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What if? Now there’s a common query that pokes its head up time and time again. Questions such as, “What if you had three wishes?” or, “What if you won the lottery?” and how about, “What if you inherited a bunch of money?” Sounds like something you’ve thought of before. For some, that question ends right where it starts, up in the air, but for others, like Tom Ehrich, they have some serious thinking to do.

When Tom inherited a heap of cash, there were several options on his plate. He could pay off his house, remodel the kitchen, buy some land-the choices were endless, but there was only one thing on his mind: to team up with his son Adrian and go all out on a hot rod. Tom had been building hot rods all his life, mostly ’40s-style business coupes, but he had never had the backing to build one exactly how he would want it. He figured this would be the perfect opportunity to build the ride of his dreams and share the experience with his son. And just like that, the hunt was on.

The father and son duo found a ‘70 C-10 longbed that was far from grace. The truck had lived on a ranch for 30 years in West, Texas (the city, not the area), where it had taken a few blows over the years. From there a kid bought it, but decided it wasn’t for him. The third time it changed hands, the truck was in good company with the Ehrichs. They immediately laid out a course of action to get the rusted-out heap of metal the way they wanted it.

Killer Ridez (KR) in Seagoville, Texas, was the first stop on the longbed’s journey to blue heaven. Killer Ridez removed the frame from the body and went to work on both of them. KR tackled a list of custom body modifications Tom and Adrian wanted. The first order of business was to shave the ‘70 clean. KR started with the door handles and went from there. Next up was the gas filler door, mirrors, emblems and trim, front and rear marker lights, stake pockets, and antenna. The old hood was ditched for a new cowl hood, and the cowl was shaved as well. The most radical custom job was altering the front and rear roll pans. The bumpers were thrown from the mix, and Killer Ridez molded the front and rear roll pans. Out back, the new LED taillights were fabbed into the roll pan, and the factory taillights were shaved clean. KR also installed an LED third brake light in the top of the cab. In the front, the turn signals were relocated into a roll pan. Once the body was finished, KR and Kreative Colors sprayed the truck with Diamont Intense Blue Pearl.

As for the frame, Killer Ridez decked it out as well, detailing it to match the truck’s blue theme. But before any cosmetics were carried out, KR had to set up the chassis. Because the Ehrichs wanted the truck to scrape the ground, KR C-notched the frame in the rear. Up front it was a much simpler approach; all KR did was install 2-inch drop spindles. Tom and Adrian wanted the truck’s underside to be as nice as the exterior, so they spared no expense on the underpinnings. First, the frame was painted gloss black, and after that came the Candy Chrome. Exactly what is that? Tom and Adrian named the truck Candy Chrome after the process they used to get the color. First the sway bars, A-arms, driveshaft, spindles, door panels, engine components, brackets, air tank, and more were all sent out to Economy Plating in Dallas to be chromed. Then the parts were sent to Enduro Coating in Mesquite, Texas, where a translucent candy apple blue powdercoat was applied over the chrome. What the color turned out to look like wasn’t quite chrome and wasn’t quite blue; therefore, it’s Candy Chrome.

With all the parts finished, Killer Ridez assembled the frame. An Air Ride Technologies airbag system was put in at each corner. The original drum brakes up front were swapped for six-lug disc brakes, and the newly finished sway bars were installed out back and up front. The gas tank was relocated from the cab to in between the framerails using a Chevy Blazer fuel tank. Lastly came a set of six-lug 20-inch Helo rims.

The Candy Chrome theme didn’t stop with the chassis; it also found a home inside the cab. The door panels, glovebox, and other various metal pieces all got the Candy Chrome touch. Then Morris Upholstery installed a one-off interior inside the longbed hauler. The custom bucket seats and dashboard were covered in black leather with blue highlights. Between the seats sits a custom center console upholstered to match the seats. The black deep pile carpet is from the makers of Lexus, but it looks right at home inside the ‘70 Chevy pickup cab. The OEM steering column was tossed for a chrome ididit column, and a B.A.D. steering wheel rests atop the column. Matching the steering wheel’s theme are Trenz pedals and a rearview mirror. Inside the gauge bezels sit new Dakota Digital gauges. Lastly, Car Toys installed the Sony receiver linked to 4-inch Alpine and 6×9-inch Infinity speakers. A 400-watt MTX Thunder amp powers two JL Audio 8-inch subs.

Under the hood lies a 400-inch Chevy bored out to a 406, which was built by Gary’s Machine Shop in Mesquite. Gary’s machined the GM heads and installed Manley valves, COMP Cams springs, and roller rockers. Tom and Adrian also went with a COMP Cams hydraulic roller cam and lifters along with 10:1 pistons. Up top an Edelbrock intake manifold with a Holley 770-cfm carburetor helps the motor crank out 450 horsepower. To keep things in order the air cleaner, valve covers, and various engine brackets got the Candy Chrome treatment. Power is transferred through a GM Turbo 400 with a B&M shift kit and a 3500-stall converter to the 12-bolt rear out back. Keeping pedestrians on their toes are Hedman Shorty headers and FlowMaster mufflers. If you ask us, we’d say that’s an inheritance well spent!

