


John Jackson captured the 3+3 that never was … till now: Rodney Harris’ 1979 Sqaurebody by Rutterz Rodz. Inset: Tim Sutton’s magnificent shots of the Rushtons’ 1959 Apache wonderfully de-patina’d by Hot Rods & Custom Stuff can be seen starting on page 42.


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ou know, the one (main) thing that differentiates the classic truck community now from back when I piloted Classic Trucks magazine in the early 2000s is the community. Simply put, the people are different … and that’s not being said in a negative light whatsoever.
What is Google’s definition of community? “A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society; a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society. (Still amazed how I never say “Webster’s” when translating anymore … kinda sad.)
I first became (officially) immersed into the classic truck world back in the mid 1990s—back when then-editor of Truckin’ Classic Trucks Bill Turner assigned me to do a Saginaw four-speed install on my 1954 Chevy with “good” old Patrick’s Antique. Back then, I was fairly young and not as well received as I was in the custom car world, as the classic truck community at the time was comprised mostly of hard-core F-100 and early Chevy enthusiasts. Nothing like it is today. But it didn’t take long for me to fit in, even though, thanks to my other McMullen cohort, Courtney Hallowell, I had a heavy “modern” influence on all the truck stuff I did: airbags, wheels larger than 15 inches, and so on! But the people—the community—were a great, closeknit group, which I loved to be a part of. Again, nothing like it is today.
Parts Dept.

For more info, contact All American Billet/All American Chassis at (844) 245-5381 or visit allamericanbillet.com.
For more info, contact Speedtech Performance at (435) 628-4300 or visit speedtechperformance.com.
For more info, contact Auto Metal Direct by visiting autometaldirect.com.









here’s no question that the 1967-1972 Chevrolet C10 and GMC C15 pickups are highly sought after by Classic Truck Performance readers. Also extremely popular are the 1973-1987 Squarebody Chevy and GMC trucks. But while there’s a difference in styling of the two series of trucks, the modifications made to them often have the same goals: lower ride height and improved handling. Both these goals can be met with suspension kits from Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE).
DSE offers two distinct front suspension packages: Speed Kits and SpeedMAX. Entry-level Speed Kits are available in three configurations: Speed Kit 1, 2, and 3. All Speed Kits lower the front of your truck 4-1/2 inches, while handling and steering performance is improved with each level of kit. Each component of the Speed Kits is also sold separately to allow users to fit the build of their truck.




2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
By ROB FORTIERImages BY THE AUTHOR
hile Labor Day typically signals the end of summer, looks like the middle of September now means one thing: the Grand National Truck Show (GNTS) at the Fairplex in Pomona.
Straight on the heels of my Nashville getaway the weekend prior, it was off to my backyard retreat in nearby L.A. county for four days. Granted, the event’s only two days (Saturday to Sunday), but seeing as I not only participate in the judging process for World’s Most Beautiful Truck (WMBT), which occurs on Thursday, but also had the honor of displaying my 1948 Chevy (for the first time in public … ever), which needed to be set up in our booth Friday … well, you do the math!
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hen the Rushtons first brought their 1959 Chevrolet Apache to Randy Clark at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff (HRCS) in Escondido, California, it had an amazing original patina—with the Bollong & Son Furniture Co. lettering still prominent on the doors! HRCS painter Andy Meeh, of all people, tried his best to convince owners Gerry and Chris to retain that OG charm … but to no avail; they were set on giving the Chevy an all-new look on life, and that meant one of Meeh’s finest candy paintjobs!
I’ve always had a fascination for custom automotive/motorcycle paint, and without question Meeh is one of the best in the business. That said, I figured why not pick his brain about his career passion and the Rushton’s non-traditional candy (Kandy Garnet, to be specific) paintjob.





e looked at the chassis of Joe McGlynn’s Studebaker pickup project back in the Dec. ’23 issue of Classic Truck Performance. This time we’ll show the great work he has done on the firewall, floor, hood hinges, and some other details. Although McGlynn is a hobbyist who works from his home shop, he has invested in some good-quality tools that speed up the work. He recently purchased a power hammer, which he put to excellent use making the highly complex transmission cover, shaped from 16-gauge steel. Material that thick is a challenge to work with hand tools.
A two-piece pattern for the firewall was made from chipboard, which was then transferred to 16-gauge sheetmetal. The edges of these panels were shaped by hammering over forms made from MDF, which produce a smooth and accurate contour while maintaining the flatness of the panels.
McGlynn designed his own hood hinges with CAD, which incorporate an elegant four-link mechanism. He sent his digital files to a laser-cutting service, and they produced the complex parts quickly and efficiently. The hinges mount to the firewall, which he reinforced with 1/4-inch steel plates.




