Classic Performance Products in Anaheim, California, was established in 1991 by Jim Ries and has been an innovator in manufacturing classic truck and automotive custom suspension components, both hard suspension parts and pneumatic bag systems. CPP also specializes in disc brake conversions, master cylinders, power boosters, custom aluminum gas tanks, and power steering units, tilt steering columns, and other cool custom stuff.

Part I
This will be the first of three suspension upgrade tech install articles for ‘63-72 Chevy trucks. Part I will consist of installing a CPP rear suspension with a redesigned “flat” center crossmember with an optional driveshaft support bearing. All crossmembers come with larger 4×5-inch exhaust openings. The rear trailing arm mounts have been relocated 4 inches up to achieve the correct pinion angle. A pair of beefy, 2-inch DOM tubular trailing arms will replace the wimpy stock units. The tubular trailing arm bushings are made of a newly patented, D-Spec, heat-resistant, self-lubricating material that offers long life and an amazingly quiet, comfortable ride. A pair of shorter progressive coil springs and CPP gas-filled shocks allow another 2 inches of drop in the rear ride height. To eliminate any lateral movement of the rearend housing, a CPP track bar will be installed. All this will allow the rear suspension to sit 6 inches lower than the stock ride height.

Part II:
Here we will feature the installation of Classic Performance Products’ front suspension, consisting of tubular upper and lower control arms with a pair of 2-inch drop spindles and shorter coil springs, allowing the nose to be dropped 4 inches.

Part III:
The third tech article will upgrade the original drum brakes to a much more efficient CPP front and rear disc brake system with E-brake. The kit features large rotors and dual-piston calipers at all four corners.

We will be capturing all the critical moves as fabricator/installation technician Jeff Wise and engineer/designer Danny Nix flex their talents and skills as they install the CPP tubular rear suspension kit.

Photo Gallery: 1963-1972 Chevrolet Trucks – Totally Tubular Part I -Tech – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

As opposed to hauling home a project truck that is a long way from running, the beauty of buying an operating truck is that even if it’s a little rough around the edges, you can enjoy it right away. In the case of the ‘79 Chevy Big 10 we threw together for Americruise, there were no two ways about it: we just got lucky. By lucky, we mean there were a lot of things that could have broken or gone wrong, but the old girl made it over 5,000 miles without missing a beat. Since the Big 10 ran Americruise, we have logged another 5,000 miles on the clock, but we have had to replace a few electrical components in addition to some cosmetic improvements we elected to do. Of course, the fun part is the cosmetic stuff, so we’ll talk about that first, and then address the mechanical matters that apply to any late C-10 Chevrolet ever made.

One of the neat things about trucks built in the ’70s is that you can still order your new truck one option at a time instead of the option packages forced onto new truck buyers today. Just about the first thing we do when we tear into an old Chevy truck is pull the seat out and flip it over to see if the buildsheet (broadcast) is still underneath it. Even without the buildsheet, it was obvious our Big 10 had its share of desirable high-end options juxtaposed with an array of option-deletes that created an interesting sparseness to the Big 10’s look. Enfrente, as our buddies south of the border say; with its base-model white-painted front bumper, the Big 10 looked about as plain Jane as a truck can get. Not quite so bad was the Big 10’s stock Argent Gray C-10 grille, complete with a Bow Tie in the center, but it had some room for improvement as well. Although the base-model grille and bumper are not all that pleasing to look at, at least they can’t cause harm to the truck like the mirrors it was equipped with. We call them “door-killers”-they are the number-one reason why it is next to impossible to find a ‘73-87 C-10 with a good pair of doors.

To handle the improvements we wanted to make to the Big 10, we fired her up and drove down to Classic Industries in Huntington Beach, California, where we were in for a pleasant surprise. Not only did Classic Industries stock the more desirable-appearing dual chrome mirrors available for late C-10s, but the ones they carry are genuine GM items still in the GM factory wrapping. All that was required to mount them was to buy the original GM mounting plate that Classic Industries stocks and bolt them onto the existing factory holes. There is a black rubber base gasket that normally goes on the mirrors, but we liked how the mirrors looked better without them. With the “door-killer” problem solved, we moved on to the next items on our Classic Industries shopping list, installing a triple-plated chrome replacement front bumper and silver aftermarket replacement grille with the Bow Tie emblem shaved.

