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April 2021
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1959 Ford
Rod Custom
1959 Ford
Rod Custom
1953 Chevy
1949 Chevy Suburban
Truck with Flames
Man working on engine
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CLASSIC TRUCK PERFORMANCE VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 4 • 2021
Cover of magazine
On The Cover: Our man in the field—or in this case, under the freeway overpass—John Jackson did a phenomenal job capturing Justin Padfield’s phenomenal 1982 Chevy Blazer for our April cover and accompanying feature on page 14.
Contributing Editors/Photographers
Rodney Bauman, Michael Christensen, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Ryan Manson, Todd Ryden, Jason Scudelleri, Tim Sutton, and Chuck Vranas
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN BRENNAN
bbrennan@inthegaragemedia.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ROB FORTIER
rfortier@inthegaragemedia.com
SENIOR EDITOR
NICK LICATA
nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & OPERATIONS MANAGER
YASMIN FAJATIN
yfajatin@inthegaragemedia.com
MANAGING EDITOR & AD COORDINATOR
SARAH GONZALES
sgonzales@inthegaragemedia.com
ART DIRECTOR
ROB MUNOZ
EDITORIAL TEAM
Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Ron Ceridono, Michael Christensen, Ron Covell, Grant Cox, Dominic Damato, John Drummond, Fuelish Media, Eric Geisert, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Barry Kluczyk, Scotty Lachenauer, Ryan Manson, Josh Mishler, Todd Ryden, Jason Scudelleri, Chris Shelton, Tim Sutton, Chuck Vranas, Michael Yamada – Writers and Photographers
ADVERTISING TEAM

Mark Dewey – National Sales Manager
Janeen Kirby – Sales Representative
Patrick Walsh – Sales Representative
Travis Weeks – Sales Representative

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
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Editorial contributions are welcomed but editors recommend that contributors query first. Contribution inquiries should first be emailed to info@inthegaragemedia.com. Do not mail via USPS as we assume no responsibility for loss or damage thereto. IN THE GARAGE MEDIA reserves the right to use material at its discretion, and we reserve the right to edit material to meet our requirements. Upon publication, payment will be made at our current rate, and that said, payment will cover author’s and contributor’s rights of the contribution. Contributors’ act of emailing contribution shall constitute and express warranty that material is original and no infringement on the rights of others.

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Copyright (c) 2021 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA.
PRINTED IN USA.
The Classic Truck Performance trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.

Classic Truck Performance. April 2021, Vol. 2, No. 4 is published monthly by In The Garage Media.
1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6650, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.
ISSN 2692-2347 (print) / ISSN 2692-2355 (online)

POSTMASTER
Send address changes to Classic Truck Performance c/o In The Garage Media, 1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6550, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.
Still Hammerin’
InTheGarageMedia.com
Rob Fortier Headshot
It’s Electric … Or Is It?
BY ROB FORTIER
S

o, as many of you have probably heard, General Motors has taken the EV bull by the proverbial horn and vowed to completely phase out gas-powered vehicle production by the year 2035 and become “carbon neutral” by 2040. (Ford has made similar yet not-so-stringent EV goals for the future.) Additionally, GM has touted a “triple zero vision” goal, which, along with zero emissions, includes “zero congestion” and “zero crashes” with the use of self-driving vehicles (this according to a recent report by CNN). Bold goals, to say the least.

CTP  Parts Dept
InTheGarageMedia.com
Scott's Hotrods 'N Customs' squarebody suspension
1. Squarebody Suspension Done Right
Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs has your Squarebody covered, whether you are building a Pro Touring, autocross cone-dodging, all-out street machine, you want to lay frame, or you just want a solid, comfortable cruiser. 1973-1987 Chevy truck chassis start at $9,500 and include the complete framerails, eight-point chassis crossmember, Scott’s IFS, Scott’s True Parallel 4-Bar rear suspension with Panhard, Moser 9-inch housing with 31-spline axles, and either single-adjustable coilovers or airbags on all four corners. Options include upgraded coilovers or shocks, sway bars, Wilwood disc brakes, fuel tank, stainless steel fuel and brake lines, motor and trans mounts, power rack-and-pinion, posi third member, Watt’s link, and more (no leaf springs or drum brakes). All of Scott’s chassis and suspension kits are 100 percent built-to-order, meaning you can custom tailor your brand-new chassis to fit your Squarebody dreams.
CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY John Jackson
F

ollowing the four-wheel-drive debut of the K5 Blazer in 1969, GM’s initial foray into the two-door SUV market, Chevrolet introduced the first of its two-wheel-drive models in 1970. What began as a response to rival the International Harvester Scout with what GM described as a “shortened pickup with luxury-like accommodations” (such as A/C and non-utilitarian interior features) ultimately launched the 2WD SUV segment we now know today. As of late, the first two generations of Blazers/Jimmys are hotter than ever—in both on- and off-road applications!