Photo Gallery: 1970 Chevrolet C-10 Longbed - An Inheritance - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

What is it about the lure to be different? Is being the oddball or black sheep so enticing that we’ll go out of our way to snag our own piece of the pie? Well…yes! There’s some sort of indulgence one gets when living on the edge, and testing the limits of what society deems acceptable turns us on. Whether it’s something simple like rooting for the underdog, or something extreme like building a truck that doesn’t quite fit the given criteria in your area, there are always buttons to be pushed. Rich Childers is one of those guys who get off on exploring alternate means to an end.

Just like a mullet haircut-you know, business in the front, party in the back-Childers had his automotive regiment walking the line between business and pleasure. In his everyday schedule he piloted this ‘75 Chevy C10 longbed, but on the weekends Rich was out and about in a ‘70 Nova built for the street and the strip. Not a bad setup, huh? Although the business in the front and party in the back lifestyle had its perks, it eventually came time to sell the Nova. This led to the truck becoming more for pleasure than business. It started off with a simple lowering job and wheels… we think you know the rest.

In Rich’s area longbeds are seen as strictly work trucks, especially when he set out to build the ‘75 three years ago, but unlike his habitat’s, his philosophy on longbed trucks was completely different. He looked at work trucks as the perfect platform for building a unique and different wicked awesome truck. So with a plan of action, a group of friends, and a wrench in hand, Rich moved forward in building his own breed of custom truck.

He started on the ’75’s body. Instead of opting to shave the truck or do any other obvious modifications, Rich decided to leave the body alone and refine only minor things the eye might not pick up on at first. The first part of his vision was to move the front and rear bumpers closer to the body. Then the stake pockets atop the bed were filled in. Lastly, the gas tank filler door was shaved clean, and the gas tank was relocated inside the bed.

With the mild mods done, Rich had friend Harry Hennis spray the truck with a custom paint job. Acting as a backdrop for the PPG Pearl Orange flames is PPG Blue Pearl. Breaking off the flames from the blue backdrop is a lime green pinstripe. The paint scheme crept up to the inside of the bed when the C-notch cover and gas tank were given the same treatment. The rest of the bed was sprayed with gray bed liner, and a Gaylord bed cover tops everything off.

Underneath the PPG paint job Rich C-notched the frame and installed a 4-link to the GM 12-bolt rearend. Isolating the truck from the ground are Firestone 2600 airbags. Up front Rich installed a set of Air Ride Technologies’ tubular control arms with Firestone bags.

With the C10 laid on the ground, Rich shifted to handling and installed P-S-T sway bars in the front and rear, which will help keep the truck upright in the turns. With the chassis complete, it was time to add the final parts. Instead of sticking with the OEM brakes, Childers ordered 13-inch Baer brakes for the ’75’s corners. Resting in front of the Baer brakes are Colorado Custom Laser billet rollers. Up front Rich went with 18×7-inch rims with a 3-inch offset. Dunlop 225/45/18 tires surround the Colorado Custom rims. Out back Rich upped the ante and installed 20×9.5-inch rollers with a 5-inch offset wrapped in Dunlop 295/40/20 rubber.

As if the bagged and slammed longbed C10 with a rad paintjob wasn’t enough, Childers went one step further. The truck originally came with a 350 Chevy engine, which is nothing special. Instead of rebuilding the 350 and throwing on some chrome and polished accessories, Rich wanted to really set his motor apart from the rest of the 350 small-blocks out there, so he took the 350 to Richard Meditte, who pulled the motor apart and rebuilt it to what it is today. Meditte built the 350 with JE 9:1 pistons, Hellfire rings, and Dart heads. Then the motor was topped with a Motown intake manifold and a Holley 650 carburetor. Spark is made via an MSD ignition system, and sound echoes through JBA headers and FlowMaster mufflers.

So far so good, but that isn’t where this book ends. Rich had Meditte install a ProCharger P1SC centrifugal supercharger with an intercooler. In the end the motor cranked out 512 horsepower on the dyno. A 700-R4 with a B&M shifter and a Moroso trans cooler backs the small-block huffer.

The last thing on the agenda was the interior. The ’75’s original interior was yanked and tossed. From there Rich pirated two bucket seats from a Z24 Cavalier and handbuilt the center console that flows between the seats. The seats, along with the dash and door panels, were covered in Enduratex Dove gray material, and all the metal in the cab was painted PPG Blue Pearl. The dash also received billet inserts and Auto Meter gauges. Behind the seats sits a custom-built speaker box that houses two Kenwood 10-inch subwoofers. Rich also used Kenwood speakers and a Kenwood CD player.