Satisfied with the new custom look our Big 10 was taking on, we progressed to addressing some of the maintenance issues that had cropped up. One of the questions that sometimes pops up when a group of guys are talking about old trucks is what determines how long a factory original part will last, wear or time. In the case of our Big 10, we’d definitely say wear had nothing to do with it, but rather our electrical components were more like a time bomb. With only 75,000 original miles on the odometer, the Big 10’s switches seemed crisp, but the A/C fan-speed switch had a direct short in the high position, and the inoperative headlights were caused by a fried dimmer switch. Once again, Classic Industries was the source for genuine General Motors parts new in the box. The chrome four-way fan switch was a direct replacement, as was the aftermarket dimmer switch manufactured for Classic Industries by Wells of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.

In addition to the repairs that required the replacement of new parts, there were a couple of repairs we made that didn’t cost us a dime, and after we finished restoring some of the Big 10’s original features, our old Chevy was a lot more fun to drive.CCT

Photo Gallery: 1979 Chevy Truck – The Fun Stuff – Tech – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

At last it has all come together. You have the right truck, the right stance, the right paint and interior, the right amount of horsepower, and even the proper approval from your better half. You’re a real road warrior, and with your wheel in hand and your foot on the gas, the highway miles pass by effortlessly…or are they as effortless as you think? What about your driveline-is it out of sight and out of mind? With a mega-cubed engine pushing high horse and torque numbers, a stock driveline will essentially constipate the full potential of your engine. It’s true that GM has built some of the toughest rock-crushing trannies in the automotive world, but as time progresses, these transmissions age. As technology evolves and gas prices climb high into the stratosphere, making some serious improvements to your car’s cruising potential will rise to the top of the to-do list.

If you’ve got a T-400 transmission that needs replacing, or any GM tranny, for that matter, we have got a killer combination you should see. During the hottest time of the year, we found ourselves in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Hughes Performance headquarters. If you’re not familiar with Hughes Performance, let us fill you in on what they do. Since 1971, Hughes has been involved with racing, and specifically with transmissions. Not limiting themselves to just racing applications, Hughes Performance builds transmissions for all types of applications, whether it is street, strip, or towing; if they don’t have a transmission to fit your needs, it does not exist. If you were to put a Hughes T-400 in your vintage GM truck, here’s what you would get:

* Cast-aluminum deep pan
* Intermediate clutch kit w/Kolene steels
* Forward/Direct clutch kit w/Kolene steels and Kevlar bands, front and rear
* Hi-Pressure Performance oil pump
* All units are fully dyno-tested

If you combine the rock-crushing transmissions that Hughes can build and add a bulletproof Gear Vendors Under/ Overdrive unit, not even Kryptonite can break this killer combination. Now that you are familiar with what Hughes Performance has to offer, let’s take a look at what advantages a Gear Vendors unit can add. A Gear Vendors unit essentially splits your transmission’s gears. With this overdrive unit attached to an automatic three-speed, such as this T-400, you now have a six-speed transmission. Virtually all three-speed automatics have the same ratios within a few hundredths (2.5 First, 1.5 Second, 1.0 High). This means your transmission takes 2.5 engine revs to turn the driveshaft once in First gear, 1.5 in Second, and is direct-drive 1:1 in High gear. Gears are multipliers of torque, and since the math of horsepower is torque x rpm 5,252 = hp, then putting a 2.0 gear between First and Second is going to keep the torque multiplication and engine rpm high, which means more horsepower gets to the rear wheels. If we can then put a 1.2 gear between Second and Third, and an overdrive gear beyond Third, we have a close-ratio six-speed overdrive trans with four underdrive power gears, a direct-drive High gear, and an overdrive cruise gear. Thus, Gear Vendor’s trademark Under/ Overdrive can be used to double the underdrive performance ratios and provide overdrive cruising economies. Neat huh? Let’s take a look at how easy this killer combination can come together

Photo Gallery: Gear Vendors Overdrive – Bullet Proof! – Tech – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

It’s the little things that really set off a custom truck, especially when one has to actually study the vehicle to see what that little thing is. We’ve all seen a pickup and said, “All right, what’s different about this thing that I’m not seeing here?” It’s a Man Law, I think, to battle that cyclical question over and over. Well, one of those subtle mods that really tops off a build is one-piece windows.

