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January 2023
Preview Issue
Make It Yours. Make It Lokar. Modern Performance. Classic Style. Endless Options.
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Series Restored by Lokar
digital illustration of how to use a shifter
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Series Restored by Lokar
CTP TOC
InTheGarageMedia.com
James Hardin’s ’77 GMC Sierra Square Body
Installing a Modern Direct-Injected Chevy Engine into a Vintage Ford
James Hardin’s ’77 GMC Sierra Square Body
Installing a Modern Direct-Injected Chevy Engine into a Vintage Ford
Brake Install on a ’66 Chevy C10
Amedeo Angelo’s ’40 Chevy Carryall
Roadster Shop/Goodguys Giveaway ’88 Chevy OBS
Rich Riopel’s ’56 Ford F-100
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CLASSIC TRUCK PERFORMANCE VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 29 • 2023
January 2023 cover
On The Cover:
Nothing better than to start off the New Year with a bare-nekkid shot of Alex Short’s award-winning F-100, FRIGID, built by Scott’s Hotrods/Revision Rods, and shot by our man in the field/shop/street, John Jackson!
Hot Rod
Classic Truck Performance ISSN 2692-2347 (print) ISSN 2692-2355 (online) Issue 29 is published monthly by In the Garage Media, 370 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870-6502. Postage paid at Placentia, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Classic Truck Performance c/o In the Garage Media, 1350 E. Chapman Ave #6550, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550 or email ITGM at subscription@inthegaragemedia.com. Copyright (c) 2022 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA. Printed in the USA. The Classic Truck Performance trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.
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Complete Big Brake Kits
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CPP
Classic Performance Products, Inc.
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*Prices subject to change without notice, please inquire. Also, please note that kits and prices may vary between certain applications.
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*Prices subject to change without notice, please inquire. Also, please note that kits and prices may vary between certain applications.
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN BRENNAN
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ROB FORTIER
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NICK LICATA
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ART DIRECTOR
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Editorial Team
Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Ron Ceridono, Michael Christensen, Ron Covell, Grant Cox, Dominic Damato, John Drummond, Fuelish Media, Eric Geisert, John Gilbert, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Barry Kluczyk, Scotty Lachenauer, Don Lindfors, Ryan Manson, Josh Mishler, Todd Ryden, Jason Scudellari, Chris Shelton, Tim Sutton, Chuck Vranas, Michael Yamada – Writers and Photographers
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previous Classic Truck Performance covers

Still Hammerin’

InTheGarageMedia.com
Rob Fortier headshot
BY ROB FORTIER
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
T

he calendar says it’s October 25, 2022 … but the cover of this here magazine says it’s January 2023, which marks our 2 1/2-year anniversary, among other things! So, along with a Happy New Year to you all, happy anniversary to us!

It’s been a crazy roller-coaster ride for us at In The Garage Media since we launched Classic Truck Performance, Modern Rodding, and All Chevy Performance back in 2020—especially considering the first two titles were initially published at the onset of the pandemic! But not only have we survived, we’ve done better than any of us had ever anticipated from those early breakfast meetings strategizing our game plan for total enthusiast media world domination. We still have a long way to go, but with all of you on board for this great ride we’re going to do everything we can to keep riding this print wave while still maintaining and developing our avant-garde digital platforms.

So, just what can you expect from me/us at CTP for 2023? Well, simply put, more of the same, but better. As far as the tech content goes, we’ve not only got plenty more in-depth how-tos in the works with a handful of in-house project trucks currently in progress (including my ’69 C10 and ’48 Chevy), but we’re in the process of putting together a 100 percent aftermarket build—yep, new everything, from the chassis to each and every piece of sheetmetal and every nut and bolt between. We don’t know what, who, or where quite yet, but as soon as we’ve ironed out all the details, well, you’ll be the second to know!

CTP  Parts Dept.

InTheGarageMedia.com
A Picture of Car Parts
1. Bolt-On C4 Corvette IRS Kits
It’s a proven fact that independent rear suspensions provide superior ride and handling capabilities that are not available with solid axle–style suspensions. That is why most modern late-model cars and SUVs come equipped with independent suspension systems. Used C4 Corvette rear suspensions are readily available and very cost-effective in most parts of the country. The excellent design of the Corvette rear suspension allows you to take advantage of the unmatched cornering, handling, and ride quality that it affords. If you drive your classic truck and demand quality components that are designed for enjoyable fun miles this is the setup for you.

