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John Jackson snapped this month’s cover shot of John Lamb’s 1961 Ford Unibody in front of the old Duncan’s Garage in Idalou, Texas.
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BY ROB FORTIER, so here we are in October already (even though it’s July as I’m writing this, the issue is dated 10/24, which you’ll be reading in late August … make sense?!) and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot accomplished, but there’s still plenty more to cover before the year is over.
From a personal perspective—at least as far as my two projects are concerned—I’ve covered more ground in the last 6-8 months than I have the entire time I’ve owned them! I’d kinda given up on the 1948 Chevy, to be honest, but thanks to Paul et al at Old Anvil Speed Shop the three-window has been resuscitated—not only in the aspect of driveability but in the sense that I have an all-new appreciation for the truck I once hated and was on the verge of selling as-was.
Initially, Paul had agreed to install the Air Lift/Flo Air Ride control system, ditching the cool but antiquated manual-valve old-school air ride installed many moons ago. Also, he wanted to use the truck as a test bed (no pun intended) for Old Anvil’s new All Access VIP bed floor kit utilizing a Curly Maple wood kit I’d already acquired from Bedwood & Parts (they will be teaming up to offer complete kits for Stepside and Fleetside trucks!). Once Paul had torn into the truck, as you’ve seen in past articles, he ended up replacing the old, worn-out exhaust (with an all-stainless system that incorporates Speedway Motors components) as well as the under-performing fuel system (now upgraded with an Aeromotive in-tank pump kit). Furthermore, the brakes, which actually worked too good (if you can imagine that?!), were redone using an underfloor Wilwood master (sans booster) fed by a firewall-mounted reservoir—ultimately ensuring the truck stops as it should, without putting the driver (me) into the windshield! Oh, and in the process of all the mechanical fixes, they were kind enough to not only install a fresh new stainless grille from Golden Star, but to properly align the entire front sheetmetal group … so now I can open/close the hood without the use of any tools!
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For more information contact Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs at (865) 951-2081 or visit scottshotrods.com.
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Feature
IMAGES BY NotStock Photographyohn Lamb fell in love with a neat 1961 Ford Unibody pickup truck at a local car show one summer. He was so attracted to the truck because his father had a red Ford Unibody pickup when he was a kid and has great memories of driving in that truck with his family. He requested to the owner that when he was ready to sell the truck he give him first right of refusal to purchase the pickup. John patiently waited a couple of years until he got the chance to purchase the truck.
Tech
Images BY The CTP Staff
f all the diverse elements that make up the automotive hobby the classic trucks we know and love continue to grow in popularity, and some of the most sought after are 1967-1972 Chevrolet C10s.
Like most things for which we trade our hard-earned money, supply and demand dictate the going rate for a vintage shortbed C10, and they aren’t getting more plentiful or cheaper. Back in the July ’24 issue of Classic Truck Performance magazine, editor Rob Fortier addressed that very subject and pointed out that far more longbeds were produced than shortbeds. Never one to shy away from controversy, Rob then addressed those who object to the transformation from longbed to shortbed; in short, his advice was get used to it because it’s going to keep happening. The fact is longbeds are often much more affordable than their more compact counterparts, so cutting one down to size makes sense.
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Images by NotStock Photography
Robert acquired his 1996 CK1500 back in August 2020—smack-dab in the middle of that Pandemic thing—and by November he’d begun his transformation from the custom conversion (ground affects, 15×10 Eagle alloys, and so on!) to that two-tone OBS he’d been wanting (you 1988-1998 CK experts will be quick to point out that Chevrolet only offered the lower rocker two-tone color options, not the full two-tone as such … hence the “transformation”). By October 2021, with the help of Justin and Eli Griffin at Twin States Rod Shop in Meridian, Mississippi, the mission was completed.
Tech
Images BY Jessica Coleman & Andy Chavesow that our 1968 C10 project is through the arduous rust repair, bodywork, and paint, we’re down to the last few details as we approach our SEMA deadline. If you recall, our truck didn’t have much of an interior when we got it. Most anything of any value had been carted off over the years to keep other trucks alive, so there wasn’t much left. That meant we would be relying heavily on Speedway Motors’ inventory of C10 interior parts to furnish our cab.
The relative simplicity of a classic truck interior generally makes for a more budget-friendly project when compared to a car. A C10 was designed for utility, so we decided to lean into that bare-bones aesthetic inside our truck, a theme that matches our philosophy throughout the project. Our goal from the beginning has been to create a nice driver that retains the spirit of an old truck, so stock-style trimmings with some tasteful upgrades would be our interior strategy.