hen it comes to building cool vehicles, Terron “TC” Carver from Clermont, Georgia, the owner of TC’s Place, is no stranger. TC has had his hands in a ton of over-the-top vehicles for the past several decades. He started building hot rods and custom trucks around 1990. Before that, he was a fabricator for the Bill Elliott NASCAR Race Team. So, making metal into rolling art that can perform as well as it looks is second nature to him. With multiple builds under his belt for not only himself but also customers, TC knew his latest project would have to be something he could enjoy for years to come while having enough detail in it to stand out in a sea of custom trucks. For this, TC picked up a 1956 Ford F-100 that had seen better days and needed a ton of TLC. This truck was started as a budget build, but still had to be something with a “wow” factor, so plans had to be set from early in the project.






elcome back to our recurring tech article series in Classic Truck Performance! We’re excited to dive into the ongoing transformation of Project #Backpay, our 1966 Chevy C10 truck that’s been undergoing some serious restoration work. If you’ve been following along, you already know that with a detailed, step-by-step approach these repairs are entirely doable at home. Last time, we walked you through the AMD big back window conversion. This time, we’re shifting our focus to door repair.
Though the cab looked solid at first glance, a closer inspection revealed that it needed significant attention. We took the truck to Rockford Custom Paint & Body in Athens, Georgia, where Rockford Smith handled the installation. While the doors are generally in good shape, the lower sections have taken a hit from water damage, thanks to worn-out seals and neglected drain holes. These trucks, primarily used for work, often had maintenance as a secondary priority. Fortunately, AMD has all the parts you need to restore these doors to their former glory, with a bit of effort and expertise.




uilding and driving a vintage muscle car or truck can sometimes leave one conflicted. Classic vehicles are just so cool to see driving down the road or jumping out from the crowd of commuters. However, they may not live up to your expectations when it comes to ease of driving, comfort, or handling.





ome of you may be asking, why switch over to EFI? To me, it was an easy choice after doing a little research with our friends over at FiTech Fuel Injection in Riverside, California. Right from the get-go they suggested their new Ultra Port SBC unit for the small-block in my (old) 1949 Chevy three-window.
I’ve owned this 1949 Chevy truck since I was 18 years old. Not to date myself, but that’s been 30-plus years. Originally, the style I was shooting toward was a 1990s street rod. That quickly shifted as I got into the rockabilly scene. There was just something about the music, the style, and the down-and-dirty feel that I fell in love with. Now I had my sights on building a traditional hot rod. After quite some years under my belt driving it around, it was time to hand off the keys to my wife, Randi. While I’d already updated the chassis/brakes, there was one more “modern” thing left for me to do before that happened: make the EFI switch.
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- AFFORDABLE STREET RODS75
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- ALL AMERICAN BILLET19
- AMERICAN AUTOWIRE7
- AMSOIL25
- ART MORRISON ENTERPRISES65
- AUTO METAL DIRECT27
- AUTOMOTIVE RACING PRODUCTS29
- BEDWOOD AND PARTS93
- BOESE ENGINEERING97
- BORGESON UNIVERSAL CO.39
- CLASSIC INDUSTRIES57
- CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS4-5, 93
- CUSTOM AUTOSOUND77
- DAKOTA DIGITAL99
- EATON DETROIT SPRING, INC.93
- EDDIE MOTORSPORTS31
- FILLING STATION, THE75
- FITECH EFI77
- FLAMING RIVER INDUSTRIES55
- FLAT OUT ENGINEERING95
- FRONTIER SHOP SUPPLIES79
- HEINZMAN STREET ROD SHOP97
- HOLLEY PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS21
- JUSTIFIED PERFORMANCE73
- K5 SQUARED87
- KUGEL KOMPONENTS97
- LEGENS HOT ROD95
- LMC TRUCK100
- LOKAR2, 63
- NATIONAL STREET ROD ASSOCIATION69
- OLD AIR PRODUCTS85
- PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTORS95
- PHOENIX MACHINE PRODUCTS97
- PHOENIX TRANSMISSION PRODUCTS89
- POSIES RODS AND CUSTOMS97
- POWERMASTER PERFORMANCE87
- PREMIER STREET ROD6
- PRO’S PICK89
- REVB CHASSIS85
- SCHWARTZ PERFORMANCE93
- SCOTT’S HOTRODS41
- SPARETIME BILLET89
- SPEEDWAY MOTORS11
- STEELE RUBBER PRODUCTS9
- STRANGE ENGINEERING73
- THERMO-TEC AUTOMOTIVE95
- TMI PRODUCTS89
- TRIPLE CROWN OF RODDING, LLC49
- WILWOOD ENGINEERING37