Flat Out Engineering offers several kits to install ’84-96 Corvette rear suspension in most early Ford and Chevy pickups and panels, many of which are designed to be completely bolt-on, with no welding or cutting of the frame required. These kits are designed to be easy to install for the average DIY home enthusiast. The kit pictured is for ’55-59 Chevy and GMC pickups and panels. Similar kits are available for Ford F-100s and several other classic truck and street rod applications.

Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Frigid title
Alex Short’s Multifaceted, Multi-Award-Winning ’58 Ford F-100
BY ROB FortierPhotography BY John Jackson
W

e know the prize isn’t always the motivation to create the product in the first place, but boy does it lend itself to a truck’s pedigree when it stacks up some top accolades right out of the gate following its completion.

So far, Alex Short’s ’58 Ford F-100—“FRIGID” as it’s been coined—has racked up a bevy of top awards in the first six months after rolling out of the doors of Tyler Nelson’s Revision Rods & Rides in Rapid City, South Dakota. Most prestigiously, Alex’s short-box was crowned Goodguys/Scott’s Hotrods’ 2022 Truck of the Year Early. Prior to that, a visit to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, garnered the ’58 a Top 25/Magnificent 7 as well as the Terrific Truck picks at the 39th and final edition of Shades of the Past. Prior to that, Alex snagged the Customs & Hot Rods of Andice Builder’s Choice at Goodguys Lone Star Nats as well as runner-up for the Elite Builder of the Year at the NSRA Street Rod Nats in Louisville.

'58 Ford F-100
Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
1. You can see that the rubber mat was cracking, the old granny low four-speed shifter is now gone, and the door panels are held on with four trim screws. There are also no kick panels or lower door panel trim in this base truck.
"Custom Look" title image
Ford F-100 Dentside Interior Upgrade
BY Don LindforsPhotography BY THE AUTHOR
W

hen we got this ’76 F-100 the interior was a bit of a mishmash, between old parts, some upgrades, and some backyard hacks. The truck is an F-100 “Custom,” so it wasn’t loaded with frills, just a basic Flareside work truck. The floor had an original rubber mat that got tossed when we did the TREMEC TR3550 five-speed swap (CTP Mar. ’22 issue) as it was cracking and falling apart. The headliner was the original cardboard-like material that was deteriorating and got thrown out early on. The original bench seat had been rebuilt and upholstered by the original owner and, while rather plain, it is in great shape and fairly comfy. The door panels had been replaced, but whoever did it apparently didn’t know that these are held in with snap-in clips and just drilled holes through the new panels and used trim screws. It looked terrible and they rattled. The dashpad and gauge bezel were replaced with LMC parts when we did the Dakota Digital gauge install (CTP Nov. ’21 issue) and Vintage Air A/C conversion (CTP Oct. ’21 issue).

Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY ROB FortierPhotography BY Grinder TV
The Legend of Brownstone ... Take Two title
James Hardin’s Insta-Famous Square Body Sierra
I

f you’re a fan of the ’Gram then the name Brownstone should already be very familiar to you. If not, we’re going to let its proud owner (of both iterations), tell you the tale of how this truck came to … after it initially came to an abrupt end!

“[Brownstone] was purchased for my birthday by my wife … well I should probably rephrase that: I was at Del’s house [owner of Delmo’s Speed & Kustom] having some adult beverages discussing how long it would be before my K5 was done and I was really wishing I had something cool to drive in the meantime. Del said, ‘What about Brownstone?’ (which is the name of the truck), and I said ‘That sounds like a good idea,’ so we worked out a deal. Here comes the rephrase part … I called my wife, asked her to pull this much money out of the bank and meet me at Del’s. First, you have to know my wife is one of the coolest people I have ever met (and I’m not just saying that). With that said, she told me, ‘OK see ya soon.’ Keep in mind this wasn’t $100 I was asking her to bring me. She arrived and asked, ‘So what’s going on?’ I replied and said you are buying me this truck for my birthday. She actually replied, ‘Oh, I am? Well, if this makes you happy, then happy birthday!’ The coolest part about all of that was she was actually happy for me and the next words out of her mouth were, ‘When are we going for a ride?’!”

