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.

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?’!”

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!