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August/September 2020
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CONTENTS
Tech
ON THE COVER: Our man in the field, Tim Sutton, comes through once again, this time with our Aug. ‘20 cover and accompanying feature on Adam Simms’ 1953 Chevy 3100 getting a shine job from Darryl Hollenbeck (Vintage Color Studio), the man responsible for making Adam’s pickup pretty in, uh, very dark pink?! !
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Dominick Damato, Ryan Manson, Tim Sutton
Image of 1957 Chevy Pickup
Rob Fortier headshot
Still Hammering
By Rob Fortier
Where We’re At… And
Where We’re Headed
Rob Fortier
I

t’s only been a couple months since we launched In The Garage, but man, a lot sure has transpired in the world around us, hasn’t it? We’d expected to attend a handful of events, from our initial announcement at Goodguys Del Mar to the always highly anticipated L.A. Roadsters Father’s Day Show, but as each week passes, each one has been postponed or canceled altogether. Understandable, absolutely—but sad nonetheless. We just want the opportunity to get out in front of people and reconnect the names with faces … just to emphasize that while the magazine may be new, the people behind it are anything but!

Over a quarter-century ago, I began life as a “gearhead” magazine editor. But it wasn’t until roughly 15 years ago that I first cut my teeth reporting on the classic truck segment of the hobby, which even at that point in time was far beyond its infancy and progressed quite a bit from its beginnings. As my career progressed, it took me back to my hot rod roots, and away from mainstream classic trucks—but in that short span of time, the hobby experienced its biggest growth spurt ever. Now that I’m back, it really feels like an entirely different hobby altogether—new builders, new companies, and, most importantly, new hobbyists. All good as far as I’m concerned … just means I’ve got more re-familiarizing to do on my end, as I’ve been the one MIA, not the other way around.
Brian Brennan headshot
Picking Up
By Brian Brennan | Photography by the Author
Patina Sometimes Is
Really Fauxtina
Patina painted trucks
A

s long as I can remember (lately that isn’t all that long), when I come across an old paintjob—you know the look—the patina appearance speaks volumes about the age of the truck. It gives a peek into its age measured in decades, quality of life, and whether or not the owner had given it proper care and attention. A patina-“dressed” truck is its “badge of courage” and I can remember staring at one dent, scratch, chip, or any other of its life’s accumulation trying to imagine what it must have been used for or what chore it accomplished on this day to gather such an adornment.

Nowadays, a patina-appearing classic truck can still speak volumes about its quality of life, past and present, but sometimes, and this is occurring more and more often, patina isn’t always reality.
Parts Dept
Bed Wood and Parts, BedWood-X
Scott’s Hotrods LowPro F-100 Hood Hinges
If you are planning on putting your 1967-1972 Ford F-100 truck on the ground and still want to maintain factory-style use of your hood, Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs manufactures the answer to all of your hood hinge ailments. Scott’s Hotrods 100 percent American-made CNC Billet LowPro F-100 Hood Hinges are now available! The problem F-100 owners face when slamming their F-100s to the ground is the fact that the stock inner fenders are removed to clear the new, larger wheels and tires. And that’s exactly where the stock hood hinge bolts on! Some not-so-desirable options include four hood pins like a race truck or fabricating some sort of reverse tilting hood hinge. The engineers at Scott’s Hotrods designed low-profile hood hinges that bolt onto the firewall where the inner fender used to bolt on, allowing the user to maintain a stock-style functioning hood on their 1967-1972 F-100 trucks. Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs, (865) 951-2081, www.scottshotrods.com
Image of Optima YellowTop
Why Optima YellowTop?
Optima Batteries’ YellowTop batteries are not your basic car battery. Apart from the absorbed glass mat (AGM) distinction, the unique design and technology are what make it the ideal battery for all walks of automotive enthusiasts. So how does it work? Optima Batteries’ six spiral-wound AGM cells are tightly compressed into one sealed case, giving the battery more plate surface, closer plate spacing, and the ability to use high purity lead. The result is an extremely low internal resistance that allows for more power and faster recharges. The spiral design also locks the plates in place, which gives a YellowTop battery a higher resistance to vibration, longer life, and better performance. The main benefits to Optima YellowTop batteries are: up to two times longer life; more than 15 times the vibration resistance; maintenance-free; non-spillable, can be mounted in any position; lower self-discharge (longer shelf/storage life); faster recharging capabilities; and optimal starting power, regardless of temperature. These characteristics make a YellowTop best suited for modern accessory-loaded vehicles with high cranking capabilities. For the nearest retailer, consumers can call (888) 8OPTIMA (867-8462) or visit www.optimabatteries.com.
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In The Garage Media
Editorial Director

