Rodney Bauman, Tommy Lee Byrd, Ron Ceridono, Fuelish Media, Brian Goude, John Jackson, Michael Yamada
ROB MUNOZ
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
Mark Dewey – National Sales Manager
Janeen Kirby – Sales Representative
Patrick Walsh – Sales Representative
Travis Weeks – Sales Representative
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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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Multipurpose
1967 C10
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.
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.
BY Michael YamadaPHOTOGRAPHY BY The Author
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Ad Index
- American Autowire45
- American Legend Wheels69
- Art Morrison Enterprises13
- Auto Metal Direct55
- Automotive Racing Parts7
- BedWood and Parts85
- Bowler Performance Transmissions85
- Brothers Truck Parts92
- Chevs of the 40’s71
- Classic Instruments11
- Classic Performance Products4-5, 83
- Dakota Digital91
- Dynamat37
- Eaton Detroit Spring83
- Fat Man Fabrication85
- FiTech EFI47
- Flat Out Engineering83
- Gandrud Chevrolet85
- Granatelli Motor Sports, Inc.73
- Heidts Suspension Systems73
- Heinzman Street Rod Shop87
- LMC Truck15
- Lokar2, 41
- National Street Rod Association65
- Old Air Products63
- Performance Online53
- Powermaster Performance71
- Roadster Shop35
- Scott’s Hotrods63
- Speedway Motors23
- Strange Engineering69
- Thermo-Tec Automotive83
- Vintage Air9
- Western Chassis43
- Wilwood Engineering29
BY Tommy Lee ByrdPhotography By The Author
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.