Photo of title
Image of title
A Lowdown 1952 Chevy Pickup That’s Ready for the Highway
By Tommy Lee Byrd
Photography by the Author
Image of Steering wheel

M

ike Farley loves just about anything with wheels, from off-road buggies to drag cars and everything in between. This slammed 1952 Chevy pickup is some of his handiwork, and his intention from day one was to build a cool truck that he could drive on a regular basis. He didn’t want an all-out show truck, so he kept it simple and made the truck functional and cool at the same time.

Logo
Photo of title
Image of title
A Lowdown 1952 Chevy Pickup That’s Ready for the Highway
By Tommy Lee Byrd
Photography by the Author
Image of Steering wheel

M

ike Farley loves just about anything with wheels, from off-road buggies to drag cars and everything in between. This slammed 1952 Chevy pickup is some of his handiwork, and his intention from day one was to build a cool truck that he could drive on a regular basis. He didn’t want an all-out show truck, so he kept it simple and made the truck functional and cool at the same time.

Image of Steering wheel

M

ike Farley loves just about anything with wheels, from off-road buggies to drag cars and everything in between. This slammed 1952 Chevy pickup is some of his handiwork, and his intention from day one was to build a cool truck that he could drive on a regular basis. He didn’t want an all-out show truck, so he kept it simple and made the truck functional and cool at the same time.

Image of 1952 Chevy Pickup
Picture of Interior
To do so, he swapped the original chassis and suspension for a shortened Chevy S-10 frame. He notched the rear framerails for additional clearance and fabricated a custom two-link rear suspension. He then installed a RideTech Ride Pro X system to give him worry-free operation of the air suspension. One button lays the truck on the ground and one button brings it up to a low, but driveable ride height. To get it even further into the weeds, he installed 2-inch drop spindles up front. The truck features drilled-and-slotted disc brakes on all four corners, visible between the spokes of the Boyd Coddington Junkyard Dog wheels. The narrow S-10 chassis allowed Mike to utilize 20×10 wheels on all four corners. He added tubs to the inside of the bed for additional clearance.

Mike smoothed the engine bay and installed a chrome brake booster and master cylinder. For power Mike went the modern route with an L33 engine, which is an all-aluminum 5.3L V-8 from GM’s LS family of engines. He added a bigger camshaft and valvesprings, and then used a Performance Systems Integration (PSI) wiring harness to make easy work of the LS swap. He used the stock S-10 gas tank but relocated it and added an aluminum radiator to keep the engine cool. A 4L80E automatic overdrive transmission and a 4×4 S-10 rearend put the power to the ground.

Picture of truck's bed
To do so, he swapped the original chassis and suspension for a shortened Chevy S-10 frame. He notched the rear framerails for additional clearance and fabricated a custom two-link rear suspension. He then installed a RideTech Ride Pro X system to give him worry-free operation of the air suspension. One button lays the truck on the ground and one button brings it up to a low, but driveable ride height. To get it even further into the weeds, he installed 2-inch drop spindles up front. The truck features drilled-and-slotted disc brakes on all four corners, visible between the spokes of the Boyd Coddington Junkyard Dog wheels. The narrow S-10 chassis allowed Mike to utilize 20×10 wheels on all four corners. He added tubs to the inside of the bed for additional clearance.

Mike smoothed the engine bay and installed a chrome brake booster and master cylinder. For power Mike went the modern route with an L33 engine, which is an all-aluminum 5.3L V-8 from GM’s LS family of engines. He added a bigger camshaft and valvesprings, and then used a Performance Systems Integration (PSI) wiring harness to make easy work of the LS swap. He used the stock S-10 gas tank but relocated it and added an aluminum radiator to keep the engine cool. A 4L80E automatic overdrive transmission and a 4×4 S-10 rearend put the power to the ground.

Image of Side Rear View
Mike stored the truck at his shop for a couple years, waiting for the right time to jump on the new project. He said the body was surprisingly solid considering how long the truck sat outside, but it was pretty beat up from years of use. He straightened the body panels and prepped it for paint. Zane Stokes at the Tin Shop Paint Shop applied the Torch Red paint, which consists of Sikkens base/clear materials sourced from Byrd’s Automotive in Chattanooga. Jerry Grant installed the glass, which includes a one-piece windshield and one-piece door glass, eliminating the original V-style windshield and vent windows. New bumpers, grille, and headlights give the truck some fresh brightwork to go with the eye-catching paint. Out back is a wood bed kit, which has been raised to accommodate the modified rear section of the chassis and notched to fit around the wheeltubs.
Photo of Front Side View
Photo of Front Side View
Image of Engine
The interior is simple and sanitary, with a Corvette steering wheel attached to a chrome tilt column and a few custom touches, like a center console and JVC head unit mounted in the center of the dash. Between the dash and console are the controls and vents for the air conditioning, an item that was high on Mike’s list of priorities. Mike reused a bench seat from another truck project and performed some simple upholstery work on the door and kick panels.

The truck has all the creature comforts you can imagine: cruise control, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and even a backup camera. Whether it’s a cruise near his hometown of Dunlap, Tennessee, or a long-distance trip, Mike and his wife, Melinda, can jump in this slammed 1952 Chevy pickup and hit the highway in style.