oming from an era when auto parts, truck parts, and even hot rod parts changed hands eye-to-eye across a knowledgeable storekeeper’s counter, I can’t help wanting to continue doing business that way. Old-fashioned as it may be, that type of personalized service does still exist for those of us who are willing to drive somewhere for it.

At our shop in Montana, our only customer job (the same ’55 Chevy second-series pickup) is for the most part in the paint department. At the time of this typewriting, however, we’re experiencing a particularly bitter winter. Since our paint booth draws in outside air, it’s not the best time for us to be painting. To keep the build moving through our Montana cold snap, there’s something else we ought to think about.

To this point there’s been little attention paid to the project truck’s rearward sheetmetal. Providing you’ve been with us, you may’ve noticed that we tend to spend way too much doggone time repairing original body panels. This time, that won’t happen, as the original bed and rear fenders are beaten up to the point where we wouldn’t even consider salvaging them.

Since it’s too cold here for paintwork anyway, it might be a good time to get serious about rounding up the reproduction parts we’ll need to continue our build. By doing so now, we’ll gain the ability to continue without future delays.

We know we’ll need an entire new shortbed assembly, complete with the woodstrip kit and rear fenders. We’ll also need new bumpers and brackets. In addition, the project truck’s owner is stepping up for a number of smaller bits, like a stock-type rear license bracket/light assembly, a new steering wheel with its horn button and contact plate, a left outside mirror arm, and an interior sunvisor board to boot.

Now we’ve already talked about driving somewhere for that old-fashioned eye-to-eye type of personalized service that once was considered the norm. For me there’s even more to it. I’d like to save my patient customer (turned-friend) the shipping expense.

For reproduction Task Force sheetmetal we don’t have a source within easy driving distance of our shop in still-chilly Montana. Meanwhile, out in Arizona, Lake Havasu is nice this time of year. Since we’re also quite curious to see how brand-new Chevy truck cabs are made, we’ve placed our entire parts order with Premier Street Rod.

Owned and operated by Rob, Kerry, and Ross Logsdon, Premier Street Rod is a family business. With a talented team of craftsmen onboard, it’s a busy shop in all departments. For our own rather large parts order we dealt with front man Butch via telephone as well as onsite in-person. It’s always nice when things go according to plan. As a bonus, even though our business concluded late on a Friday afternoon, we do have the following shop tour to share.

2. Routinely winning big awards for doing so, Premier provides complete turnkey construction service plus they’re available to assist with any phase of your build. Up on this lift, a ’57 Chevy build deserves a closer look.

4. From the Oakland plant, Task Force hood gaps tapered down toward the front. Left alone, those gaps don’t look right, but this hood has been narrowed at its forward edges to compensate.

6. Here on its fixture we get to watch as a ’47-53 Chevy cab comes together. Like all Premier Street Rod cabs, this one’s panels are proper 18-gauge steel; in the end it’ll have more spot welds than the OE version from GM.

8. In this corner yet another specific-purpose fixture is employed to locate and secure these panels, which will become a ’67-72 Chevy cab.