Rich’s area might see longbed trucks as workhorses, but we don’t think there’s one soul around there who isn’t going to say his ‘75 C-10 is one bad mofo, even if it is an oddball.

Photo Gallery: 1975 Chevrolet C-10 Long Bed - The Long And Short Of It - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

At some point in our lives we have all heard those famous words, “don’t mess with Texas,” whether it was on a bumper sticker, in a movie, or in a George Strait song. Although some might take the saying as fightin’ words, all it refers to is the pride Texans take in themselves and their state. Jeff Spencer of Beaumont, Texas, is no different than most Texans, and like so many others before him he decided there is no better way to show one’s self pride than in a man’s automobile, or, in Texas, his truck.

With 10 years of experience and several Chevy trucks under his belt, he decided to get the ball rolling on his 1984 Chevrolet C-10 pickup. The first decision Jeff was faced with was whether he wanted to go up or down with the truck. He made the decision, the right decision, to put it on the ground. He then decided that if you’re going to drop it, why not slam it, and things just snowballed from there.

The next order of business was to determine what would take place under the hood. Jeff chose to stick with the stock 350 and a GM 700R transmission, but he decided to give the 350 a facelift. He had the block bored .30 over and installed forged flat-top pistons, which left the motor with a compression ratio of 10 to 1. Next, he followed these upgrades with a Competition hydraulic camshaft. The next batch of parts installed, all from Edelbrock, were an intake manifold, 650 carburetor, air cleaner, and valve covers. To top it all off, he added a set of Hedman headers and Flowmaster mufflers.

With the engine underway, Jeff began working on the truck’s chassis. Since he wanted the truck to be literally on the ground, the only option was airbags. He equipped his Chevy with Firestone airbags in the front, and a custom two-link spring setup with bags was installed in the rear. In order to achieve the on-the-ground look he was striving for, the truck still required some major adjustments to the chassis. Jeff turned to the boys over at Ekstensive Metal Works. The frame was Z’ed two inches in the front, and out back a step notch was built into the frame. They also hooked Jeff up with a custom-built steering set-up and a set of Belltech front drop spindles. The completed package gave Jeff the stance he desired, yet still to come was his decision on what wheels and tires to go with, because let’s face it, even the right stance can be ruined by a poor choice of wheels. Jeff chose to accompany his newly built suspension with 18-inch Budnik Raptor wheels and a set of Nitto tires.

They say that true beauty is on the inside-highly negotiable-but with the frame complete, Jeff began work on a very crucial stage, the exterior. With the help of a few of his buddies from Autobody Excellence, Jeff and company shaved the door handles, driprails, gas tank door, trim, and molded in the roll pan to give the body a cleaner look. Now that the exterior was nearing its final stages, the only thing left to do was find someone to paint it. Luckily for Jeff, a painter by trade, he figured if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. Therefore, he shot the ‘84 C-10 with a fresh coat of PPG Electric Blue.

At last, the project was nearing its end, and it was up to the guys at Auto-Stitch to put the finishing touches on the truck. The truck was fitted with a ‘98 Chevy Tahoe back seat. The stock door panels were smoothed, leaving no armrests or interior handles, and then wrapped in gray vinyl to match the seat. To add that little extra to the inside, the billet accessories were painted to match the Electric Blue exterior.

With the stunning end result of his truck and a new baby on the way, the only thing left for Jeff to do is sit back and take pride in his craftsmanship, and serve as a reminder to us all what the saying “Don’t Mess With Texas” is all about.

Photo Gallery: 1984 Chevrolet C-10 - Lone Star State Of Mind - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

During the course of the last year or so, we have run a series of tech stories on John Barkley’s ‘74 Stepside Chevy C-10. What started out as a straight-six, three-on-the-tree bone-stock farm truck is now a full-on street bruiser. With all-new suspension from Classic Performance Products and McGaughy’s, a new tranny from TCI, wheels from Stockton Wheels, and, well, a whole lot more, this one-time hay hauler that wasn’t worth a second look is now a representation of all that our hobby embodies: taking something that was meant for transportation, everyday use, and work, and turning it into a rolling piece of art.

But it’s not the fact that John has transformed this truck that intrigues us. What really sets things off is that he has built an ideal street truck that blends both show and go, and the best part about it is this isn’t a high-dollar hauler. In fact, the truck is a fairly cheap build. By John picking and choosing where to spend his money, he has created a solid truck, and by making the right choices, he doesn’t worry about everyday use. Oftentimes this is what he drives day in and day out. By splurging in areas such as the drivetrain, but skimping in paint and body (the paint is from One Day Paint and Body), onecould say this truck is the quintessential build for any enthusiast who is looking for a cool, comfortable, good-handling, and most importantly, fun, driveable vintage cruiser.