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Images BY THE AUTHORhrough the decades there have been a number of successful formulas to use as the core of your build, especially those revolving around the driveline and base used. For the longest time, it was the venerable 350/350 combination using a Chevy 350ci V-8 and TH350 trans. Plugged into a stock spine updated using a Mustang II–style IFS with drop spindles and a choice of ’bags or coilover shocks, it’s still a great layout for a build. Nowadays, it’s at a cutting-edge level, raising the bar with modern LS-, Coyote-, or Hemi-power, custom platforms, and big brakes bringing supercar-like performance to our trucks. Somewhere on the fringe you’ll find devout hot rodders still bringing vintage big-blocks linked to three pedals in a finely tuned package to the streets. The 1957 Chevy truck laid out across our pages owned by Bob Ford of Deep River, Connecticut, is a perfect example of a wicked hot rod breed with plenty of attitude.
TechInTheGarageMedia.com
IMAGES BY THE AUTHORfter upgrading our 1971 Chevy Suburban with an electronic four-speed automatic transmission we’ve never been happy with the column shift linkage. The original three-speed detents were already a bit worn down, then things really got off-kilt when controlling the extra gear of the 4L60E. Couple that with a few creaks and rattles and it was finally time to address the issues at hand.
As fans of floor shifters, we started looking for a prospective shifter that had the taste of an original four-speed stick shift and would still fit well with a bench seat. The answer came up while surfing through Lokar.com where you can basically build a shifter through a click of options.
FeatureInTheGarageMedia.com
Images by THE AUTHORlassic truck owners have a world of choices at their fingertips, especially when it comes to the most important decision of all regarding ownership being build versus buy. On the one hand, taking on a complete build involves a well-thought plan and plenty of patience as you strive to create your vision from the ground up whereas buying immediately puts you in the driver seat ready to have fun while putting down the miles. By purchasing a freshly completed or well-seasoned ride you also have plenty of options should you choose to change it to add your own personal signature, regardless of whether it’s updating the paint, stance, driveline, or interior.
Tech
IMAGES BY THE AUTHORhese days, when you talk about hybrids related to anything automotive, everybody assumes you’re talking about combining electric and gasoline motors. But if you go a little old school, “hybrid” has a totally different meaning. And that’s what we’re doing.
We’re building a Frankenstein hybrid, taking the best components from two engines that weren’t originally designed to work together and combining them into one big-inch beast. The combo is Ford Cleveland cylinder heads, intake, and some other pieces combined with a Ford Windsor bottom end (block, crank, pistons, camshaft). Appropriately, the name for this hybrid takes the name of the two engines (Cleveland and Windsor) and mushes them together to come up with “Clevor.”
FeatureInTheGarageMedia.com
Images by THE AUTHORhe 1980s conjure images in your mind of long hair held up with an abundance of hairspray, heavy metal music, and neon colors. For General Motors, 1988 welcomed a new era of the truck line, ending the famous Squarebody Chevrolet trucks that lasted from 1973 to 1987.
These new trucks would forever change how trucks were viewed. Instead of being more of a utilitarian-based vehicle made for hauling loads and getting work done, the 1988 Chevrolet and GMC trucks were built with the influence of the comfort from a car, ushering in a new era of trucks. Affectionately named “OBS” Chevys (Old Body Style), these trucks were wildly popular back then and still are today.
EventIMAGES BY THE AUTHORt is something to be said to take a premier truck show in the south and move it four hours away to one of the most iconic places in racing history without skipping a beat. When we heard Craig Rowley and his team were moving Battle in Bama from Mobile, Alabama, to Talladega Motor Speedway in Lincoln, Alabama, it made the hair stand up on my neck knowing the potential that would unfold for future events.
When we think about Talladega, we think NASCAR. What better way to kick off the summer than hanging with your buddies and badass trucks while quoting Talladega Nights all weekend? The event was split into two separate days: Day 1: Battle in Bama and Day 2: OBS Nationals. The hardest decision faced during the entire show was simply what to start looking at first, and that isn’t intended lightly. Million-dollar row perhaps … filled with top-tier classic trucks? OBS Nationals section packed with any-style OBS you could dream of? Blown hot rods? More like blown mafia! Classic one-off mini-trucks? Top-tier quality, from all over—with over 1,600 registered participants, there was no shortage of variety.
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