BRIAN BRENNAN
bbrennan@inthegaragemedia.com

Editor-In-Chief

ROB FORTIER
rfortier@inthegaragemedia.com

Publisher

TIM FOSS
tfoss@inthegaragemedia.com

Associate Publisher & Operations Manager

YASMIN FAJATIN
yfajatin@inthegaragemedia.com

Art Director

PAUL GRAFF

Editorial Team

Sarah Gonzalez- Copy Editor
Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Ron Ceridono, Michael Christensen, Ron Covell, Gant Cox, Dominic Damato, John Drummond, Eric Geisert, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Barry Kluczyk, Scotty Lachenauer, Nick Licata, Ryan Manson, Josh Mishler, Chris Shelton, Tim Sutton, Chuck Vranas – Writers and Photographers

Advertising Team

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

In The Garage Media on the Web

ClassicTruckPerformance.com
ModernRodding.com
InTheGarageMedia.com

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
info@inthegaragemedia.com

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.
In The Garage Media
Copyright (c) 2020 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA. The Classic Truck Performance trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.

Classic Truck Performance. August/September 2020, Vol 1, No 2 is published bi-monthly by In The Garage Media. 1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6650, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.

Printed in the U.S.A
Image of the Chevy 3100
Logo
Logo
Title
Adam Simms’ 1953
Chevy 3100
By Rob Fortier
Photography by Tim Sutton
I

f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again has applications in practically everything we do in our daily lives … and sometimes it even rings true for these old trucks we often devote our lives—and untold amounts of money—toward! Case in point: Andy Simms’ 1953 Chevy Advance-Design (AD) 3100.

Image of Chevy 3100
Title
Adam Simms’ 1953
Chevy 3100
By Rob Fortier
Photography by Tim Sutton
I

f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again has applications in practically everything we do in our daily lives … and sometimes it even rings true for these old trucks we often devote our lives—and untold amounts of money—toward! Case in point: Andy Simms’ 1953 Chevy Advance-Design (AD) 3100.

Now, while Andy persevered and ultimately avoided a “three strikes and you’re out” scenario, he didn’t actually start with a pickup, per se. Back in 2005, when his quest to build what he envisioned as the “ultimate Chevy truck from the 1948-1953 era” began, his first step to the plate started with an AD Series Suburban! The shop tasked with the chopping and sectioning and all the major metal reworking Andy desired apparently went at guns a blazing but, unfortunately, without any ammo, as the pieces of massacred metal were never able to be put back together. Strike one.
car speedometer
The New Age of Vintage
Dakota Digital’s HDX Analog-Digital Instrument System
By Rob Fortier | Photography by the Author

I pity those of you over the age of 50 (maybe even younger?!) who don’t have any kids to help you navigate modern computer electronics—without my teenage son, I’d be lost when it comes to many things in this virtual world we live in! That said, I will be the first to acknowledge the vast advancements the performance aftermarket has made in recent years with everything from drivetrain components to instrumentation—especially the latter.

Not so long ago, Dakota Digital was known for primarily just what their name implies: blue LED digital gauges. Today, while Dakota still offers their proprietary instrumentation, they’ve made leaps and bounds in technological advancements, to the point where it’s almost as if they took two steps back instead of forward—and that’s a good thing! Why, you ask? Well, one look at their line of HDX (and the newly released RTX) digital-analog factory-retrofit gauges for the Chevy C10 truck series (the entire line!) and you’d think they’d recreated the stock instrument clusters … that is until you turned the ignition on for the first time and really got an in-depth look at what’s actually behind those beautiful analog gauge faces.

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