To get a better feel for what John has done with his truck, we sat down and had a few words with him to get his take on the build. As a bonus, we also took the truck out to the track to get some basic slalom, skidpad, and braking numbers when the truck was bone stock, and then again in its completed form. So instead of John just speaking his mind through his seat-of-the-pants experiences, we actually have some cold hard numbers to show exactly what the aftermarket is capable of doing to one’s ride. Here’s John’s opinion of why his truck drives, handles, and looks great:

“In terms of the motor, a Speed-O-Motive 355 short-block, I chose a few key components that stand out. I think the Edelbrock E-Tec heads are awesome. I chose the smaller 170s because I felt they were a better match for a street motor. For a 355 with a fairly aggressive camshaft (a Lunati 232-242 with 1.6 roller rockers), it still idles at 1,200 rpm with 12 inches of vacuum in neutral. In gear with the brakes applied, it idles at 800 rpm with 8 inches of vacuum, and cruising down the freeway at 70 mph, it pulls 14 inches.

Another thing is that I love Quadrajets. My years spent racing NHRA Stock and Super Stock cars showed me how well they work when set up correctly, so it was a no-brainer to go with a Quadrajet. The Carb Shop in Ontario, California, started in business as Quadrajet specialists, and I’ve been going to them for years, so when it came time to install one on my small-block, they set me up with one calibrated and dialed it in. The Edelbrock intake manifold, Hooker headers, and Hooker exhaust system aren’t too shabby, either.

“Backing the motor is what I feel is the best for my money, a TCI Automotive 700-R4 trans with a Constant Pressure valvebody. I like the 3:1 low gear and the combination of a 67 percent overdrive and a lockup converter, basically making the trans a five-speed; it works well all around. Also, it’s not just a lockup converter; it’s a 10-inch street and strip converter that has a lockup piggybacked onto it, which means the truck launches like it has a 4.56 gear (2.15 60 foot) and cruises like it has a 2.54, 2,200 rpm at 70 mph. The Constant Pressure valvebody is the icing on the cake because the trans can be better tailored to my driving style due to the fact that the TV cable is no longer critical for line pressure.

“Another factor is the overall driveability. An important part of the whole package is comfort. Some trucks can wear you out to drive; however, this truck doesn’t. Part of that is because the cab is quiet, for a hot rod truck, thanks to the Quietride insulation and the new windows, door panels, door rubber, and more from LMC Truck. Not to mention the Corbeau buckets are great looking, supportive, and comfortable.

“Along with the interior, I also replaced the front fenders with new Year One sheetmetal and Classic Industries headlight bezels. Even the cheapy One Day white paintjob I threw on the truck makes for a nice clean look when combined with the orange Stockton Wheel steelies. Also aiding in the overall driving factor is the suspension and braking. Between the combination of parts from McGaughy’s and Classic Performance Products, the suspension and brakes work really well. The truck sits just right and looks great. It also rides very well for a 4/6 drop. The antisway bar, shocks, and springs combine to deliver predictable and fun handling. Unlike when the truck was stock, the new brakes are awesome and consistent. The CPP HydroBoost brake system was an excellent addition; all you need any time is light pedal pressure to put your nose on the dash.

“At the end of the day, when everything is said and done, my truck runs mid-13s in full street trim, makes 320 hp to the wheels, runs on 89 Octane, got 15.03 mpg over a 1,700-mile test, does the 70-foot cones in the slalom at 40.1 mph, pulls .82 on the skidpad, stops from 60-0 mph in 167 feet, and it does all this on 60-series everyday regular street tires. Not to mention it looks good and it’s fun to drive…now that I think about it, what’s not to like?”

“The key to the performance and mileage is that the total package works well together, and the overall driving enjoyment I get from the truck is much more than the motor/trans combination. The truck feels solid and quiet (for a hot rod) because of the interior, the insulation, the suspension, and the exhaust system. It’s confidence-inspiring because the motor will put you where you want to go anytime, the suspension will keep you in control, and the brakes inspire the feeling that you can stop easily, not to mention it looks cool all the while.”

Photo Gallery: 1974 Chevrolet Stepside C-10 - Bark’s Has Bite - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

More often than not, when someone starts to construct a customized classic truck, they have a complete body, and they decide on a drivetrain as the build progresses. For Bob Wells of Laguna Beach, California, it was the exact opposite. He already had the engine and transmission he wanted to run, but he was minus a platform, and not just any brand or year of truck would do. Like many people, Bob regards the big-window ‘56 Ford F-100 as the “deuce” of pickup trucks, and that was exactly what he was after. The search for the perfect donor to receive the Boss 429 Ford engine Bob had tracked down on eBay was one that took him from driving up to Northern California to hopping on an airplane and flying to Kansas City, Missouri. The process took a little longer than Bob had anticipated, but he eventually found what he felt was the perfect truck.