Justin Padfield’s 1982 Chevy K5 Blazer
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Dark Blue - 1982 Chevy K5Blazer
Article title
 FEATURE OF THE MONTH SPONSORED BY OPTIMA BATTERIES
CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
C10 Frontal Rehab installation
C10 Frontal Rehab
Part 2: Updating the 1967-1972 Chevy 1/2-Ton Frontend—Steered Straight!
BY Rob Fortier  Photography By THE AUTHOR
L

ast month we got our 1969 C10 project’s front suspension squared away—literally, with the correct geometry and absence of air spring adjustability—and back on all fours after months of being disabled, as it were. That just left us with properly addressing the steering components—or, in this case, the lack thereof.

CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Article of title
BY Chuck Vranas PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR
T

here’s a lot to be said about the cool factor and how it’s managed to create a distinct vibe through the decades. Many times for a youngster it could have been something as simple as seeing an Ed Roth monster T-shirt, riding a Schwinn Sting-Ray, or visiting a dragstrip to catch a whiff of burnt rubber and nitro. In any case, imagine just how high the level of cool would have been if your dad owned and operated his very own ice cream distribution company. For Bill Gagliardi of Canton, Connecticut, the experience eventually led to the creation of the mild custom 1959 Ford you see laid out across our pages.

Bill Gagliardi’s 1959 Ford is Simple, Subtle & Cool
Side Front View of the 1959 Ford
CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Our small-block was long overdue for an ignition upgrade and thanks to Pertronix, one part number (PN Bundle001) netted us a new Flame-Thrower Plug and Play Distributor, Coil, and set of 8mm, low-resistance plug wires.
Modern-Vintage Spark typography
Upgrading Your Ignition With Classic Looks
BY Todd RydenPhotography BY The Author
O

ne of the great things about building a classic truck today is that you don’t need to settle for using a lot of classic (meaning old) parts. If you’re restoring a truck, or trying to keep one looking vintage, there are a lot of modern, performance-based parts that you can use and still retain the vintage appearance guidelines.

CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Flame-Thrower distributor
Our small-block was long overdue for an ignition upgrade and thanks to Pertronix, one part number (PN Bundle001) netted us a new Flame-Thrower Plug and Play Distributor, Coil, and set of 8mm, low-resistance plug wires.
Modern-Vintage Spark typography
Upgrading Your Ignition With Classic Looks
BY Todd RydenPhotography BY The Author
O

ne of the great things about building a classic truck today is that you don’t need to settle for using a lot of classic (meaning old) parts. If you’re restoring a truck, or trying to keep one looking vintage, there are a lot of modern, performance-based parts that you can use and still retain the vintage appearance guidelines.

CTP logoFeature star Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Rolling Lucky Sevens title
Robert Gallery’s 1949 Chevy Suburban
Rolling Lucky Sevens title
Robert Gallery’s 1949 Chevy Suburban
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tim Sutton
W

hen you find a winning combination, unless you’re a hard-core gambler, your best bet is to stick with it! Since his first collaborations with Lucky 7 Customs’ Marcos Garcia, retired NFL star Robert Gallery (Raiders offensive guard) has hit home runs—sorry, scored touchdowns—with two stunning (and completely different) builds: a candy root beer 1954 Cadillac followed by a hybrid 1960 Ford F-250 crew cab.

CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
A Hot Rods by Dean’s (HRBD) Sub-Dash Panel is easily seen in this Advance Design example, housing a trio of A/C vents. What isn’t so obvious is that it also contains an HRBD Stash Box hidden behind the stock speaker grille.
Advance Design Dash Upgrades
Clean Up That Dash With Hot Rods By Dean’s Stash Box and Sub-Dash Panel for 1948-1953 Chevy Trucks
BY Ryan MansonPhotography BY The Author
A

dding modern conveniences like air conditioning or a modern stereo is a common upgrade in the classic truck market. But many times these additions look out of place on an otherwise-stock interior. Cutting up an unmolested dash to fit the latest double-DIN stereo or aftermarket A/C control panel is enough to make most purists cringe. While we may not all be purists in the purest sense, we all have a common bond in the desire to improve our classic truck.

