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InTheGarageMedia.com
Sammy
Hill’s Hot Rods’ Tribute to the Red Rocker: Bob Ward’s 1996 Chevrolet
BY ROB FORTIERImages by NotStock Photography
S

ammy. Uttering that name immediately conjures up both visual and audio memories, the first of which permeating my cranial cavity is Hagar’s song “Red”! And indeed the Mr. Cabo Wabo is the moniker in which Hill’s Hot Rods referenced when naming Bob Ward’s (GMC-grilled) 1996 Chevy, as Jason Hill himself recalls.

“We [Hill’s Hot Rods] built this CK1500 to bring back some old memories to a rather famous Squarebody from back in the past, ‘Red Rocker;’ a passing of the torch in a way. It has been 20 years since that truck was built and it was time to see an OBS version done. Cutting our teeth on CK truck builds over 30 years ago made this build a lot of fun for the Hill’s crew,” Hill says.

1996 OBS Chevy rocking retro flames and ultra-deep dish staggered wheels
1996 Chevy Silverado shaved rear with hidden lights and deep tuck under body drop
1996 Chevy truck engine bay featuring Whipple supercharger and billet accessories
1996 Chevy C1500 running a Whipple-supercharged LS powerplant with precision plumbing
That rather famous truck Hill alluded to is none other than ex-Truckin’ feature editor Travis Noack’s 1985 Squarebody—done in 2004 back when I was editorially trying to convince the powers that were that first-gen Squarebody C10s belonged in Primedia’s sister publication Classic Trucks magazine (I was right, but would’ve built my Spanish Gold 1975 Cheyenne regardless!). Almost exactly 30 years later, Hill’s Hot Rods teamed up with JD Glassworks (also in Lubbock, Texas) for the four-wheeled rocker reunion, aka Sammy!

Bob’s CK1500 transition started out with a full-custom ACME Chassis Factory 1988-98 airbagged foundation featuring CNC-bent/laser-cut ’rails, in-house fabbed suspension components and crossmembers/mounts, as well as (on their Stage IV option, as used) Wilwood Pro spindles and 14-inch discs and Slam Specialties ’bags at all four corners. Between the fabricated framerails lies a Whipple-supercharged LS3 controlled by a Holley Terminator XMAX feeding a built 4L80E overdrive with a Moser-equipped, narrowed 10-bolt out back. Staggered and powdercoated 22-/24-inch Intros wearing Pirelli P Zero Z-rated rubber round out the chassis package.

1996 Chevy C1500 with candy red paint and custom yellow-to-orange flame graphics
1996 Chevy C1500 digital gauge cluster and billet accents for a refined interior upgrade
On top of adding the incognito grin (the grille/frontal fascia with a billet insert), Hill’s smoothed and gapped every square inch of the Chevy, pinched and tucked the front bumper, handmade a rear roll pan, and crafted a custom, raised bed floor with a hinged centersection. As an homage to its four-wheeled predecessor, Hill coated the exterior generously in PPG Flame Red topped with white-to-yellow flames tipped in blue by Pat Maxwell of Maxwell Auto Designs.

Lastly, after wiring and installing a full Kicker Audio system (obviously it has to have ample—heavy on the “amp”—output for the tunes!), JD Glassworks did their thing with yards of Moore & Giles hazelnut leather, from the dash to the Snowden bucket seats to the door panels and custom center console, all with complementing brown UltraSuede and medium brown Ultra square-weave carpet below. In the interior process, Dakota Digital HDX Silver Alloy gauges, painted/wrapped Billet Specialties steering wheel, and Vintage Air Gen 5 climate control were all added.

To solidify the 2024 “reunion tour,” both Sammy and the Red Rocker were on display side by side at Dino’s Git-Down in Arizona this past November!

1996 Chevy C1500 rear end fully shaved with hidden latches and custom roll pan
1996 Chevy truck bed features a smoothed and painted sheet metal tub and notch cover
1996 Chevy C1500 fitted with Wilwood 4-piston brakes and Intro billet wheels
1996 Chevy pickup cruising low with shaved lights and a seamless front fascia
1996 Chevy C1500 interior refinished in brown leather with billet controls and stitched console
1996 Chevy Silverado with custom leather door panels and tweed lower inserts
1996 Chevy truck audio build with dual Kicker Solo-Baric square subwoofers behind the seats