Feature
BY Michael Yamada
PHOTOGRAPHY BY The Author
n the early days of hot rodding, if you wanted something new you had to build it yourself. Today, we have many vendors providing all manner of well-engineered products, and many shops specializing in builds to fit every budget. However, there will always be a place for good old-fashioned hot rodder ingenuity—especially for Sal Seeno.
Working out of his small home shop in Castroville, California, Sal builds hot rods that win awards. During the week he can be found at his job as the equipment manager of a golf course in nearby Monterey. He and his wife, Susan, an office manager, have called Castroville, a small farm town known as the “Artichoke Center of the World,” home for many years.
Sal had always wanted a 1947-1953 Chevy 3100 Series Advance Design pickup. Two years ago, Susan came home from work and told Sal about a 1953 that she had seen for sale at a nearby tire shop. The 1953 was in rough condition. Stored in a local barn for 12 years, the floorpans had rusted and Sal noted some poorly repaired body damage. The original six-cylinder refused to start and the paint was faded. Closer inspection revealed that the body had originally been painted green then yellow then red. But Sal was not deterred. After a bit of negotiating the deal was done.
At first Sal thought that he would keep the truck as an old patina cruiser; his friends knew he wouldn’t be able to just leave her stock. One thing led to another and Sal rubbed out the paint. As Sal says, “I just couldn’t leave it at that.”
Sal met with the folks at Total Cost Involved (TCI) at a local show and ordered a chassis, specifying airbag suspension, 2-inch dropped spindles, power steering, and four-link rear suspension with Panhard rod and sway bars front and rear. Wilwood 12-inch slotted and drilled rotors with dual-piston calipers and stainless steel lines handle braking.
Sal did all the bodywork and paint himself. Envisioning a clean yet timeless look, he filled the cowl vents and modified the hood to be one piece by removing the center trim, welding the hood panels together, then metal-finishing to eliminate the seam. Billet hood hinges from Motor Sports replaced the stock parts. All wiring in the engine bay was concealed. Sal changed the side glass in the doors from vent windows to one piece and installed Nu-Relic power windows. Headlights are Jeep parts fitted to modified bezels that Sal made. The biggest change from stock was relocating the fuel tank to the bed. The fuel filler was moved from the right side of the cab to the rear edge of the tailgate. The original bed and rear fenders were too deteriorated to be used, so Sal utilized Tuckers Classic Auto Parts reproduction sheetmetal. He added another raised bed, 4 inches above the actual bed, in order to conceal the fuel filler and piping. The running boards were also smoothed. The rear is finished with a Brothers Trucks filler pan. Sal took his time to ensure perfect panel and door fits before priming, sanding, and shooting the color coats with Wanda S Red. After clearcoating and polishing, the stainless steel trim was installed. The bed was finished with oak strips.
Sal and his son, Joe, began work on the interior by constructing a custom-fabricated console, which houses a Boss Audio 6.2 in-dash CD/DVD/DM unit with navigation. Kenwood speakers were installed in custom enclosures within the doors. Dakota Digital’s newest HDX Series gauges monitor all functions and can be personalized extensively. A JEGS wiring harness ties everything together. A Vintage Air A/C unit keeps things cool on hot days. Sal obtained the seats at a local swap meet at a bargain price, as they were take-offs that were leftover from a special-needs van conversion. He recovered them in black vinyl with suede inserts.
Sal and his red Chevy pickup have won many awards at local shows, including the Monterey Award of Excellence, Best Truck (twice), and the Goodguys Hot Hauler 2019 award. He would like to thank his wife Susan, his son Joe, his brother-in-law Greg, as well as the folks at TCI for their support during the build. Thanks also to the folks at Ocean Mist Seafood in Castroville for the use of their location for the photo shoot.