CTP logoFeature star Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
The Silver Lining... in Maroon typography
The Silver Lining... in Maroon typography
Ron Fort’s 1953 Chevy Five-Window
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Christensen
F

or quite some time, Northern Californian Ron Fort had aspirations of owning a 1947-1953 Chevrolet Advance Design pickup. When the timing was finally right, he acquired a suitable five-window and took it to a local shop to have the truck he’d been dreaming about turned into a reality.

CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY CTP STAFFPhotography BY CTP STAFF
Crate Engine
Installation 101
How to Make it a Simple, One-Stop, Worry-Free Job
I

f you’ve ever owned a late-’60s and newer classic truck (Chevy or Ford and even Dodge), chances are you’ve done a crate engine install in your time. And if not, there’s always the likelihood you will sooner or later.

While the LS swap is still all the rage—and will continue to be for years to come—some of us are completely fine with the traditional small-block V-8 in its naturally aspirated form! So when we come upon that potential truck project with a non-running engine, the first thing to come to mind isn’t how much it’s going to cost to install even a salvaged LS engine and trans, rather, how easy it will be to get her back up and running with a new replacement crate engine! Above and beyond the direct-replacement aspect, it’s much more affordable to purchase a brand-new long-block V-8 along with all the install incidentals than it is to go the previously owned LS route.

FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY Rob FortierPhotography By Tim Sutton
South City Rod & Custom typography
Building High-End Hot Rods, Customs, and Classic Trucks
T

here is definitely such a thing as a “hot rod bloodline” … we’ve seen it evident in families from the Coddingtons to the Brizios and many, many more. But while the majority are a direct “handing down of the torch” type scenario as such, the one we’re focusing on here stems from a pretty unique lineage.

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FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
South City Rod & Custom typography
Building High-End Hot Rods, Customs, and Classic Trucks
BY Rob FortierPhotography By Tim Sutton
T

here is definitely such a thing as a “hot rod bloodline” … we’ve seen it evident in families from the Coddingtons to the Brizios and many, many more. But while the majority are a direct “handing down of the torch” type scenario as such, the one we’re focusing on here stems from a pretty unique lineage.

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  Events
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The F-100 Grand Nationals title
Springtime Fun in the Smokies

BY Joe Greeves Photography By The Author

F

ord’s F-series trucks have been fan favorites since the late ’40s and brand loyalty shows no signs of diminishing anytime soon. They’ve been the best-selling pickup in the U.S. since 1977 and the best-selling vehicle overall since 1986. You can count on Blue Oval truckers turning out in force, especially when there’s a get-together for their iconic F-100s.

CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Blackout: A New Look for Old Wheels
Blackout
A New Look for Old Wheels
BY “Rotten” Rodney Bauman  Photography by The Author
I

t takes a while to build up a resistance—to pert near anything. That, of course, includes the latest trend. Back in the ’70s, Center Line wheels were considered cutting-edge cool. The original-recipe Center Lines quickly became standard equipment for racers, street racers, and wannabes alike. For Riverside, California’s Dave Bertino, a slightly used set of Center Lines made a first class finishing touch for his 1948 Dodge panel truck. Today, however, it’s just not the ’70s anymore.

Resellers LIST
Missing an issue? Please contact one of our resellers listed below. Want to sell one of our titles in your store or shop? Contact us at subscriptions@inthegaragemedia.com

Nitroactive.net
Orange, CA
Nitroactive.net

Autobooks-Aerobooks
Burbank, CA
818-845-0707
Autobooks-aerobooks.com

National Speed
Center, Inc.
Manchester, CT
860-647-1353
nationalspeed.com

Hot Rod Paper Company
Youngstown, OH
800-676-3026
gadmak@aol.com

Pasteiner’s
Birmingham, MI
248-646-2886
pasteiners.com

Reader’s World
616-396-4600
readersworldbookstore.com

Horton Hot Rod Parts
Ontario, Canada
905-876-2124
hortonhotrod.ca

Graffiti Publications
Victoria 3450
Australia
graffitipub.com.au

One56
Björklinge, Sweden
One56.se

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Thanks for reading our April 2021 preview issue!