After a nationwide search, Bob ended up buying his ‘56 big-window less than 30 miles away in Lake Elsinore, California, from Bob Carvajal, the proprietor of Bobco Auto. For those who don’t know, the name Bobco is synonymous with some of the nicest ‘56 F-100s around. This ‘56 in particular was perfect in the sense that Bobco already had the body in paint, but the drivetrain definitely had to disappear. You see, with a nickname like “Boss” Bob, it’s pretty much a no-brainer guessing that Bob doesn’t care too much for anything that isn’t made by the Ford Motor Company. When we spoke with Bobco, we were told that “Boss” Bob specifically stated “no GM junk on his truck.” In addition to pulling the Chevy engine and transmission back out of the ‘56, even the tilt steering wheel column had to be yanked out because it had a GM ignition key and switch in it.

At the heart of the truck is a Boss 429 “Boss” Bob bought off of eBay from a guy in Beaverton, Oregon. Once the 429 arrived in Southern California, it was hauled over to Mascar Auto in Costa Mesa, where engine builder Ken Maisano pulled it down to see if it was ready to run as promised or had a few eBay surprises in it. As it turned out, the Boss motor was a little worn out, but not entirely junk. Knowing that anything about a Boss 429 is big dough, Ken went out of his way to ensure the rare engine would have a few more rebuilds left in it. Instead of buying off-the-shelf 0.30-over pistons, Ken ordered a custom set of 0.20-over Ross pistons with a 10.25:1 compression ratio. In keeping with an original specification, Ken used a solid-lifter cam, but it was a special grind with a 510-lift from Cam Motion. Behind the Boss motor is a beefed C-6 three-speed automatic tranny from Dave Dibbs at Orange County Transmissions.

With the engine and transmission dropped back into the frame by Bill Brown at his shop, Rod Tech, in Costa Mesa, Bobco’s crew hung the Kugel rearend with 3.55:1 gears into the truck, and it was ready for Russ at Mesa Muffler to perform his magic custom-bending exhaust pipes to surround a pair of Flowmaster mufflers. Since “Boss” Bob’s ‘56 originally started out as a truck that Bobco was building for himself a little at a time, it remained on the back burner for around four years before “Boss” Bob entered the picture. Hence the paint and bodywork on the truck was around four years old when the truck changed hands. Needless to say, not only was this amount of time passing proof-positive that the truck was absolutely rust-free, but it was definitely cured before it was reassembled. If someone had to pick out one feature above all about a Bobco-built truck, it would certainly have to be Bob’s ability to turn out an absolutely flawless paint job. Of course, a perfect paint job doesn’t mean a thing if it isn’t followed up with a high level of craftsmanship. Again, this is an area where Bobco’s crew really excels. To handle the interior accommodations, a seat robbed from a ‘68 Dodge van was covered in creme UltraLeather to match the rest of the upholstery done by Elegance Interiors of Upland, California. For looks and comfort, a Grant wood-rimmed steering wheel takes care of the steering chores, while ice-cold air conditioning comes from a dash-controlled Vintage Air unit.

With it all said and done, “Boss” Bob ended up with a perfect example of what the “Deuce” of trucks should look and act like when completed: super-clean and real mean.

Photo Gallery: 1956 Ford Pickup

You never know when the mood is going to strike. It could be something visual that rallies a thought, or a background sound, but whatever the case may be, when that bell goes off, the wheels are in motion. And oftentimes that bell comes at the strangest times. For Gregg Hill, the mood struck while visiting a show in Seattle.

For nearly 40 years Gregg had been a Chevy guy from the get-go. With several Bow Ties parked in his garage, Gregg was always on the lookout for Chevys. However, this trip to Seattle went a little differently. While walking around the show, Gregg noticed a yellow glow in the distance that struck a nerve. As he got closer, the pieces started to come together, and he noticed that the object of his desire was a Ford. But how could this be? Who cares, he thought to himself, because the dropped Butternut Yellow ‘63 unibody Ford was absolutely stellar.

Looking back on it, Gregg credits the unibody design for his attraction to the truck, along with all the well-executed, subtle highlights. When Gregg found out the truck was for sale, it didn’t take him long to sign on the dotted line.

When Gregg bought the truck, it was already completed. The guy who built it left everything pretty much stock. About the only thing that wasn’t stock was the chassis. The original Ford frame was hacked up, and a Volare front clip was installed. With a few twists on the Mopar torsion bars, the front end was brought down to the desired ride height. Out back, a set of blocks were strapped to the axle to bring down the rear. Instead of sticking with the stock Ford rollers, a set of Torq-Thrust IIs were thrown in the mix. Out back are two 17-inch rims wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber, while up front sit 16-inch rollers in BFGoodrich rubber. The difference between the rim’s sizes brings up the truck’s rear just a little bit, which gives the truck a mild-mannered yet defined rake. As for the rest of the truck, it’s bone stock-well, everything besides the mid-’80s Chevy S-10 seat.