'77 GMC Sierra
CTP Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Paul Willis installing a Gen V
1. Paul Willis found that installing a Gen V direct-injected Chevy engine in a ’55 Ford F-100 was not without challenges—but where there’s a will, there’s a way (or in this case, where there’s different exhaust manifolds, there’s a way).
A GEN V EFFIE
Installing a Modern Direct-Injected Chevy Engine into a Vintage Ford Pickup

BY Ron CeridonoPhotography BY The Author

B

y now everyone knows how popular the General Motors LS family of engines have become for performance applications. Their potential for producing reliable, affordable horsepower is unmatched. But oddly enough, when these engines first came on the scene, some critics complained that GM was still using “old school” two-valve heads with a single cam in the block and pushrod valvetrains. Many armchair engineers opined that technology dictated combustion chambers with lots of valves operated by multiple overhead cams were necessary for a modern performance engine. Suffice it to say they were wrong and GM was right.

CTP Event
InTheGarageMedia.com
red and brown trucks parked on the grass at an event
California's Gold title
C10 SLO Down Strikes it Big With Classic GM Pickup Fans
BY Fuelish Media
A

s the C10 scene continues to grow, more and more events keep popping up across the nation. However, just because you decide to throw a C10-themed show doesn’t mean you will pull big numbers. There is so much more involved in creating a standout event that will bring the masses.

Despite what many people assumed, 2022 was the second year for the C10 SLO Down event. It all started when Paul Karp of the Central California chapter of C/10 Club wanted to have an event for GM truck fans in the region. Since it was only held at a local park and there wasn’t much promotion, there were only 286 trucks that made it out. Good times were probably had, but it definitely didn’t leave a mark in the scene.

CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Plumb Perfect title
Rich Riopel Takes the Plunge on a Needy ’56 F-100

BY Scotty LachenauerPHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR

A

nyone who has resurrected a vintage ride from a crumbling carcass and colossal pile of parts can appreciate the amount of work that goes into the process. It’s a tedious task, to say the least, and the experience could bring on waves of frustration and loads of self-doubt during the course of this possibly massive undertaking.

The person willing to create his or her dream ride from the ground up needs to be strong and steadfast or the project will never get the chance to breathe clean air and get its rubber firmly planted on the pavement.

CTP Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Steele Rubber door seals
1. Steele Rubber has what it takes to seal the barn door glass, along with the door seals to quell the rattles while keeping the rain and hot air out. (For tailgaters, they have you covered, too.)
Blazing New Trails typography

Replacing the Window and Rear Door Seals on a ’67-72 Suburban With Steele Rubber Products

BY Todd RydenPhotography by THE AUTHOR

A

re you a barn door or tailgate guy when it comes to the hind end of your ’67-72 Suburban or vintage utility rig? Actually, we’re not here to discuss the merits of either one, we just know at some point you’ll need new weatherstripping, glass seals, and other fresh rubber items to seal out the weather and noise for either-style door.

In our case, the barn doors on our ’71 Suburban were far overdue for a fresh set of weatherstrip seals, as the originals were about as dry and thin as possible. They provided little to no sealing, trumped with plenty of rattling as well. Plus, the cracked rubber seals around the windows had shrunk, leaving about a 1-inch gap open to the unwanted recirculating air and exhaust fumes.

The solution for our barn door woes, and for any Suburban tailgate fans out there, came from Steele Rubber Products in the way of a fresh set of weatherstripping as well as the window seals (which are also available for Blazer models). Steele designs their reproduction pieces right from original examples and molds them using the highest quality rubber available–right in Denver, North Carolina.

Feature

InTheGarageMedia.com

Suburban Life typography
three quarter front view of the ’40 Chevrolet suburban

Roseville Rod & Custom Builds a One-of-a-Kind ’40 Chevrolet Carryall

BY ROB FortierPhotography BY Tim Sutton

W

hile General Motors/Chevrolet did not originally coin the model name, the Chevy Suburban just happens to be the longest-running vehicle model in American history. Since 1934 Chevrolet has produced some form or another of its famous and most-profitable model, originally dubbed the Carryall Suburban, which is now in its 12th generation since its inception just shy of a century ago.

It takes a special kind of person to be a true Suburban lover, especially with the earlier models. For one, there’s that parts-non-interchangeability aspect (from the cowl back at least), but mostly it’s the fact that the first half-dozen generations of Suburbans are extremely rare in comparison to their model brethren light-duty pickups.

