels

In A world that’s saturated with brand new AlumiDuty trucks with Any Levels and 30s, there exists pockets of equally beautiful classic trucks hand built by their owners. Lyndsay Carlyle and her husband Cody Carlyle are proof of this, as her 1989 Dodge W350 single cab dually stands out among the best of them and steals the show everywhere it goes. Lyndsay, who goes by @12v_queen on Instagram, spent around 10 months from start to finish. She and her husband did all of the work themselves—from patching the frame to hand-painting a patina that looks realistic.

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After acquiring her “little experiment” for a steal, they set out to source various parts to get this project going. Dually conversion fenders from 1st Gen Resistance, a set of 22-inch American Force Torsions, a 4WD conversion, Skyjacker 6-inch lift, 37-inch Hercules tires, a newer 12V, and some fresh stock bumpers were just a few of the things on the large list Lyndsay created. Why would she take on such a herculean task? Well, she’s a sucker for single cab dualies for starters, and she hopes to inspire and prove to the new generation that you don’t necessarily have to have access to a huge shop or huge funds to make your dream truck a reality.

It really is easy to get lost in the details of this truck. On our shoot at Carlisle Truck Nationals in summer 2024, we got up close and personal, and we kept finding new things to snap pics of—namely the patina itself. Lyndsay did the patina all on her own with multiple cans of various colors of Rustoleum. Yes, you read that correctly! How she managed to make it look believable, layered, and well done, is beyond us, especially knowing that the truck was built outside with no major shop or paint booth.

The interior is something special as well. While we love super sharp and crisp interiors that are as serious as a secret service agent, we can’t help but be excited when someone puts their own unique twist on something we’ve seen thousands of times. From the cow hide fabric to the patterned two-tone Katzin leather 1999 Chevy Silverado captain seats, the paintwork on the hand sanded panels, and the small decorations like roping and aluminum touches, the details show so much personality, and we love it!

While there were, of course, hiccups along the way, Lyndsay views it all as a learning experience that gave her something she cherishes. Fitting dualie fenders to a single rear wheel bed sounds simple, but it isn’t. Same with creating a believable patina, sanding and painting an entire frame, and doing it with no shop and having to work around weather. She did say the solution to the weather was to stuff as many truck panels and parts inside the house as they could, and make sure there was plenty of cold Coors Light!

All Lyndsay wanted was to build a truck that was 100% her, and in the end, patience and creativity paid off. You can be sure to can catch this truck at a show near you! Check out our Diesel World 2025 event schedule!