By eliminating the factory dual-window design, the truck’s body lines are highlighted for a clean look. One Piece Products in Whittier, California, manufactures one-piece window kits that do exactly that. Their product, which can be ordered for both manual and power windows, is a single ide-glass window kit. Instead of keeping the look of a standard window and wing window, this new kit mounts in place and fits the entire window opening. The new OPP tempered glass opens up the truck’s cab, which not only cleans things up, it also allows for crystal-clear viewing without any pillars in the way. The kit also comes with all-new felt; that way, the window will sit in the door properly, just like Chevy trucks from the late ’80s and up. Along with new felt, OPP also designed inner and outer scrapers that not only help guide the window, but also keep the window free from a case of the shakes. Besides all the functional and cosmetic benefits of the new windows, another bonus is that the opened window cavity finally allows for sufficient room to post up your arm. No more squeezing things in there with a 65-degree bend at the elbow.

One Piece Products manufactures several kits for various Chevy trucks, including ‘67-72 Chevy trucks. The kits are entirely bolt on, and for the most part they utilize the stock window mechanics, such as the window regulators, cranks, and more. However, the kit does come with new guide channels, window felt, inner and outer scrapers, and, of course, a one-piece tempered glass window that needs to be installed. To get a closer look at the OPP kit, which was one of the first ones off the assembly line, we headed down to KA Custom in Huntington Beach, California, to follow along while owner Kevin Francis went to work on a ‘71 GMC.

Photo Gallery: Chevrolet Trucks Window Replacement – One For The Money – Tech – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

It doesn’t matter if you call it the Bumpside Build-off or the Bulletside Build-off (see Classic News in this issue for more information), there is one thing for sure, we definitely have two schools of thought at work in this competition. Of course, since Grant at Classic Trucks ‘68 Flareside was on its last legs with a bad rod knock and a host of other terminal conditions, he didn’t have much of a choice whether or not he was going to drive his truck before it was torn down. Thankfully, in Custom Classic Trucks’ corner, our ‘72 Styleside was in good enough condition that we have and will be able to drive it as work progresses. This is not to say the truck didn’t have some reliability issues when we first got it, because there were a few breakdowns. It seems like nine times out of 10, when an engine has problems running, it can usually be traced back to the ignition.

First things first, we popped off the distributor cap and discovered everything inside was junk. With all the really great electronic ignitions on the market today, we didn’t even consider rebuilding the points-type ignition, but just for giggles, we hooked up a dwell meter and confirmed our suspicions when the erratic readings (jumping needle) indicated the distributor had a tremendous amount of slop due to wear.

Since this was our first engine tech on the ‘72 F-100 project, we figured it would be a good idea to make a baseline run on the dyno to establish where we were starting from. We went to see our friend Mark Dibella at MD Automotive in Westminster, California, where anyone with an interest in running on a dyno can buy time on their Dynojet floor dynometer. We made two pulls; the second one was the best. In the stock configuration, the power peaked at 4,500 rpm at 195 lb-ft of torque and 117 horsepower to the rear wheels. With our baseline run out of the way, we drove the ‘72 back to the house and installed a Street/Strip DUI distributor from Performance Distributors in Memphis, Tennessee, along with a set of Live Wires spark plug wires. After we installed the DUI distributor, our little 302 Ford motor fired right up and ran a lot crisper. We could hardly wait to get the ‘72 back on MD Automotive’s dyno. Unfortunately, in our enthusiasm for our newly discovered power, on the return trip we blew the clutch and lunched the transmission. After we get the driveline problems cured, we’ll make another run on the dyno and publish the results in an upcoming issue.