Though he’s gained some acclaim in the recent past with a few rather noteworthy mid-’30s Ford and Chevy passenger cars (one of which, his ’36 Ford, picked up Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year honors back in 2019), Montana’s Amedeo Angelo claims he’s also been about that Suburban life for, well, as long as he’s been able to drive.

CTP Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Twitch talking to Jason Scudellari in front of a raised truck

BY Rob FortierPhotography BY THE CTP Staff

cant stop this
When Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg Needed to Put the Brakes on—for Once—CPP Came to the Rescue

1-2. Jason Scudellari (ITGM Tech Center manager) and Twitch discussing the “lack” of braking performance experienced during the initial test of Twitch’s ’66 C10 … and what he expects from the full Classic Performance Products (CPP) brake system upgrade Scudellari just completed. (FYI, to see Twitch’s real-time reaction, scan the QR code on page 78 and check out the YouTube video!)

Scudellari upgrading a brake system working on the underside of a truck
W

hen Freestyle Motocross legend Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg recently had the air management system on his ’66 C10 updated, we went for a test ride and the first words out of his mouth were, “It’s great, but the truck won’t stop for sh!t!” For someone who spends more time flying through the air upside down, I figured that wasn’t going to be a big deal for him. Or so I thought …

Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY “Righteous” Rob FortierPhotography by John “Too Hip” Jackson
The Ultimate Modern Mullet Mobile
Roadster Shop’s Awesome Flashback ’88 Chevy … aka, Goodguys’ 2023 Grand Giveaway OBS
E

veryone’s jumping on the retro bandwagon raving about what Goodguys Rod & Custom Association is calling the “white hot OBS”: The Roadster Shop ’88 C/K 1500. And for good reason—it is absolutely white hot! You’ve undoubtedly seen this truck already, whether online or in print, and deservedly so. I have no problem giving a little extra love when and where it’s needed!

Back when I began my career in 1992, Alice In Chains had just released “Dirt,” John Gotti was sentenced to life in prison, and the Chevy/GMC C/K platform was still in its infancy. And while I successfully abstained from rocking the popular hair style at the time (and to this day as well), the infamous mullet was still en vogue and went hand-in-hand with Jet Skis and sport trucks, both of which were popular topics of magazine content via Splash and Truckin’ (two of the titles housed in the same McMullen & Yee Publishing building where I was employed). I may not have been much of a watersports enthusiast, but becoming very close friends with Courtney Hallowell, I was automatically immersed in the sport and mini-truck trends of the era. That said, when I first laid eyes on Roadster Shop’s OBS Low-Pro chassis at last year’s SEMA Show, well, suffice it to say, I was immediately taken back to those better times!

CTP Event
InTheGarageMedia.com
"East Coast Truckin'" in red grungy font
31st Annual Cruisin’ Ocean City Showcases Classic Trucks
BY Chuck VranasPhotography By THE AUTHOR
A

sk any classic truck owner about what energizes them with regard to ownership and you’ll get any number of responses, including the quest in locating their ride, time spent on a full build or installing upgrades, and even the camaraderie amongst owners. By far the most enjoyable experience, however, is hitting the open road with a full tank of fuel and a destination in mind, regardless of whether it’s to a local cruise night or laying down the miles to a large national event. With the promise of plenty of sun, surf, and horsepower, there was no better place to be in May than the 31st Annual Cruisin’ Ocean City, located in the picturesque seaside community of Ocean City, Maryland.

As you roll into town you’re greeted by the coolest 10-mile strip that plays host to well-over 3,000 registered visitors for the three-day performance festival, featuring an endless stream of classic trucks, muscle cars, hot rods, customs, and plenty of restored classics. It’s a place where meticulously maintained beaches lure you in with a promise of wicked surf and a nostalgic boardwalk packed with plenty of vintage amusement park rides and memorable beach-style eats that never, ever disappoint. Once settled in, the Inlet acts as the epicenter for the weekend’s activities. Holding up to 1,500 vehicles, it borders the beach and deep ocean with capacity of over 1,500 vehicles, which fills up fast, but thanks to a bevy of other happenings every day it turns over regularly.

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Thanks for reading our January 2023 preview issue!