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Thanks to Eric Geisert for capturing this month’s cover of Tim Cagle’s stunning second-gen Squarebody dubbed “Pandemic”!
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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Still Hammerin’
hile I’m a tad bit young to be a true “first-gen” classic trucker, I have been around and involved since the hobby first started taking root. But my official involvement didn’t actually begin until what I consider the second phase—the classic truckin’ of the early ’90s when I started my career as a gearhead photojournalist. So, over the years, I’ve seen styles come and I’ve seen them go … some I Iiked, others I was glad to see them go! Ironically enough, as with pretty much every fad, many, if not most, of those earlier trends have come back in style!
Back in the late ’80s into the early ’90s, Pro Street was all the rage: Full-girth Mickey Thompsons, aka Sweet Meats, wrapping a set of Convo-Pros or Weld Drag Stars tucked up under the rear of bright yellow (or red/blue/green) ’56 F-100s were the staple of the hobby at the time. Crazy graphics were just about to hit the scene—but before that, custom painters got busy with all kinds of interpretive designs: splash/wet flames, scallops, simulated granite, you name it. (Many loved it … I thought most of it was gross!) At the time, mini-truckers were doing their thing—big time—but I’ll touch back on that later.
Parts Dept.
For more info, contact Fatman Fabrications by calling (704) 545-0369 or visit fatmanfab.com.
e’ve all seen it happen: when a football is fumbled and someone from the other team picks it up and takes it down the field for a touchdown. Tim Cagle is that kind of guy. Living in Huntington Beach, California, 60-year-old Tim has been dabbling in cars since he was 16 (attending events like the Truck Jamboree in Costa Mesa, California, back in the day), but when he got older the hobby was set aside for family and creating a business. More recently he decided to get back into the truck scene and was flipping cars and trucks just before the initial COVID-19 pandemic started. Then a friend told him about an ’86 Chevy C10 Squarebody pickup that was for sale.
or those of us Ford fans, it seems to be getting harder and harder to find a good foundation on which to build a shortbed truck. Whether it’s a matter of production numbers or survivability, it seems that the longbed Fords far outnumber the shorties. That’s great if you need to haul a load of lumber, a motorcycle, or a camper shell, but if it’s a well-performing, healthy-handling pickup truck you’re after, an old longbed probably isn’t going to cut it. That is unless cutting it is the plan.
Always looking for the next great gap to fill in the market, the team at Golden Star Classic Auto Parts recently announced the release of their newly tooled short Fleetside bedsides for ’67-72 Ford pickups. This, in addition to also offering the front header panel, steel floor, wheelhouses, and tailgate, allows Golden Star to offer not only the components needed to repair or restore a classic Ford pickup, but also gives their customers the option to ditch the longbed setup for a brand-new shortbed box.
f all the improvements made to a classic truck, suspension modifications are arguably the most beneficial. There are a number of reasons for making suspension changes, not the least of which is what was expected from these trucks when new—they were designed to be tough, haul a load, and little else mattered. Today what we expect is a smooth ride, improved handling characteristics, and, more often than not, a lower profile. One of the most popular methods of achieving all those goals is with the installation of coilovers.
rand loyalty affects everyone on a daily basis, regardless of whether it’s something as simple as a favorite coffee or soft drink brand, supermarket chain, clothing manufacturer, or even gas station. As you move on up the line into more costly investments, like computers, appliances, and trucks, you’ll often find that fans of exclusive manufacturers gravitate to their favorites for a number of reasons, ranging from price and quality to effectiveness in reaching personal goals. Simply stated, you know what you like and what it brings to the table for you.
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BY Rob FortierPhotography BY THE AUTHOR
here’s nothing worse than the hot—and loud—interior of an old Chevy truck. Now that I’m an expert in the field of interior thermal-acoustic control dynamics (insert nerdy emoji), after recently equipping my ’48 three-window’s inner cab sanctum accordingly, I can fully attest to the importance of having the proper materials applied in the cab of your truck (no matter the year/make) BEFORE you begin laying any carpet or upholstery.
t’s sometimes difficult to stand out in the large pool of custom trucks, but when that one certain pickup comes along that makes as many waves as this ’63 F-100 has, it’s difficult not to just stand and stare. Known affectionately to those in the know as “Numero Uno” or “Uno” for short, this clean-as-a-whistle classic Ford Unibody boasts one of the most sanitary of exterior façades to date on any truck anywhere, but what’s underneath the hood is as dirty as it gets.
t’s been a minute or few since we last visited Western Chassis’ OBS suspension and brake offerings (Dec. ’20 issue, to be exact!), so we figured it was past due time to take a closer look at their sister company Performance Online’s (POL) Blackout Series of ’88-98 Chevy/GMC 1/2-ton brake kits—11.75-inch rear disc setup for the non-such-equipped OBS 1/2-tons (PN RWB58898).
If you’re tired of your C/K 1500/GMT400’s stock 10-inch rear drum brake performance and are looking for a direct bolt-on kit (in lieu of doing the Internet’s favorite backyard mechanic “late-model” swap), Performance Online’s new kit for the Chevy/GMC pickups (as well as the similarly equipped ’92-00 Blazer/Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban) will do the trick … without emptying your wallet.
n a world where patina has never been more prevalent and so in vogue, it’s more than just a breath of fresh air to see the exact opposite: over-the-top custom paint—whether it’s a completely flawless single-color paintjob or, in this case, the exact opposite—an “every color” custom job by the master, Eric “Edog” Michaud.
A plumber by day, Edog has spent the last couple decades of evenings and weekends perfecting his true craft of custom painting and car/truck building (every aspect, from chassis to metalwork and literally everything in-between). His latest, this amazing ’65 Ford short-slab, was originally bodyworked and painted for a fellow club member back in 2015; by the following year, after the truck had earned itself a “Best Lowrider Truck” at the 2016 Grand National Roadster Show, he took full ownership of the F-100 and proceeded to rack up the miles himself.
e don’t know anyone who hasn’t been ready to get back to going to hot rod car shows. After a nearly 24-month layoff, the Meguiar’s Detroit Autorama, presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts, rolled back into the Motor City’s downtown convention center for the event’s 69th time.
Since the last Autorama there were some obvious changes (since 1964 the show’s location has been inside the massive Cobo Hall but, after being renamed twice in two years, the facility is now called Huntington Place), but many aspects of the original happening have remained intact.
Ad Index
- All American Billet17
- American Autowire29
- ART MORRISON ENTERPRISES21
- AUTO METAL DIRECT41
- AUTOMETER PRODUCTS7
- Automotive Racing Products33
- BEDWOOD AND PARTS65
- BORGESON UNIVERSAL CO.47
- BOWLER PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSIONS93
- BROTHERS TRUCK PARTS100
- CHEVS OF THE 40’S67
- CLASSIC INDUSTRIES49
- CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS4-5, 93
- CLEANTOOLS79
- DAKOTA DIGITAL99
- DESIGN ENGINEERING81
- EATON Detroit Spring85
- FAT MAN FABRICATION85
- FITECH EFI25
- FLAT OUT ENGINEERING93
- FRONTIER SHOP SUPPLIES63
- GOLDEN STAR CLASSIC AUTO PARTS6
- GRANATELLI MOTOR SPORTS63
- Heidts Suspension Systems79
- HEINZMAN STREET ROD SHOP97
- KUGEL KOMPONENTS85
- LMC TRUCK27
- LOKAR2, 31
- NATIONAL STREET ROD ASSOCIATION57
- NEW PORT ENGINEERING85
- OLD AIR PRODUCTS75
- OPTIMA BATTERIES11
- P.O.R. PRODUCTS81
- PERFORMANCE ONLINE39
- PHOENIX MACHINE PRODUCTS97
- POWERMASTER PERFORMANCE73
- SCOTT’S HOTRODS73
- SMEDING PERFORMANCE67
- SPEEDWAY MOTORS55
- STRANGE ENGINEERING75
- Summit Racing Equipment19
- THERMO-TEC AUTOMOTIVE93
- VINTAGE AIR9
- Wentz Motor Company81
- WESTERN CHASSIS61
- WILWOOD ENGINEERING45
- WINTERS PERFORMANCE65