For those of you who have never installed a new distributor or perhaps tried and ended up with disastrous results, we’ll share some tips that we discovered work quite well.

The first thing we learned was it worked best to install the DUI distributor as if it was going into an engine that had never been fired. This means we started at zero and set the initial timing. To make sure we weren’t 180 degrees out, we removed the valve cover and made sure the intake and exhaust valves were closed. The next step was to ensure the pre-fitted Live Wires would all reach their corresponding spark plug. This meant we had to locate where we were going to position the number 1 spark plug terminal on the DUI distributor cap. With the initial timing established, we then had to make sure there were 12 volts to the distributor’s hot wire. With the initial timing set and the DUI’s installation completed, the 302 fired right up. The final steps were to set the timing at 12 degrees BTDC (bottom top dead center) with the vacuum advance disconnected, and then to where we could run as much advance as possible without pinging.

In addition to eliminating the externally mounted coil, ballast resistor, and ignition points with condenser, Performance Distributors’ one-piece DUI with its one-wire hookup is designed with more dwell time, producing a hotter spark. As are all DUIs, ours was curved on a distributor machine specifically for our engine.

With a super smooth curve, our 302 had instant throttle response and ran like a champ-right up until the added power blew the transmission, that is.

Photo Gallery: 1972 Ford F-100 – Hot Spark For A 302 Ford – Tech – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

It’s no secret that V-8 engines installed by the factory in light-duty trucks have been, for the most part, detuned versions of passenger-car V-8s. Whether a particular V-8 configuration first appeared in an automobile or a truck can vary. A good example to illustrate this point is the 348 and 409ci Chevrolet V-8 that was initially utilized as a truck engine and then elevated to a higher state of tune for use in passenger cars. Sticking with Chevrolet as an example, the 327-inch small-block engine that was first introduced in ‘62 cars wasn’t available for service in light-duty trucks until ‘66. So what is this all leading up to? I’m sure some of you have already recognized the subject vehicle of this tech feature is the ‘72 Ford F-100 shortbed Styleside I’ve entered against Classic Trucks’ associate editor Grant Peterson’s ‘68 F-100 in a build-off. The only ground rule presented to us at the start of the contest was that we should attempt to explore opposite directions. Right out of the gate, Grant had plans to modernize his ‘68 with a late-model overhead-cam mod-motor and lay his truck down on Fatman Fabrications’ trick new setup to ditch the F-100’s twin I-beam front suspension along with one of Fatman’s four-links on the rear. With it clear that Grant was going the lowered road with no apparent limits on how much money it took to get there, my direction was obvious-I’d build a lifted Gasser for as little as possible.

When it comes to building a high-performance engine, there’s no getting around it-a person has to spend the money it takes to get high-quality parts. But with a little planning and the right knowledge, the bucks can be kept to a minimum. The first stages include finding the right truck for the right price. This is where I really got lucky. When I spotted my ‘72 F-100 in Dunsmuir, California, for the asking price of $800, I didn’t decide that I absolutely wanted to buy the truck until I lifted the hood and found out it had a V-8 engine. True, it was only a little 302, but that’s a whole lot better than the 240-inch six-cylinder engine that most of these trucks left the factory with.

The next stroke of luck was that I bought my truck from an honest person. The previous owner told me he had overhauled the 302, and when I tore the engine down, I discovered it still had a standard cylinder bore, but there were a lot of new parts in it, including a pair of rebuilt cylinder heads. In addition to trust, before I decided to tear the 302 down and hop it up, I determined the motor had good compression and spark plug color, and it didn’t seem to make any bad noises or burn oil. Once I had this out of the way, the next step was to research and then buy a camshaft, carburetor, and headers designed to be compatible and deliver the most gains in the rpm range I would be running at most of the time.

For those of you who like to read tech stories to learn what not to do as well as what to do, I have a few jewels that should save you from making the same mistakes I did. Right off the top, my first mistake was to start on the ‘72 without first gunking it down and hitting it with a pressure-washer. The mentality that I developed about being able to still drive the truck while I was working on it was dumb. In retrospect, I should have pulled the engine and trans out of the truck. In the long run, this is the best way to do it, because you can get engine work done a lot faster and easier while doing a better job-enough said.

