n your teens, it’s easy to fall into the stream of endless influencers online hawking everything from the latest lifestyle trends and electronic glitz to the constantly changing world of music and fashion styles. Couple this with a fascination of hopped-up imports and even EVs and it seems that there’s very little focus being paid to the world of classic trucks and hot rodding. Peel back the surface, however, and you’ll see that our hobby is in great shape moving forward. Take a walk through any local or large-scale automotive event and you’ll experience a large number of young people not only attending but also showcasing their own builds, laying rock-solid groundwork for the future.
Out back, a Ford 9-inch housing is filled with 31-spline axles linked to a Strange Engineering Pro Series nodular iron third member turning 3:73 gears matched to an Eaton Detroit Truetrac differential. It’s all nailed in place by an RS parallel four-bar combined with matching RS SV single-adjustable coilover shocks by Fox. For handling like it’s on ’rails, RS’ IFS is packed with all the right bits, including boxed lower control arms with tubular uppers matched to Wilwood ProSpindles, RS SV single-adjustable coilover shocks by Fox, power rack-and-pinion steering, and heavy-duty sway bar. To stop on a dime, a Baer Remaster dual master moves fluid through stainless lines to Baer Pro+ 14-inch drilled-and-vented two-piece rotors with matching six-piston calipers mounted at each corner. For a classic look connecting it all to the street, a set of Forgeline OE1 wheels, sized 20×10 front and 20×12 rear with stock hubcaps, wear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, sized P285/30ZR20 and P345/30ZR20, respectively.
With plenty of aggressive LS power already in the family, father and son made the decision to opt for big-block thunder this time around, so a call was made to Chevrolet Performance for one of their ferocious ZZ502ci crate V-8s. A fresh cast-iron block with four-bolt mains was packed with a speed shop full of go-fast goods, starting with a forged steel crank with matching shot-peened rods wearing forged aluminum pistons getting bumped by a hydraulic roller cam. A set of high-performance oval-port aluminum heads with 110cc chambers generate seamless power, especially when matched to a Weiand Stealth dual-plane intake wearing a Holley Terminator Max EFI with a 950-cfm 4BBL throttle body crowned by a GM dual-snorkel air cleaner. The CCC team worked their magic underhood by smoothing out the engine bay and laying down a perfect coating of satin black to bring it all to life. Other cool details include a Billet Specialties accessory drive, Holley Vintage-Series finned aluminum valve covers, Griffin radiator, Spal fans, and Eddie Motorsports hood hinges. A Holley Terminator ignition and engine management system lights the fire with exhaust flowing through Hedman Headers to a custom CCC 3-inch stainless exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers. The goods move though a warmed-over GM 4L80E trans packed with a B&M 10-inch torque converter from Accurate Transmission of New Haven, Connecticut, to a custom driveshaft.