With the chassis sorted, attention shifted to the body. The 1982 front end was never part of the plan. Jim wanted a 1973-style nose with round headlights. “I kept the original cab, doors, and bed because they didn’t have any rust or previous repair work,” he explains, “but I tracked down all original panels and hardware for a 1973 front end. We found the parts at swap meets or from friends who were parting out Squarebodies. I wanted to keep it all GM because that stuff is way better than the aftermarket.” He adds, “My son, Isaac, and I started the work ourselves, and it was exhausting, but there was something incredibly fulfilling about seeing the truck in its rawest form, knowing we were bringing it back to life. Just as we were hitting our stride, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly, everything slowed down. Parts became hard to come by and it was harder to spend time together. We had to put the project on hold. It seemed like the whole world was on pause. We didn’t give up; we adjusted our expectations.”

Eventually, progress resumed. The hood was cut for Munssey Speed carbon-fiber heat extractor inserts, the front bumper was tucked and trimmed, and the bed was reworked to accept Munssey Speed carbon-fiber rear wheeltubs while allowing the truck to sit lower. “I tackled the bodywork myself. I did all the Bondo work to try to get all the panels straight, lined up, and properly gapped. The final prep and paint were the only thing I subbed out. They just fine-tuned it and then laid down the paint.” When it came to color, Jim stayed close to the truck’s original Light Blue Iridescent but ultimately chose the one-year-only Carlisle Blue offered on 2012 Corvettes. Whipple’s Auto Body & Collision in Muncy, Pennsylvania, handled the paintwork. Once home, reassembly began and new design elements took shape. His daughter, Natalie, selected the stripe colors to capture a late-1970s vibe, complementing the custom interior plans. Almost Country Vinyl in Linden, Pennsylvania, produced the custom wrap Jim later installed himself.

Underhood, the tired 350 small-block was retired in favor of a fresh build. Jim explains, “My friend Dave Broschart, the owner of Broschart Race Engines had a bunch of parts that I could use to help me put the engine together, so I had him build one from those parts and several additional new parts that were needed. The new combination centered on a 350ci Donovan aluminum block fitted with a GM 3.250-inch stroke steel crankshaft, Eagle connecting rods, JE Pistons flat-top forged pistons, and an Erson solid roller camshaft. Dart PRO1 aluminum heads topped the engine along with a B&M aluminum intake and 144 blower, a Quick Fuel 750 carburetor, and an MSD billet distributor. Power flowed through a B&M Street Fighter Turbo 350 transmission to a Chevy 10-bolt rear via a 4-inch aluminum driveshaft. Stainless Works 2.5-inch headers, custom stainless piping, Flowmaster mufflers, and electric cutouts handled exhaust duties. Wheel and tire selection was finalized before paint. Jim chose Vossen SVT wheels (22×9.5 front, 22×10.5 rear) wrapped in Nitto NT420 radials (265/35R22 front, 325/35R22 rear), with wheel color pulled from the wrap’s palette.

The wrap also inspired the interior. This was Jim’s comfort zone. “I’ve been doing interiors for hot rods for almost 35 years,” he explains. “I wanted a very specific color of brown and it just evolved into a southwestern vibe inspired by the earthy colors on the outside. The burnt wood trim is all hydro dipped and everything was custom fabricated by me.” Dakota Digital gauges, an Ididit steering column, an Aza Auto Wheel steering wheel, and a Kilduff Lightning Rods shifter were integrated into the custom cabin. A new American Autowire harness, installed by J-Town Customs in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was neatly hidden from view. Final exterior details included a highly modified Level 7 Motorsports carbon-fiber rear wing and a home-engineered front spoiler.

Although the truck began as a father-and-son project, life shifted course. Jim shares, “in August of 2020 Isaac joined the United States Marine Corps. It was a moment full of pride but also of change. With him away at boot camp, our project became something different. I continued working on the truck with the help of my friend, Dave Crouse, and sent him updates as often as I could. It was my way to stay connected with him and I like to think those updates helped him push through the toughest days of training. When he graduated boot camp and came home on leave, the first thing we did was spend time working on the truck.”

What started as a build became something deeper—a connection strengthened through shared effort, distance, and anticipation. The finished truck was everything Jim envisioned. Asked if he would change anything, he says simply, “I don’t think I would change anything.”