The one mistake that I haven’t made in a long time was to get in a hurry to throw the engine back together because I have a deadline. I’m not talking about the deadline to have the ‘72 done for Americruise, because I still have plenty of time to make that. The immediate deadline was to have the 302 back together and fired up for this issue’s segment on the build. During the course of reassembly, it looked like everything was right on time until I shattered a valve lock (keeper) on the very last valve of the second cylinder head. It was on the eve of Good Friday, and Easter weekend turned out not to be a good time to chase around speed shops looking for one 11/32 seven-degree Lunati lock. The temptation was there to figure out some kind of makeshift alternative, but ultimately I decided to wait until the speed shop opened so I could finish the project with the right parts.

Photo Gallery: Building a 302 Chevy Engine – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

Whether you work on your classic truck for a hobby or you’re a hardcore collector aiming for a perfect restoration, welding can be a challenging skill to master and requires different equipment for heavier work. Once you’ve honed this talent, though, the world of custom fabrication and design is limited only by your own creativity.

Welding is mastered through practice and technique. Trial and error is the way we all learn, but you have to understand the basics first. At CCT, we decided it was time to take up the MIG gun and show you a few tips to steer you in the right direction, beginning with MIG welding. In upcoming issues, we’ll also cover TIG and plasma cutting, and we’ll even tell you what you’ll need to stay safe as the sparks fly.

MIG Welding: A Brief Introduction
Metal inert gas (MIG) welding is a fairly easy process to learn. The welding machine creates an arc between the work piece (what you want to weld) and a continuously consumable electrode (the wire in the MIG gun). The operator need only focus on directing the MIG gun at the joint and proper motion, which is what we’ll be looking at more in depth. Mild steel, stainless, and even aluminum can all be welded using the MIG process.

Selecting The Right EquipmentMIG welding is easier with the right machine. Your requirements are based on the level of your welding needs and what you want to do to your truck. To begin our look at MIG welding, we’ll discuss two extremes: the latest entry-level welder for welding in your home shop, and one for the more experienced welder who may want to weld thicker metal and aluminum.

Setting your weld parameters can be tricky when you are starting out. The folks over at Miller recently introduced the Millermatic 140 with Auto-Set to take the guesswork out of setup and operation. Auto-Set technology allows the operator to simply set the wire diameter and the material thickness and the machine is ready to weld. It automatically sets wire feed speed and voltage for optimal welding results with relatively no spatter for welding 24-gauge up to 3/16-inch mild steel. Right out of the box, this 30-140-amp, 115V machine is designed to grow with the operator. When desired, the Auto-Set feature can be turned off and the operator can select voltage and wire feed speed in manual mode. List price for this welder is $789.

For those looking for the flexibility to MIG thicker materials (22-gauge to 1/2-inch) or aluminum, the Millermatic 251 connects to 208V/230V or 230V/460V/575V power and offers an optional direct-connect spool gun. The 251 doesn’t have the 140’s Auto-Set feature, but it has a higher amperage range (30-300), plus the ability to weld aluminum is really cool. The base list price for the Millermatic 251 is $2,342. The optional spool gun is an additional cost.

The recipe for making a sound MIG weld is the same whether you are just starting out or you have years of fabrication experience: technique. Both machines will give you a great weld provided you use the right technique. MIG welding on steel is different than welding aluminum with a spool gun, not to mention the various angles you’ll be welding.

Depending on what stage your truck is in, you’ll most likely find yourself welding in a horizontal, vertical, or overhead position versus the more desirable flat position. The angle you hold the gun at will change with the type of joint being welded (e.g., butt joint, T-joint, lap joint, or plug weld). Gun angles help shape the weld bead and determine the degree of penetration into the work piece. We’ll discuss what angles you should use for various positions.