Although the truck was finished when Gregg bought it, there was one thing that had to go. When Gregg bought the truck it was equipped with a mild 302 backed by a C-4 tranny. Plain and simple, that combo wasn’t going to cut it. What Gregg needed was more power. He ordered a Ford Racing 351 to satisfy his need for speed. With the added power, the C-4 was a no-go, so Gregg also ordered a beefier C-6 tranny with a B&M tranny cooler. Together the new 351/C-6 combo gets the truck up and moving with no problems. A custom exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers echoes Gregg’s lead foot. Although some might see Gregg’s newfound love for the Blue Oval as crossing over to the dark side, we here at CCT tend to think there’s nothing wrong with broadening your horizons, especially when that horizon is a killer unibody!

Photo Gallery: 1963 Ford Unibody - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

Tom Flenniken is one of those guys who has been involved in hot rodding clear back to the mid-’50s, when he built a ‘31 A roadster strictly for the strip. Since then he has churned out hot rod after hot rod, including his latest, this ‘48 F-1 Ford. Tom is also a retired police officer, which means paperwork is part of his game, so it’s no surprise to us that when we asked him to fill out a tech sheet for the Ford, his passion for the hobby and years of experience in paperwork resulted in a multi-page essay! Being that we here at CCT aren’t ones to see hard work go to waste, we figured we’d just let Tom go ahead and tell you all about his ‘48 instead of regurgitating what he concocted.

“I found my truck abandoned in a back field in Santa Fe Springs, California, and after locating the owner, he explained it had been sitting in the field for over 10 years. The drive gear had been stripped long ago, and the interior was gone, except for some mismatched junkyard bucket seats. I found the hood lying upside down on the truck’s bed; it looked like it had been run over. The truck’s bed was metal and in terrible condition, with most of the bed rusted out. The cab was all there, but it, as well as the fenders, was plagued by the rust bug. I opted to take my wife with me to buy the truck, mostly to convince her that the truck and I could help her with her hobby of buying and selling antique furniture. She saw the truck and could only say, `Good luck.’

“I talked to my friend of 40 years, George Britting, an old-school fuel dragster builder, and told him what I wanted to do. He immediately suggested I take the truck to his shop in Baldwin Park and get things rolling. We started by tearing the truck apart with a pneumatic chisel, because the rusted bolts would not break free! Once apart, all the body parts were taken to be media blasted while we worked on the frame. We cleaned up the frame and installed a Heidt’s Mustang II front end kit with 11-inch disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, tubular A-arms, and coilover shocks. In the rear, we installed a four-link system with coilovers mated to a 9-inch narrowed rearend. We replaced the ring-and-pinion gears with a set of 3:70-ratio gears and a locker carrier. The rear brakes are 11-inch Explorers, with all the cables and brackets supplied by Control Cables in Santa Fe Springs. We then installed a small-block Chevy 350 with a 700-R4 built by California Performance Transmission with a 2400 stall torque converter.

“We got the truck parts back from the media blaster, and the real work began. We started on the cab first by removing the door handles and replacing the factory hinges with a Hagen hidden hinge kit. The top was then chopped 2 inches, and we did all our cutting under the rear window to keep it stock for better vision. At this time we also shaved the driprails. I looked around for another hood, but I could not find anything better than what I had, so we went to work on the hood and filled in the front where the hood release was located. Next, the fenders were straightened and the seams were filled in. The grille was replaced with aftermarket grille bars, and a Hagen’s ‘40-50 French headlight kit was installed.

“As for the bed, it was clear the truck had been used as a work truck due to its bent side rails. We used a torch and some pry bars to raise the side rails up to their original position. The dents were then removed from the bed sides, and the rear fenders were straightened and attached to the bed sides. Sheets of 18-gauge steel were mounted on the insides of the bed to cover the fender mounting bolts.”In the inside, the dash was completely filled in, and a glovebox was constructed with stainless steel. The ignition switch, headlight switch, and wiper motor switch were mounted on the driver’s side of the glovebox. The air conditioning selection panel was mounted on the passenger side of the box. Lastly, the truck was dropped off at Mr. D’s Custom Body and Paint in Brea, California, where they sprayed the PPG Clover Green Pearl on the Ford. Collins Trim in Whittier, California, stitched things up in camel-colored leather. As for the wheels, I placed a Billet Specialties Legacy wheel with a knock-off in each corner.

