Rodney Bauman, Michael Christensen, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Ryan Manson, Todd Ryden, Jason Scudelleri, Tim Sutton, and Chuck Vranas
ROB MUNOZ
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
Mark Dewey – National Sales Manager
Janeen Kirby – Sales Representative
Patrick Walsh – Sales Representative
Travis Weeks – Sales Representative
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Classic Truck Performance. April 2021, Vol. 2, No. 4 is published monthly by In The Garage Media.
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Installation 101
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.
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.
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.
BY Joe GreevesPhotography By The Author
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.
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.
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
Ad Index
- Aldan American81
- American Autowire67
- American Legend Wheels71
- Art Morrison Enterprises53
- Auto Metal Direct47
- Autozone21
- BedWood and Parts87
- Bowler Performance Transmissions95
- Brothers Truck Parts100
- C10 Nationals27
- Chevs of the 40’s77
- Classic Industries43
- Classic Instruments11
- Classic Performance Products4-5, 85
- Custom Autosound77
- Dakota Digital99
- Dynamat49
- Eaton Detroit Spring95
- Eddie Motorsports55
- Fat Man Fabrication93
- Filling Station, The73
- FiTech EFI71
- Flaming River Industries39, 95
- Flat Out Engineering85
- Gandrud Chevrolet85
- Golden Star Auto Parts6
- Heidts Suspension Systems73
- Heinzman Street Rod Shop97
- Kugel Komponents95
- LMC Truck7
- Lokar2, 57
- National Street Rod Association59
- New Port Engineering93
- NotcHead Fasteners93
- Old Air Products79
- Optima Batteries13
- Performance Distributors93
- Phoenix Transmission Products63
- Performance Online85
- Powermaster Performance79
- Premier Street Rods87
- Roadster Shop45
- Schwartz Performance87
- Scott’s Hotrods81
- Sherwin Williams Company, The31
- Speedway Motors25
- Summit Racing Equipment19
- Thermo-Tec Automotive87
- Vintage Air9
- Western Chassis37
- Wilwood Engineering29