Having always been a fan of the Chevy Task Force Second-Series trucks with their Panoramic windshields and classic styling, it was a perfect time to start a search for a suitable base. As luck would have it, a local lead led to a ’57 model languishing in a nearby garage where a restoration had been started and abandoned. After examining the extensive pile of parts a deal was made, swapping cash for keys, with the project loaded up and hauled back to his home shop for evaluation. Once the dust settled, it was obvious all the unusable factory parts, including the original six-cylinder driveline and supporting pieces, could be sold off to restorers, leaving the core elements of the truck ready for the buildup.

Since the original spine was in solid shape, it was blasted clean, boxed, and smoothed. It was then treated to custom square-tube crossmembers with the frame in front of the crossmember dropped 1 inch along with a 4-inch C-notch out back. A Ford 9-inch rear was then narrowed and filled with a Strange HD Pro case and 4.11 gears with Eaton Detroit Truetrac spinning Currie 31-spline axles. It’s suspended in place by a No Limit Engineering Fatbar adjustable four-link with matching Panhard bar, Addco Performance 3/4-inch sway bar, and Ridetech single-adjustable coilover shocks. To nail the stance and add killer handling, a Fatman Fabrications Stage III IFS was added featuring their exclusive TIG-welded upper and lower control arms with matching 2-inch dropped spindles, 1-inch Addco sway bar, and Ridetech single-adjustable coilover shocks. When it’s time to tame the beast, a custom-mounted 8-inch dual power master moves fluid through stainless lines to Wilwood Engineering Dynalite 12-inch drilled-and-vented rotors with matching four-piston calipers. Linking it all to the street you’ll find a set of cool E-T Classic V wheels sized 17×7 front and 18×11 rear capped with Aurora and Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R rubber, respectively.

Nothing raises adrenalin levels faster than a big-block V-8. To bring life to the party, Bob had PMR Performance in Berlin bump a Gen V 454ci BBC to 496 ci with Kiwi Engineering of Old Saybrook handling the final decking. Bob then filled the four-bolt main iron block with a Scat rotating assembly, including a 4340 forged steel crank with matching H-beam rods wearing SRP forged aluminum slugs getting bumped by a Trick Flow hydraulic roller stick. A pair of Trick Flow PowerOval 280-series aluminum heads make seamless power especially when matched to an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake breathing deep through a Holley 850-cfm Double Pumper carb. An MSD Pro Billet ignition lights the fire with hot exhaust ripping through a set of Sanderson headers to a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust with H-pipe to a quartet of MagnaFlow 3-inch round stainless mufflers all by the owner. Cool bits include vintage polished Weiand finned aluminum valve covers, Billet Specialties air cleaner, Griffin aluminum radiator with custom overflow, and Optima battery. To move the goods, a TREMEC T56 Magnum six-speed with McLeod clutch links to a custom driveshaft by CT Driveshaft of East Hartford, Connecticut. It’s all good for a tire-melting 550 hp on the dyno at Kiwi Engineering.

When it came time for breathing new life into the original sheetmetal, Bob started by having everything blasted clean, revealing the horrors of the past. He first replaced the floors, adding a custom-fabbed trans tunnel along with fresh cab corners and rockers all sourced through Auto Body Specialties in Middlefield, Connecticut. Underhood you’ll find a number of updates, starting with a 4-inch recessed firewall from Direct Sheetmetal featuring a custom distributor cove accented by custom inner fenders, radiator filler panel, and inner hood bracing. Moving outside, the front fender lips were trimmed and reinforced with round tube followed by nosing the hood, tucking and sectioning the bumper, shaving the door handles and bumper and adding one-piece door glass from Brothers Trucks. Bob then crafted the unique door handle opening system, incorporating the factory-style door side mirrors with Bear Claw latches accented by rounded door corners. Moving rearward, the bed features curved top ’rails, stepped steel floor with custom inner wheeltubs, custom fuel fill, and one-off LED taillights with third brake light. A Brothers louvered tailgate with custom latches and straps combine with a sectioned, shaved-and-tucked bumper to complete the revisions. Bob then metal finished everything while setting all the gaps to perfection. To make it all razor-sharp, the team at Shoreline Collision and Restoration in Madison dialed everything in to prepare it for paint. Wanting to add just the right vibe, Bob selected PPG’s Nardo Gray, which the team laid down flawlessly.

Inside there are plenty of subtle details, starting with the restored factory dash filled with Auto Meter Traditional Chrome dials to monitor the vitals combined with a drag boat tach mount frenched into the dash-top accented by a vintage Hildebrandt underdash gauge panel. A Mooneyes steering wheel carves the course through an ididit tilt column with custom drop while gears snap through a modified Hurst shifter accented by heat courtesy of Vintage Air. An American Autowire Highway 22 Plus system installed by friends Jon Hardy, Tom Bekaski, and Grant Bagwell links it all together. For added comfort, Bob frenched in the rear cab panel to accommodate the Procar by Scat Pro-90 Series low-back buckets in black vinyl, accented by matching side panels featuring C2 Corvette-style door handles while complementing black loop carpeting installed by Shoreline Upholstery of Chester completes the look. Bob’s 1957 is pure hot rod and it’s been a great journey along with his two sons, Tim and Odie, who helped throughout the build getting it ready for the roar through the streets of Connecticut.