“The truck was finished and on the road for two years, but something was still missing. I told my wife I had always wanted to have a vehicle with a blower, and she commented that I should do it if I wanted to. So I did. I contacted an old drag racing friend, Donny Hampton of Hampton Blowers in Downey, California, and told him I wanted a blower for show and not necessarily go. He said he would build a 6-71 blower with a low amount of boost so I could drive it on the street without a problem. I pulled the motor and took it to L&R Automotive in Santa Fe Springs, California. They rebuilt the engine with new forged pistons, rods, bearings, and valve springs, and reduced the compression to 7.5:1. They left the Isky 256-262 cam in. Four weeks later I got the motor back complete with a blower and installed it in the truck, and I haven’t done anything since…well, except drive the heck out of it.” And for that, Tom, we salute you.

Photo Gallery: 1948 Ford Pickup - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

When it comes to building a unique ‘56 Ford F-100 customized pickup, there’s not a lot of open territory left to explore. Starting from the day the ‘56 F-100 first left the showroom floor, they were subjected to the personal whims of many a contemporary customizer. Before most of the trucks even got their first license plate, they were already sporting everything from dual chrome stacks running up the cab to Olds 88 Fiesta hubcaps stuffed into wide whitewalls. Needless to say, after 50-plus years of customizing evolution, there is absolutely nothing new under the sun when it comes to a ‘56 Ford F-100…or is there?

To celebrate the ‘56 Effie’s 50th birthday, Rob MacGregor of San Bernardino, California, set out to build a tribute truck unlike any other. Since Rob is the proprietor of No Limit Engineering, also of San Bernardino, it’s a no-brainer. He was destined to succeed, unless, of course, he ventured to gamble on a few untried ideas.

From the get-go, Rob knew the ‘56 would feature one of No Limit’s custom-made chassis, but instead of modifying one of No Limit’s existing production models, he started from scratch and built an entire double-stacked tube chassis out of 1 3/4-inch .120-wall DOM. To give the little Effie a better shot at high-speed stability, the stock 109-inch wheelbase was stretched to 112 inches by centering the front wheels in the fenders and relocating the rear fenders rearward. The longer wheelbase not only adds stability, it also improves ride quality. Couple this with Air Ride Technologies Shockwaves at all four corners, and the No Limit ‘56 rides and handles as well as it looks.

If you haven’t guessed by now, high-performance capabilities were a common thread throughout the ’56’s build. For whoa, a gigantic set of 13-inch Stainless Steel disc brakes ride up front, followed by a pair of 12-inch disc brakes, also from Stainless Steel Brakes, bringing up the rear. Speaking of the rear, Rob chose to run a Currie 9-inch differential packing a set of deep 4.11:1 gears. A beefed Ford 470 AODE automatic tranny from Bauman Transmissions of Pendleton, South Carolina, offsets the four-eleven gearing. Along with the AOD tranny, Bauman was the source of the Baumanator electronic transmission controller. Transmission cooling is handled via a Specialty transmission cooler plumbed in with a 2,800-rpm Redline torque converter. Shifting the AOD transmission is facilitated through a Gennie shifter. In keeping with the ’56’s revolutionary nature, power comes from a 4.6-liter Ford DOHC V-8 blueprinted by Sullivan Performance to deliver an estimated 620 horsepower at 7,500 rpm.

Appropriately enough, prefacing the Ford “cammer” is a Paxton supercharger filtered through a K&N air filter and mounted on a Sullivan Performance intake manifold (Ford ran Paxton superchargers on the record-holding F-series 312-inch Y-block T-bird engines of ‘57). Scott Sullivan ported and polished the DOHC cylinder heads, equipped with Cobra camshafts and topped with Sullivan Performance cam covers (valve covers). To help the DOHC 4.6 adapt to the supercharger, the compression ratio was lowered to 8.5:1 using JEPistons. For the exhaust system, No Limit custom-fabricated tubular headers, then connected Flowmaster mufflers in between the custom exhaust pipes Rob’s crew bent up for the ‘56. To feed gasoline to the “cammer” motor, a 19-gallon No Limit fuel tank with two onboard electric fuel pumps is perched at the truck’s aft end.

Before we describe the ’56’s bodywork and interior, this would probably be a good time to mention that not one component on the No Limit Ford pickup is a “genie” part from ‘56. This includes the fiberglass big-window cab manufactured by BeBops Glass. Rob mentioned that the big rear window glass fit on to BeBops’ cab better than an original Ford cab.

The steel fenders and bedbox are from Dan Carpenter, but the bedbox was widened 3 inches and 1 1/2 inches were added to the rear fenders. Not to be confused with Dan, the front and rear bumpers are from Dennis Carpenter, but as with pretty much everything else on the truck, they have been modified by No Limit. The front fenders and grille, along with a list of miscellaneous trim pieces, were sourced from Mid Fifty F-100 Parts. In keeping with using the best of the best parts available, the electrics in the No Limit ‘56 feature a Painless wiring harness tied into a Cyclops cluster of carbon-fiber Auto Meter gauges flanked by the Vintage Air air conditioning. The black leather interior featuring modified bucket seats from a Toyota Stupor was stitched by Wanda’s Custom Upholstery of San Bernardino (didn’t the Beach Boys do a song called “Help Me Wanda”?). Speaking of tunes, the Kenwood sound system was custom-installed by Mike Stoeckmann’s Tune Time in Highland, California.

