Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Street Trucks

“EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF TIME OFF FROM WORK, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ROLL YOUR TRUCK INTO THE GARAGE AND GET SOME REGULAR, CONSISTENT WORK DONE ON IT.” EVEN THOUGH LAST YEAR’S SHOW SEASON HAS ENDED, THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU HAVE TO SLOW DOWN. In fact, it’s probably the best time to get your butt in gear. With fewer events, there’s no excuse for getting out to the garage and making some improvements to your ride. It’s the perfect time of the year to get everything crossed off your custom wish list. With that said, the holidays are the one point in the long, dark season where you might not have as much time to get out to the garage as you’d like.…

RIDING ON AIR AIR LIFT Performance’s SlamAir shocks deliver ride quality and stance flexibility, allowing you a customizable level of aggression with a smooth ride in the face of road hazards or towing. Customizable to order with a variety of mount options, up to nine levels of damping adjustability, 2-plus degrees of camber adjustment and up to 9.7 inches of stroke, SlamAir shocks promise height, strength and durability for your truck. Air Lift Performance • 800.248.0892 • Airliftperformance.com EASY ACCESS EDDIE Motorsports’ billet aluminum hood hinges use CNCmachined 6061-T6 aluminum and modern design to solve the crude production standards of the ’40s and ’50s as well as the awkward geometry of 1947-54 Chevy truck hinges. Bolting directly into the stock mounting holes, the hinges use sealed bearings at critical pivot…

WHETHER YOU’RE THE FIRST OWNER OR THE TWENTY-FIRST, EVERY TRUCK HAS A HISTORY. Although we can only trace this clean ’68 C-10 back two generations, the stories that it has to tell are pretty spectacular. It starts with Dave Johnston, a truck builder from Canada. When we talk about guys who wrench on trucks, they typically fall into two categories: build one every year or two and the turn ’n’ burners. Dave falls into the latter category, usually building something in relatively short order, making it cool, and then selling it to finance the next project. He’s a professional welder, and it’s clear that he knows his stuff. Dave had plans to build a 1967-72 C-10, and when he found a clean ’68 shorty, he scooped it up and went…

“GROWING UP AS A KID WAS TOUGH BECAUSE I CAME FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS,” CHRIS BURGESS, OWNER OF THIS SLICK ’52 GMC PICKUP, TOLD US. “I basically had nothing, and I learned at an early age that to get anywhere in life, you have to work hard. So I did.” This isn’t some kind of lead up to a story about a guy who has had the same vision of the same truck stuck in his head since childhood. Chris has never owned a custom anything until this point in his life (he’s currently 43), but he’s always appreciated the looks of older customized pickups. “THE IDEA OF BUYING OR BUILDING A TRUCK HADN’T BEEN IN THE STARS FOR HIM IN THE PAST BECAUSE HE WAS ON…

NOT EVERYONE IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL TRUCK STILL, BUT THOSE WHO DO HAVE A SPECIAL BOND WITH THEIR NOSTALGIC RIDES. Those formative years are filled with newfound freedom, friendship and in many cases an eagerness to start wrenching. Alas, most of us eventually move on to the next shiny thing that attracts our attention without realizing until years later that we shouldn’t have lost that lovin’ feelin’. Sorry, we just saw “Top Gun” on Netflix. Matt Jackson of Kingsburg, California, is one of those guys who still has his first truck, a ’55 Chevy. From the get-go, he wanted to customize it, and even had it ’bagged early on. The problem was even though the truck looked nice, the work underneath wasn’t the greatest. The air…

“THE STANCE IS RIGHT ON, THE ROLLING ATTIRE SETS THE BAR WITHIN ITS CLASS, AND WHAT WAS IN STORE IN THE PERFORMANCE CATEGORY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO EXCITE POWER JUNKIES IN ANY GENRE OF MUSCLE-BASED VEHICLES.” IF YOU LIVE IN THE LONE STAR STATE OR JUST CRUISE THROUGH FOR SHOWS, THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH ITS IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF BIG-LIPPED BILLET WHEELS. It seems like every pickup has them, from vintage to newer models. It’s enough to hurt a grown man’s feelings if he isn’t rolling on a set in the same ballpark. As much as that feeling of envy can sting, imagine spotting a ’15 Sierra laying frame over them as it makes a monstrous, unfamiliar revving sound as intimidating as it is intriguing. Well,…

WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOM TRUCK PROJECTS, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE SUBMIT OURSELVES TO THE CRUEL MISTRESS THAT IS A FULL CUSTOM BUILD, THERE’S ALWAYS ONE PROBLEM OR ANOTHER THAT INEVITABLY SURFACES. To distract the custom gods a bit, Craig Rowley tried his hand at drag racing and pro-street after building five custom trucks, all of which have appeared in magazines. But the high cost of racing got old, and Craig couldn’t deny his true passion for haulers; not to mention, his brothers from Negative Camber weren’t going to let him “live his life a quarter-mile at a time” for very long without harassing him to build another truck. Craig has been in the custom truck scene since the early ’90s, and something kept tugging him back no…

TOYOTA RECENTLY INTRODUCED ITS LAND SPEED CRUISER. Rebel TRX is a 100-mph off-road machine with 575 hp; it’s the most powerful ½-ton truck the company has ever built. Twin Garrett turbos under the hood make impressive power figures to the tune of 2,000-hp. They breathe into a fully built 5.7L Toyota V-8, which transfers power to the earth via custom ATI transmission. This is the “World’s Fastest SUV,” according to Toyota, capable of a blazing 220 mph. Every single thing inside this build has been touched, including the lowered suspension, race tires and aerodynamic improvements that help make the Land Speed Cruiser as slippery as possible. We can hardly wait to see this thing at Bonneville.…

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD. Without inventive builders and automotive enthusiasts we would be living in a bland, generic world. Lonnie Ford is one enthusiast who’s glad that we don’t live in a beige reality. Having always been a fan of Fords, Lonnie was determined that his next project be an F-100. He wanted to take the road less traveled, so he searched for a 1973-79 dent-side body. Inspired by a truck built by his friend Harold Pourciau, he was bound and determined to reach his goal. Soon after he began his search, another friend of Lonnie’s offered up a ’75 long-bed dent-side for sale. Unsurprisingly, Lonnie jumped at the chance and bought it immediately. Having never been a big fan of long-bed…

Winter is here, which means that many of you will be forced to leave your project truck in the garage until spring. This is the time of year when trucks can easily be forgotten, what with the whirlwind of the holidays. However, your relationship pans out between you and your four-wheeled love interest during these months, make sure that certain components of your truck are properly maintained during the offseason—namely the battery. If you’re the type who settles for nothing but the best for your truck, then you’ve surely spent the extra money on an Optima Yellow or Red Top battery due to their unbeatable cranking and deep cycling power. Yes, they’re perfect for vintage and late-model vehicles that are fully loaded with 12V accessories like full stereo systems, TV…

THE 2017 SILVERADO 2500HD CARHARTT concept vehicle is a truck built to tackle the toughest jobs while integrating the rugged aesthetics of hard-working lifestyles reflected in the resiliency and versatility of the iconic work jackets. Durability is expressed in the texture of the concept’s distinctively trimmed jet black interior, which features Carhartt’s signature duck brown garment material on the seats, armrests and door panel inserts, with triple-stitched seams just like the jackets. The Carhartt logo is laser-etched on the headrests, while antique nickel-finish trim is used on the doors, center console and instrument panel. Carhartt’s tough fabric is also used for a custom concept tonneau cover. A number of Chevrolet accessories and concept parts enhance the truck’s appearance and functionality, including trailering mirrors with camera system, black Bow Tie emblems,…

OWNER Lonnie Ford 1975 Ford F-100 Friendswood, TX Negative Camber ENGINE • Mock-up in place for Dart 440 V-8 small-block by Custom Automotive Machining and Jeff Walberg • Circle D C6 transmission with Houston driveshaft • Fully built Ford 9-inch narrowed • 4.30 gear ratio • Custom-built fuel cell • Optima battery CHASSIS & SUSPENSION • Shop: Jonathan Juarez and Justin Brill of Chasis Fab • Airbags with Accuair e-Level Management • 2000 Ford Expedition spindles • Chasis Fab front control arms • Custom rear 2-link suspension • Wilwood brakes, master cylinder and booster WHEELS & TIRES • 24x9 & 24x15 Raceline Explosion • 285/30ZR24 & 405/25ZR24 Pirelli Pzero BODY & PAINT • Stock long bed shortened 9 inches • Ford Factory Yellow paint INTERIOR & STEREO • Billet Specialties…

If you want to deliver the most power to the ground, a key component is the right suspension setup. Though Street Trucks often highlights pickups that are in the weeds with air ride suspensions, we also like to feature trucks that are designed for performance. Though airbags are a hot commodity in the custom truck marketplace, they aren’t right for every pickup. Having the ability to quickly adjust a vehicle’s height is nice, but those systems are more conducive to cruising, not cornering. For Project Bloodhound, we, along with Index Ink Design, planned a full pro-touring theme for our ’70 C-10. The idea was to create a classic that would drive like a modern truck and perform on the autocross course. Though we could have simply…

YOU DON’T NEED A RACE TRUCK TO HAVE FUN AT AN AUTOCROSS EVENT. It’s common for most first-timers to make very few or no changes to their truck before attending their first event. Once you try it out, though, you’re almost assured to become addicted. Once that happens, you’ll definitely want to go faster. It’s also pretty likely that you’ll have already started a lengthy list of changes you want to make to your truck, but where should you begin? We’ve developed a brief overview of the first few changes you should make to get your truck track-ready for an autocross or road-course event. We could fill a book with the ideal setup for each truck application and type of racing, so we’ve streamlined a few changes and setups you…

In 2015, BDS Suspension debuted its 5.5-inch suspension lift kit for the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, becoming among the first on the market with a lift kit for these midsized trucks. When power programmer and speedometer calibrator maker Hypertech bought a new ’16 Colorado Crew Cab Z71 as a promotional vehicle, the crew wanted to add off-road capability and rugged good looks. They chose BDS components for the job, and both the truck and the suspension kit were shipped to Portland, Oregon’s Carolina Kustoms for a complete build-up. Designed around BDS’ tested steering knuckle and cross-member technology, the kit provides enough lift to fit 33-inch tires, while maintaining the OE suspension geometry needed for smooth handling and ride characteristics. Along with the rugged, lifted design that maximizes ground…

FOR ANYONE WHO hasn’t had the pleasure of experiencing a Goodguys car show, let me take a minute to explain how cool these events are. The show takes place throughout a three-day weekend; starting Friday morning and ramping up as more and more vehicles arrive to join in the fun. Vendors and swap-meet booths abound, and the autocross experience draws bigger crowds at each successive event. Each part of the event is given as much attention as the others. Judges begin the task of searching for prize vehicles on Friday and continue throughout Saturday, which is when the full-blown festivities reach their peak. The gates don’t open until 7 a.m., but folks start lining up at 5:30 a.m. For the next two hours, a nonstop parade of vehicles rolls through…

IN THE WORLD OF UP-AND-COMING CUSTOM PAINTERS, NO ONE SEEMS TO BE GETTING AS MUCH ATTENTION AS PHIL LEONARD, OWNER OF SYRARIUM COLOR STUDIO IN HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA. Phil is the star of one of the most shared videos we’ve seen in the past year, which features the candy-over-raw-metal Cukui Suburban you can see elsewhere in this story. It seems like every time we’re on Facebook, there’s that video again (which was shot by JRG Photo, by the way). We sat down to talk with Phil about paint life while he was getting some artwork ready for Goodguys Pleasanton. We got some ideas and tips from him to help us all out the next time we try to tackle any kind of body or paint work, which we hope you’ll find…