Innholdsfortegnelse for Volume 4, Issue 38 - October 2023 i Classic Truck Performance

This is the ’71 GMC 1/2-ton Stepside owned by my Uncle Jack Fillers from Greeneville, Tennessee. It was originally a 292 inline-six with a TH350 transmission and a 12-bolt 3:73 rear. It has had one obvious repaint in its life where the bumpers were painted the Factory 504 Medium Olive Metallic. The original wood bed floor was pretty much gone and it had some minor cab corner/rocker rust that needed to be replaced. The project was the result of a previous conversation I had with Rob Fortier of Classic Truck Performance and then a conversation in my booth at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, between Jim Ries and myself about whether we’d be willing to work with CTP and Jim’s company, Classic Performance Products (CPP), to do…

Considering how your truck drives usually leads to thoughts of coilover upgrades or sway bars, but have you ever thought about the steering action and feel? Unless you’re still rocking a slow, stock, manual box, a steering upgrade may not have ever been on your radar—but you may want to rethink that! After being in business for over 100 years, Borgeson Universal Company knows a bit about steering! They recently introduced a new steering box for GM OBS trucks that has a turning ratio of 12.7:1 versus the stock ratio of 14:1 or the factory 16/13:1 variable ratio unit. This means that for every 12.7 degrees of steering wheel movement, the output shaft rotates 1 degree. In the case of our OBS, the new box now turns lock-to-lock within three…

In the realm of classic trucks, the Chevy C10s and Ford F-100s often steal the spotlight while the Dodge D100 remains overlooked despite its appealing appearance. Although lacking the flamboyance of the C10 or the widespread popularity of the Ford, the D100 possesses immense potential—hence why some have opted to build one of these distinctive trucks. Let’s turn our attention to Carl Smith, a dedicated truck enthusiast residing in the serene town of Hornbeck, Louisiana. His journey into the realm of trucks commenced when he customized an OBS Chevy Silverado, a project that sparked his passion. As Carl’s skills flourished, he transitioned into the field of fabrication, securing a position at Xtreme Machines in Leesville, Louisiana. Now his days are consumed by the art of elevating and lowering trucks from…

1. LT4 SUPERCHARGER DRESS-UP Lokar Performance Products recently announced an addition to their LS Classic Series line with their new GM LT4 Supercharger Lid. With its finned aluminum construction and polished highlights, the Supercharger Lid provides a slick vintage look for your modern supercharged LT4 engine. These lids are a direct replacement for the factory supercharger lid, can be installed in as little as 15 minutes, and are made right here in the USA! For more info, contact Lokar Performance Products by calling (865) 824-9767 or visit lokar.com. 2. ALL-NEW CHEVROLET CAMEO TRIM! Quality Classic Parts has been producing quality reproduction parts for over 50 years. Their latest challenge was to make Chevrolet Cameo trucks more affordable. Prior to introducing the new bed trim pieces, the only option was to…

With the abundance of truck shows these days, it’s good to see those long-standing traditions like attending the Brothers Trucks Show (formerly known as Brothers Show & Shine) is still top of the list for SoCal “must attends”! Now in its 24th year (the second under the new Holley Performance group banner and fourth year at the spacious Oak Canyon Park in the beautiful Santiago/Irvine Lake region of SoCal), we were definitely looking forward to kicking off our 2023 summer Brothers style. And that’s exactly what we did! At the crack of dawn, Sunday, June 11th, we made our way up through drizzly Santiago Canyon to the somewhat-remote event location set behind Irvine Lake. By the time we’d propped up our In The Garage Media merch booth, the sun was…

It’s a common thread in the classic car world where a vehicle is purchased to fulfill a sense of nostalgia—and the truck market is no different. Growing up exploring the Northern California countryside with his family as a youth, it was this nostalgia that prompted Pete Richmond to search for a classic truck similar to what was used on the property that the family so enjoyed. Pete and his wife, Leslie, contacted Zane Cullen at Cotati Speed Shop and together the team came up with a fast and loose plan reflecting what Pete wanted in his classic truck build. A ’67-72 Chevy would be the foundation upon which they would build a well-functioning, upgraded pickup with the performance, ride, and comfort eclipsing a modern vehicle and the aesthetic of a…

If you look back 15-20 years ago, there were no “recipes,” per se, when it came to building performance classic trucks—update the original chassis, swap the drivetrain … basically, the standard fare street rod treatment. Well, as the hobby has grown and progressed over the last two decades, so too has that treatment—in all facets of the automotive aftermarket. But even with the so-called templates, recipes, whatever you want to call it, the one thing you can’t pull off the Internet or out of a catalog is “style.” When it comes to a full-attitude style, few can replicate that of Mike Goldman Customs. Hopefully you’ve seen his work in person—you’ve definitely seen it here on the pages of CTP (Bob Garwood’s ’55 Cameo, Jan. ’22 issue). At the same time…

For some folks, finding your dream vehicle is a lifelong endeavor. Maybe it’s the rarity or even the cost but there are a lot of people who never get what they’ve always wanted. At the other end of the spectrum there is Brad Bolves who has always owned what he’s always wanted. Early in life, the now-64-year-old traded and built cars like they were baseball cards, including a ’64 Impala SS, a 383-equipped ’62 Dodge Dart, and a ’67 Buick Skylark convertible but, when he found an 8-year-old ’75 Ford shortbed SuperCab for sale in 1983 still owned by the original owner, he knew he’d found what he’d been looking for. Not long after buying this truck he and his now-wife, Janice, drove it to their wedding in 1985. Soon…

In the two previous issues of Classic Truck Performance, we documented installing C4 Corvette front suspension under an early Chevy pickup. Our intent was to build a ’52 Chevy 3100 series pickup that had the ride and handling qualities of a contemporary performance car, but like many projects there were complications to deal with—and in this case they were all of our own doing. Our piecemeal pickup actually started life in 1952 as a 3800-series 1-ton truck. But as the cab and front sheetmetal is the same as a 3100 1/2-ton pickup, and this particular example was completely rust-free and in near-perfect condition, we decided to use it. Now all we needed to begin was a frame. As luck would have it our friend Gary Dagel, of Dagel’s Street Rods,…

Celebrating 40 Years of classic Ford truck love, the F-100 Western Nationals, hosted by Limited Pickups of Orange County, hit a milestone this year, marking four decades of timeless passion for classic Ford trucks. The picturesque Canyon RV Park in Anaheim, California, served as the perfect venue, with its charming trees casting a welcoming shade over hundreds of showcased trucks. From classic beauties to Coyote swaps, this year’s event showcased a jaw-dropping array of classic trucks, with many enthusiasts embracing the likeminded people and great trucks. The bump sides made a remarkable presence, offering fierce competition to the beloved fat fenders that have long dominated the scene. The camaraderie among attendees and participants created an unforgettable atmosphere of shared enthusiasm and love for these automotive treasures. With the 40th year…