Photo Gallery: Welding Guide – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

Although invisible to the eye, sometimes the biggest gains are the ones that seem plain and mundane. When most people think about a custom classic truck, they ponder flashy paint, wheel and tire combos, and custom body mods. But what good is all that exterior hoopla if the drivetrain underneath limits the truck to side-street commutes and freeway speeds that refute Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55″ argument? Oftentimes, poor driveability can be directly linked to the transmission, which is why TCI Automotive designed a new 700-R4 tranny that is sure to kick things up a notch.

Whether you’re simply trying to step up from a Powerglide, Turbo 350, Turbo 400, or just replacing a tired 700-R4, the new TCI 700-R4 transmission is an improvement above them all, in more than just one way. But for starters, we’ll go with replacing a Powerglide, Turbo 350 or 400. Due to the fact that the 700-R4 transmission is equipped with four gears, including overdrive, gear ratios will be adjusted for better take-offs, and perhaps most importantly, highway cruising. In terms of taking off from a dead stop, the 700-R4 clocks in with a 3.07 first gear, as opposed to a 2.48 in a T400 or a 2.52 in a T350. The 700-R4’s 3.07 gear is basically the equivalent of a 20 percent lower rearend gear, which directly results in better 60-foot times. As for cruising, a 700-R4 is equipped with a .67 overdrive that gives you a 33 percent higher rearend gear. To put it another way, if you have a 3.73 rear gear and a Turbo 400, the switch to a 700 gives you a low gear like a 4.11 and highway cruising like a 2.56 rear gear.

If all those crunched numbers and figures are flying across the top of your dome, then let’s slow things down and put them into laymen’s terms. Let’s say your truck currently runs a Turbo 350 or 400 and it cruises down the freeway at 4,000 rpm. If you upgraded to a 700-R4, the .67 overdrive would drop that rpm figure to around 2,800 rpm at the same speed! As a result of the lower rpm, your truck would no longer scream and shake like an overcaffeinated Robin Williams goin’ down the freeway. And as a result of that, you’d be able to hear the local radio station play the same seven songs over and over and your friends talk about the glory days back on the football field.

Although the above gains are all great, what really sets the new TCI 700-R4 apart from the GM 700-R4 is the TCI transmission’s new Constant Pressure Valve Body. One of the GM 700-R4’s key downfalls is the fact that it doesn’t hold sufficient line pressure while cruising down the highway in overdrive at 1,800 rpm; in fact, the line pressure can be as low as 90 psi, which means the clutches are slipping ever so slightly all the time. Another problem area is making sure the GM 700-R4’s T.V. cable, which determines internal line pressure and part throttle shifting, is set dead on. Unfortunately, to adjust the T.V. cable right where it needs to be requires some skill, and when the cable is improperly set, it will result in a transmission meltdown. TCI has found a way to avoid all this by designing the new Constant Pressure Valve Body to maintain at least 100 psi of line pressure at idle and 150 to over 200 when accelerating or cruising, the adequate amount of pressure at all times. The constant pressure avoids common transmission destruction, and although the transmission still requires a T.V. cable, the Constant Pressure Valve Body provides more freedom when setting part throttle shift points, upshift, and downshift timing. Line pressure settings are always at sufficient pressure at all times. That also means you won’t find yourself encountering a low line pressure condition.

The TCI 700-R4’s other main advantage is the lockup converter, which runs off vacuum provided by the intake manifold vacuum line, as well as a 12-volt source when the key is on. When hooked up, the lockup converter is good for another 200-rpm drop.

For now, TCI is only offering the new Constant Pressure Valve Body in their 700-R4 trannys, but due to the performance and driveability benefits they have seen in the 700-R4, plans are in the works to expand the lineup. Eventually, the TCI 200R and Ford AOD, both plagued with problems similar to the 700R, will include the new valve body. Until then, we decided to get our hands on one of the new 700-R4 transmissions to swap out the existing GM 700-R4 in John Barkley’s square-body Chevy.