It seems only appropriate that Rob and the No Limit crew chose an understated competition theme to express their birthday wishes for the ‘56 F-100, because as we all know, FORD is an acronym for “first on race day!”

Photo Gallery: 1956 Ford F-100 - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes–from songs, movies, paintings, aspiring beauty queens, and, yes, ChevaOhmy trucks. When Laurence Fairey set out to find something to boost his own morale, he never dreamt that his new venture would also bring some sunshine into others’ as well.

It all started in November 2005. Laurence had just lost his job, and his good friend Glen convinced him that building a truck would fill his downtime void and act as therapy as well. Being an enthusiast, Laurence had no clue about what it took to build a classic truck, yet once again Glen stepped in and introduced Laurence to Garvin Harvey, the owner of Rod Shop of Memphis in Cordova, Tennessee. The meeting couldn’t have come at a better time due to a recent slump in Garvin’s business. It was clear that Rod Shop of Memphis was the perfect fit for the build, yet one concern still remained: what kind of truck should they build? After some deliberation, they decided the truck for Laurence was none other than a 1949 Chevrolet.

It took the Rod Shop a year to build what appears to be a basically stock ‘49 Chevy; however, underneath the yellow paint, the truck is anything but stock.When Garvin and Laurence talked about the Chevy’s direction, Laurence wanted a truck that looked classic on the outside but had all the mechanics of a state-of-the-art street rod. Following Laurence’s words, Garvin begin by fabricating a custom chassis. Everything about the stock chassis mechanics was thrown out the door, and Rod Shop of Memphis drew up plans to build a chassis with four-corner independent suspension. The new chassis is based around a front and rear IRS from Kugel Komponents. The front IFS is based around new tubular control arms that mount to a weld-in crossmember. The IFS also comes equipped with disc brakes and Carrera coilover shocks, and Garvin ordered 500-pound springs for the coilovers. To update the steering, Garvin also incorporated a Flaming River rack-and-pinion unit into the new chassis. Out back, the Kugel IRS features tubular stainless control arms, a Ford 9-inch member, and four Carrera coilover shocks. The stock Kugel IRS comes with two shocks, but due to the truck’s weight, they ordered the additional coilover package. For added handling, Garvin also ordered an IFS with the additional Kugel Torque Arrest radius rods. To highlight the wicked awesome IRS, Memphis laid down a polished stainless bed floor instead of traditional wood. Now when one looks under the chassis, the first thing they see is double vision.

With the chassis squared away, it was time to install a drivetrain that’s just as state of the art as the chassis. Nothing says power and performance like a brand-new GM Performance Parts 502 crate motor, which seemed like the perfect match. The Rod Shop dropped in the 502, but not before they painted the block to match the truck and decked the motor out with a billet serpentine system, valve covers, air cleaner, billet reservoirs, Vintage Air, and just about every otherbillet accessory one can buy. Backing the 502 is a TCI Turbo 400 with a shift kit.

In terms of getting the chassis to roll, the state-of-the-art concept was overlooked. Laurence wanted the chassis and running gear to be top-notch, but he also wanted the truck to have a straightforward, timeless look. Therefore, each corner of the truck received a 15-inch Cragar SS. Up front, the vintage rollers measure out to 15×7 inches, but out back, Laurence needed a little more meat, so he went with 15×10 inchers.

The outside of the truck still looks like Chevy’s original design team intended it to, but, of course, when the truck arrived at Rod Shop of Memphis, it was nothing of the sort; it took hours of meticulous work from Rod Shop of Memphis’ newest crew member, Tommy, better known as T Square around the shop. T Square had just arrived at Memphis after evacuating from New Orleans, where he and his family lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, and one of his first orders of business was to rework the ‘49 back to pristine condition. Once T Squarefinished his end of the bargain, the shop supervisor and paint artist, who is also named Tommy, finally got the chance to give his brand-new paint booth some work. He rolled the ‘49 into the booth and laid down the flawless DuPont Yellow paint job. After that, the truck was taken over to Nick Epps in Memphis, Tennessee, to install the white and yellow leather interior. Nick also worked up some custom seats for the truck and covered the Rod Shop of Memphis custom center console.

Upon the truck’s completion, Laurence figured there was only one thing to name the bright yellow Chevy: Sunshine. When asked why, his answer was simple, “You see, here is the setting: I had just lost my job, Garvin was having a slump in business, Tommy had a new paint booth that was underutilized, and T Square had lost all but his family at the hands of Katrina; then came the opportunity to create Sunshine. I guess it is true that bringing a little Sunshine into somebody’s life is a blessing.”

Photo Gallery: 1949 Chevy Pickup - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine