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March 2021
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Rear of Truck
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Rear of Truck
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Man working on door
1963GMC
1972F100
Harbor Freight Tools’ Titanium Plasma 45
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CLASSIC TRUCK PERFORMANCE VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 3 • 2021
Classic Truck Performance logo
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN BRENNAN
bbrennan@inthegaragemedia.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ROB FORTIER
rfortier@inthegaragemedia.com
SENIOR EDITOR
NICK LICATA
nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & OPERATIONS MANAGER
YASMIN FAJATIN
yfajatin@inthegaragemedia.com
MANAGING EDITOR & AD COORDINATOR
SARAH GONZALES
sgonzales@inthegaragemedia.com
ART DIRECTOR
ROB MUNOZ
EDITORIAL TEAM
Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Ron Ceridono, Michael Christensen, Ron Covell, Grant Cox, Dominic Damato, John Drummond, Fuelish Media, Eric Geisert, Joe Greeves, John Jackson, Barry Kluczyk, Scotty Lachenauer, Ryan Manson, Josh Mishler, Todd Ryden, Jason Scudelleri, Chris Shelton, Tim Sutton, Chuck Vranas, Michael Yamada – Writers and Photographers
ADVERTISING TEAM

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

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
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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.

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Copyright (c) 2021 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA.
The Classic Truck Performance trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.

Classic Truck Performance. March 2021, Vol. 2, No. 3 is published monthly by In The Garage Media.
1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6650, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.
ISSN 2692-2347 (print)
ISSN 2692-2355 (online)

Printed in U.S.A. please recycle
Still Hammerin’
InTheGarageMedia.com
Rob Fortier Headshot
Roots
BY ROB FORTIER
H

ere we are, hopefully putting 2020 as far back in the rearview mirror as possible and looking toward a sign of semblance for the coming new year. I won’t use phrases like “new normal” or “great reset,” as I don’t want to use this as a political pulpit—there’s enough of that going on around us. Let’s just say, I hope 2021 is what we all hoped 2020 would be before it turned into the nightmare kickoff to the new decade that it ended up being in so many aspects.

Just the other day, I got to thinking about the various roots of the classic truck hobby—as a whole, and my own personal ones as well. When you step back and take a hard look at what we’ve become versus where it all started, you then start to realize just how diverse we really are.

CTP text Tech
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Incomplete Truck
Behind The Scenes:
Premier Street Rod’s All-New, All-Inclusive Prototype 1967-1972 C10 Cab!
BY Rob Fortier Photography By The Author
Without a bed, a classic truck isn’t really much of a truck … but without a cab, a classic truck isn’t really much of anything!

When it comes to both the Advance Design (1947-1953) and Task Force (1955 Second Series through 1959) Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickups, you can literally build one from scratch using all-new sheetmetal. In conjunction with LMC Truck, Premier Street Rod has done all the hard work already … including the licensing! Now, Premier’s in the process of adding the 1967-1972 C10 cab to their line of reproduction/ restoration truck cabs.

Once again brought to you by the fine folks at LMC Truck, Premier Street Rod will soon be offering the second-generation 1967-1972 Chevy/GMC cab in both big- and small-window variations, big- and low-hump, A/C and non-A/C—all custom built to order. Each cab will come complete with OE-specific cowl, dash, and doors, just as the prototype we managed to get these preview images of illustrates.
CTP  Parts Dept
InTheGarageMedia.com
EMS automotive front Ford F100 floor pans
1. F-100 Floorpans
Now available from EMS Automotive are 1957-1960 Ford F-100 replacement floorpans. Die-stamped individual (R/L) front floorpans feature the OE-style shapes and curves. Made in Detroit by EMS from heavy 18-gauge steel just like the originals, they are available in pairs or individually and ship by economy package delivery. Cab corners and cab mounts are also available. EMS Automotive is your stop for any high-quality replacement sheetmetal for your Ford or Chevy.
CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Article of title
Frank Rechlin’s Painter’s Pride & Joy 1963 GMC
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY Brian Goude/GrinderTV
W

hat’s the old adage about a painter and his personal projects? Something along the lines of “never getting done”? Whatever it is, we’re here to dispel that pseudo proverb, as we present you with a legit painter’s pride: IKandy Paintworks proprietor Frank Rechlin’s 1963 GMC.

Teaming up with next door neighbor Tre 5 Customs (led by owner Jeremy Rice along with Hector Garcia, Travis Rawleigh, Brian Vowel, and Olin Glick) as he’s done with his own crew (Travis Hearning, Manny Rodriquez, and Scott Dafoe) on numerous projects each year, Frank decided back in November of 2019 that it was due time he put a set of wheels on the street for himself. Having recently painted two first-gen C10s at the time is what primarily biased his decision on what exactly he wanted to build—and with the help of his good friend Mark Shroeder, once the ball got rolling, it wouldn’t be long before “Borracho,” so aptly named after one late-night, inebriated conversation with his wife, Jaclyn, IKandy’s official shop truck, full came to fruition.

 FEATURE OF THE MONTH SPONSORED BY OPTIMA BATTERIES
CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Article of title
Frank Rechlin’s Painter’s Pride & Joy 1963 GMC
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY Brian Goude/GrinderTV
W

hat’s the old adage about a painter and his personal projects? Something along the lines of “never getting done”? Whatever it is, we’re here to dispel that pseudo proverb, as we present you with a legit painter’s pride: IKandy Paintworks proprietor Frank Rechlin’s 1963 GMC.

Teaming up with next door neighbor Tre 5 Customs (led by owner Jeremy Rice along with Hector Garcia, Travis Rawleigh, Brian Vowel, and Olin Glick) as he’s done with his own crew (Travis Hearning, Manny Rodriquez, and Scott Dafoe) on numerous projects each year, Frank decided back in November of 2019 that it was due time he put a set of wheels on the street for himself. Having recently painted two first-gen C10s at the time is what primarily biased his decision on what exactly he wanted to build—and with the help of his good friend Mark Shroeder, once the ball got rolling, it wouldn’t be long before “Borracho,” so aptly named after one late-night, inebriated conversation with his wife, Jaclyn, IKandy’s official shop truck, full came to fruition.

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 FEATURE OF THE MONTH SPONSORED BY OPTIMA BATTERIES
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InTheGarageMedia.com
Shut the Front Door
Golden Star’s All-New Squarebody OE Replacements
Golden Star’s All-New Squarebody OE Replacements
BY Rob Fortier  PHOTOGRAPHY BY The Author
I

f you’ve ever dealt with aftermarket sheetmetal, you know there’s a vast difference in both price and quality/fitment between your no-name generic reproduction, or “crash”-type (automotive collision repair), and the OE replacement panels. Generally speaking, you can attain decent-quality repop parts from most reputable suppliers that won’t require a ton of additional work to fit and finish—but if you want the best fit with the minimal amount of finishing effort, you’re going to pay a lot more for that convenience. At least until now, that is.

CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Watermelon Wrath typography
Aaron Read’s Multipurpose 1967 C10
BY Rob FortierPHOTOGRAPHY BY Brian Goude/GrinderTV
W

hen it comes to color choices and, more importantly, color combinations, there are unwritten rules to what works and, more importantly, what does not. Having a background in art/graphic design, I’m probably one of the pickiest when it comes to color palettes as they’re applied to vehicles. If Aaron Read, the owner of this particular 1967 C10, were to have told me the particular hues he was going with before I had the chance to see the finished product, I’m sure my reaction would’ve been less than complimentary. A watermelon, of sorts, bright green and red seem better suited for a Jolly Rancher candy than a top-tier truck as such. But as it turned out, those colors actually work—and quite well, at that!

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Aaron Read’s
Multipurpose
1967 C10
 FEATURE OF THE MONTH SPONSORED BY OPTIMA BATTERIES
CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
C10: Frontal Rehab typography
Part 1: Updating the 1967-1972 Chevy 1/2-Ton Frontend—Correctly!
BY Rob FortierPhotography BY The Author
W

hen initially purchased, our 1969 C10 seemed, for all intents and purposes, as if all it needed to become roadworthy was tightening up a few nuts and bolts here and there. Well, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Part 1: Updating the 1967-1972 Chevy 1/2-Ton Frontend—Correctly!
BY Rob FortierPhotography BY The Author
W

hen initially purchased, our 1969 C10 seemed, for all intents and purposes, as if all it needed to become roadworthy was tightening up a few nuts and bolts here and there. Well, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

CTP logoFeature star Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
Homebuilt Hauler typography
Sal Seeno’s Clean Ol’ 1953 Chevy
Homebuilt Hauler typography
Sal Seeno’s Clean Ol’ 1953 Chevy

BY Michael Yamada PHOTOGRAPHY BY The Author

I

n the early days of hot rodding, if you wanted something new you had to build it yourself. Today, we have many vendors providing all manner of well-engineered products, and many shops specializing in builds to fit every budget. However, there will always be a place for good old-fashioned hot rodder ingenuity—especially for Sal Seeno.

Working out of his small home shop in Castroville, California, Sal builds hot rods that win awards. During the week he can be found at his job as the equipment manager of a golf course in nearby Monterey. He and his wife, Susan, an office manager, have called Castroville, a small farm town known as the “Artichoke Center of the World,” home for many years.

CTP text Tech
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A Slice Above
Harbor Freight Tools’ Titanium Plasma 45
BY Rob Fortier  Photography BY The Author
I

t’s probably a very safe bet to say we all love tools—especially new ones! Whether it’s a newfangled ratchet wrench that clicks three times more than the others or a cordless flashlight that shines to the moon, when something new comes out that sets a precedence for either performance/durability or price point, true tool aficionados take notice. But what about when that new tool does both: performs as good as if not better than the best and is priced significantly cheaper?!

That’s precisely what Harbor Freight Tools’ latest offering to the world of metal fabrication offers: top-of-the-line performance at a fraction of the cost. Their new Titanium Plasma 45, an inverter-based, 45-amp plasma cutter that, just as the title suggests, is a “slice above.” When powered off 240 V, the machine can cleanly cut through 5/8-inch steel continuously for 5 minutes at 45 amps with a 50 percent duty cycle (100 percent at 33 amps). Using the lower 120V power source, that capability is reduced to 3-1/2 minutes at 20 amps with a 35 percent duty cycle. Having the dual power source option is great for the guy at home—especially those without the luxury of having 220/240V power in their garage.

CTP Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
BY Rob Fortier PHOTOGRAPHY BY John Jackson
Article title
F

or those who know, the infamous Unibody Ford F-100 is quite the hot commodity—equally as much for its unique integrated body styling as it is for its rare breed aspect. A unicorn of sorts, as owner and co-builder Michael Porter admits, when he first stumbled across his 1961 edition he was embarrassed to admit he had no idea what a Unibody was prior to that!

The Porter Family’s 1961 Ford F-100
CTP logoFeature star Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Automotive plumbing components
1. Automotive plumbing components come in a variety of types and materials. Always use antiseize on aluminum-to-aluminum or stainless-to-stainless fittings and the proper size wrenches rather than a pipe wrench.
Proper Plumbing Pointers
Make Your Truck’s Brake and Fuel Systems Safe, Reliable, and Leak-Free
BY Ron Ceridono  PHOTOGRAPHY BY The Author
S

omeone once said if any part of building a classic truck looks simple, you’ve got to be overlooking something. That applies to every step along the way, including a straightforward task such as plumbing the chassis. When it comes to installing brake and fuel lines there are a variety of hard line materials, hoses, and fittings that must be compatible to operate safely and reliably. There are also a number of tools available that will make the job easier to accomplish and more professional looking when you’re done.

  Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
The Ford Gene title
Matt Girard’s 1972 F-100 Carries on a Family Tradition
BY Fuelish Media  Photography by The Author
T

hough we all like to think we drum to our own beat, we normally do things based on family tradition. Growing up around certain lifestyles definitely has its influences on our lives. It’s funny that sometimes we try to break away but, in the end, we gravitate back to what we know. It gives us a sense of comfort to know that our parents would approve of our accomplishments.

  Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
The Ford Gene title
Matt Girard’s 1972 F-100 Carries on a Family Tradition
BY Fuelish Media  Photography by The Author
T

hough we all like to think we drum to our own beat, we normally do things based on family tradition. Growing up around certain lifestyles definitely has its influences on our lives. It’s funny that sometimes we try to break away but, in the end, we gravitate back to what we know. It gives us a sense of comfort to know that our parents would approve of our accomplishments.

CTP text Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Open Container title
Reviving ’N’ Driving a Ford Stored Too Long
BY “Rotten” Rodney Bauman  Photography by The Author
S

ome kids never grow up. The ones who do are quite likely to outgrow their toys. As time ticks by, those grownups might forget about an old toy’s fun factor—and with that the need for such fun just diminishes.

In Riverside, California, back in the middle of the ’70s, my own favorite uncle, Gary Bauman, began collecting 1956 F-100s. In those days, tired Effies were plentiful, and plenty affordable, too. To the best of my personal recollection, the first acquisition was a rolling hulk, less engine and trans but decent enough to build. As the collection of parts trucks grew, the best bits found their way to the project truck.

Resellers LIST
Missing an issue? Please contact one of our resellers listed below. Want to sell one of our titles in your store or shop? Contact us at subscriptions@inthegaragemedia.com

Nitroactive.net
Orange, CA
Nitroactive.net

Autobooks-Aerobooks
Burbank, CA
818-845-0707
Autobooks-aerobooks.com

National Speed
Center, Inc.
Manchester, CT
860-647-1353
nationalspeed.com

Hot Rod Paper Company
Youngstown, OH
800-676-3026
gadmak@aol.com

Pasteiner’s
Birmingham, MI
248-646-2886
pasteiners.com

Reader’s World
616-396-4600
readersworldbookstore.com

Horton Hot Rod Parts
Ontario, Canada
905-876-2124
hortonhotrod.ca

Graffiti Publications
Victoria 3450
Australia
graffitipub.com.au

One56
Björklinge, Sweden
One45.se

  Event
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BY Tommy Lee Byrd Photography By The Author

Southeastern Truck Nationals typography
Celebrating Chevrolet and GMC Trucks of All Ages
T

here is no doubt that Chevrolet trucks have been a popular platform for customization for many years. The past 20 years have seen a significant rise in the popularity of classic trucks ranging from 1955-1987, but the scope of this hobby continues to widen as enthusiasts seek out new build ideas. That’s where the Southeastern Truck Nationals comes into play. It’s an all-Chevy and GMC truck show that pays tribute to the classics, while also giving late-model truck enthusiasts a place to show off their customized machines.

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Thanks for reading our March 2021 preview issue!