Photo Gallery: TCI 700-R4 Transmission – Custom Classic Truck

Unlike pinball wizards, when truck lovers see the word “tilt,” they don’t think “game over.” Instead, they imagine a new mod to trick out their truck. Installing a forward tilt hood on your Tri-Five Chevy is a sure way to enhance your truck’s look and style as well as add some wow factor. Years ago, it was up to the ingenuity of individuals to build hinges and more in order to go full tilt, but nowadays it’s as easy as picking up the phone and calling Pizza Hut.

If you were to get a hold of one of No Limit Engineering’s catalogs, it’s safe to say you would be astonished by their abundance of products. From mechanical to cosmetic, No Limit carries a wide variety of products for classic trucks, and one of those products just happens to be a forward tilt hood kit.

No Limit’s Tri-Five tilt kits are designed and engineered to be a simple and hassle-free bolt-in installation. The entire kit is bolt-in besides the four 3/8-inch holes that need to be drilled to help mount the hinge pivots. Other than those few holes, the kit is based around factory mounting positions, which is the key to the kit being more or less a bolt-in system. From there, No Limit designed a simple hinge system around CNC-machined pieces and rod ends with spherical bearings. To guide the truck’s hood into position, No Limit also designed a simple guide track that mounts to the firewall. The tracks are paired up with laser-cut stainless stands attached to the hood and equipped with Delron rollers. Even aligning the hood is simple. The tilt hood kit gives users full adjustability from front to back, height and tilt by simply adjusting the height of the Delron rollers and rod ends. Side to side adjusting is accomplished by inserting more or less washers between the rod ends and the hood mounting brace. The only stock item that the kit retains is the original hood latch. Other than that, the factory hinges and bracing are thrown out.

Venable Koncepts in Huntington Beach, California, is knee deep in building a ‘55 Chevy, and part of the build called for a No Limit forward tilt hood kit. When we here at CCT got word of that, we headed down to Surf City, USA, to see exactly what it takes to install one of the way cool No Limit kits.

Photo Gallery: Installing A Forward Tilt Hood – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

The fastest-growing trucks on the custom classic scene today are the ‘73-87 Chevrolet C-10 and GMC. All you have to do is take a look around your hometown to notice an abundance of prime specimens. Adding fuel to the fire is the ever-increasing presence of top-quality customizing parts available from the aftermarket industry. Thanks to the aftermarket, the challenge of upgrading the appearance and functionality of the late-series C-10’s interior due to the factory’s use of molded plastic and instrumentation typical for the era can easily be corrected. When it came time for us to address our 454-inch big-block-powered ‘75 C-10, we started with the part truck owners spend most of their time viewing–the dashboard. Beginning at the top, we replaced our cracked and crusty dash pad with one from Classic Industries of Huntington Beach, California. This not only made our C-10’s interior seem like a new truck, it allowed us to opt for a color change as well.

Next in line was to replace the poorly marked or altogether absent factory gauges with precision instruments from Auto Meter. This is where the good folks at Covan’s Classic in Cumming, Georgia, enter the picture. For anyone who has ever attempted to customize their dash cluster to accept better gauges, we are sure you all know the extreme hassle created by trying to redesign the dashboard to do so. Now add to this mix the nightmare created by trying to wire in aftermarket gauges to interface with the factory wiring harness, and you have a real mess. This is the beauty of the Covan’s Classic gauge cluster kit–you don’t have to be a master fabricator or an ace electrician to install quality gauges in your truck. The advantages of Covan’s kit are bi-fold: their cluster is designed to accurately and tastefully replace the dated-appearing stockcluster, and their wiring harness is very simple to install. Thanks to a specially designed wiring harness by American Autowire exclusively for Covan’sClassic, all you have to do is connect wires that not only match the original factory wires, but are clearly labeled where they should be attached. For example, the color-coded wire that goes to the gas gauge is lettered “gas gauge,” and the water temp wire is lettered “water temp.”

When it came time to install the Covan’s Classic cluster kit, there were several things we learned that will make installs a lot easier. Follow along as we move from step to step, and when you are done, your truck will have the best-looking and most functional late-C-10 dash cluster on the market.

Photo Gallery: Gauge Cluster Installation – Custom Classic Trucks Magazine