Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Street Trucks

THIS ’72 GMC SIERRA HERE IS RUSTY AND COVERED IN NATURAL PATINA, AND ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN LEFT IN ITS ORIGINAL AGED CONDITION, IT LOOKS QUITE A BIT BETTER NOW THAN IT DID WHEN JESUS MANCHACA PURCHASED IT ABOUT 10  YEARS AGO. Of course, it stood quite a bit taller back then, but there was just something about it that had to be changed up. “The truck was originally a three-quarter-ton camper special truck and, just like it sounds, had a huge camper on top of the bed,” Jesus says. “When I tore the truck down, I found the propane tank connections in the back under the frame, so this thing must’ve seen its fair share of camping trips in its lifetime.” Some trucks look good with camper shells on…

OLD TRUCKS. Their thick-gauge steel bodies built this country much like the stained-overall clad men and women who once sat behind their oversized steering wheels. The trucks of yesterday with their solid steel sheetmetal, metal dashes, crank windows and manual steering were built for one thing: work. On farms and in driveways across America, there was a time when everyone simply had to have a pickup truck. From daily drivers to weekend workhorses and family cruisers, trucks have always been the universal tool to get the job done and, like an old worn out catcher’s mitt or a grungy old baseball cap, it’s a perfect fit every time you slide behind that wheel. As time rolls on, many of these old workhorses get retired from service and put out to…

ONCE DUBBED THE SEAFOOD CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, IS RENOWNED FOR JET-SKI VACATIONS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND RELAXING WITH YOUR TOES IN THE WHITE SAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI SOUND. But what if we told you it is also home to the wildest truck show on the Gulf Coast? That’s right! You can play a game of blackjack at one of the local casinos, sample some locally brewed coastal cold ones, and check out the coolest cars and trucks in the country—all in the same weekend. The options are endless! Scrapin the Coast is partially funded by Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor’s Center, which proves even more that this event is well organized and well respected within the community. The show is held at the Mississippi…

SO, YOU WANT TO BUY A CRATE ENGINE FOR YOUR NEXT PRODUCT? Not sure where to order or who to trust? Those are some of the most common concerns we hear over and over again. We decided to throw our opinion out there for you to consider so you’re a little more educated before dropping some cash. Based on our experiences, we can offer some words of advice and tips for a positive engine-buying experience. We’ve ordered them, installed them, rebuilt them and even destroyed them. So, learn from our past to make the right decision in the future. BluePrint Engines was started 20 years ago in a small garage in central Nebraska. What started as a passion for speed turned into a hobby, then a job and finally a…

“ONE OF THE BIGGEST MUSTS FOR A MARKETABLE TRUCK IS A POPULAR YET UNIQUE LOOK; YOU WANT IT TO BE UNIQUE ENOUGH THAT AN OWNER CAN PICTURE IT BEING THEIR OWN BUT NOT EXACTLY LIKE EVERY TRUCK AN EVENT.” FOR ANYONE WHO KNOWS HIM, KYLE OSBORN’S GARAGE IS LIKE A REVOLVING DOOR. An endless stream of incredible vehicles flows in and out of his ownership year after year; he usually owns at least two or three of those builds at a time. As if that’s not enough, Kyle tends to even buy back builds he has previously owned if the price is right and the sentimental attachment is there. Upon starting this incredible ’55 GMC in front of you, his intentions were simple: build it quickly and flip it…

HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ TO BE BUILT AT ALABAMA PLANT HYUNDAI Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) announced the Santa Cruz compact utility vehicle will join the Santa Fe SUV and the Sonata and Elantra sedans at Hyundai’s U.S. automotive assembly plant in Montgomery, starting in 2021. The company first introduced the Santa Cruz as a concept at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The plant will require a $410 million expansion to support the addition of the vehicle. This includes additional space in the stamping, welding and parts processing areas of the manufacturing complex. Direct employment will increase by 200 jobs and local suppliers and logistics companies that support HMMA are projected to employ an additional 1,000 people in Montgomery and the River Region. “Bringing the Santa Cruz to…

WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOM TRUCKS, THE AFTERMARKET RULES THE LAND—AND THAT SETS THE CONSUMER UP FOR A LITTLE ECONOMICS 101 AND A LESSON IN SUPPLY AND DEMAND. For customizing and  upgrading, parts are supplied for the most popular trucks, and for years now that truck has worn a Bow Tie. This creates a cycle where the parts that are available cause an increase in the same truck being customized over and over. However, when you are a custom shop and you’re tired of seeing the same old truck being built time and time again, you create your own aftermarket and tip the scale of supply and demand in your favor. That’s where this particular fat fender F-100’s story begins. Enter Juanky Built, the small operation created by Juan Ibarra…

“VETERANS IN THE CROWD WERE CALLED UP, THANKED AND GIVEN CUSTOM EMBROIDERED HATS. THE UNVEILING OF FRESHLY COMPLETED VEHICLES FOLLOWED, SOMETHING THAT’S BECOME AN EXCITING TRADITION AT THE EVENT.” WE TRAVEL THE COUNTRY TO FIND THE BEST TRUCK SHOWS ON THE CIRCUIT, AND THE ANNUAL SEPTEMBER F-100 SUPERNATIONALS TRUCK SHOW HAS BEEN ENTERTAINING FANS FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES. One of the sport’s longest-running events, the 2019 show—held Sept. 19, 20 and  21—attracted almost 400 Ford-powered vehicles from 27 states to the Sevierville Convention Center in Sevierville, Tennessee. Starting on Thursday, everyone settled in, looking forward to the weekend action. The real excitement began on Friday with show promoter Charlie Cobble welcoming the crowd. Patriotism is always a strong part of the event, and the local Marine Corps detachment opened…

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THE LAST 20 YEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY IS WATCHING ALL THE GROWTH THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH BUILDERS AND MANUFACTURERS ALIKE. Many of the top parts manufacturers started as simple backyard fabricators who found an open market and jumped in the deep end with both feet. They have perfected their product lines and assembled a group of professionals to create a winning combination. After years of learning, trying, failing and persevering, the best of the best rose to the top and now enjoy a career in the field they love. In this story, we focus on Jim Ries and his impressive company known as Classic Performance Products, a.k.a. CPP. Jim opened his business in December 1991 and has not looked back since. He…

2020 CHEVY LOADMASTER AFTERMARKET AIR SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER AIR LIFT COMPANY HAS RELEASED NEW LOADLIFTER 5000-SERIES KITS FOR THE 2020 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500/3500 AND GMC SIERRA 2500/3500 SINGLE-REAR-WHEEL, FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE MODELS. Air Lift air springs are designed to work with the vehicle’s existing suspension to eliminate squat, poor headlight aim, unresponsive steering, body roll and bottoming out. This properly levels the vehicle, allowing users to tow and haul with safety and comfort. The LoadLifter 5000 (Part #57341) offers up to 5,000 pounds of load-leveling capacity through the use of double-bellow air springs, paired with upper and lower roll plates, and ultra-high-strength nylon end caps. The Loadlifter 5000 Ultimate (Part #88341) offers all of the benefits of the LoadLifter 5000, with the addition of an internal jounce bumper, which helps to smooth…

FROM SEMA TRUCKS TO BEST OF SHOW WINNERS AT MOST EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, MOST OF THE TOP-BUILT TRUCKS ON THE PLANET HAVE A GSI LOGO WELDED INTO THEIR FRAME RAILS. Like almost any great business in this amazing country we call home, however, the road to respect wasn’t always so smooth. The team at GSI International has been designing and fabricating parts for classic trucks and cars since the shop opened in 2000. The team is passionate about hot rods and custom cars, and they have a mission to channel that passion into creating quality products. To support the growing demand of their highly engineered products, they officially launched GSI Machine & Fabrication in 2015 specializing in Chevy C10 air-ride suspension. Now they offer a full line of products…

AN ALL TRUCK PRO-TOURING SHOOTOUT ON AN AUTOCROSS TRACK? Sign us up! Street Trucks magazine will officially be covering the first annual Pro-Touring Truck Shootout at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Aug. 8-9, 2020. This event is the world’s first true Pro-Touring truck competition where the top three American truck brands—including Chevy, Ford and Dodge—will be battling it out. Trust us: We will be there to cover this event, and maybe even compete! Arnie Gonzalez from OBS Chevy Racing is also challenging all truck frame manufacturers to build the ultimate truck chassis. The chassis must first lay frame in the Truck Corral, compete and win first place in any of the four available autocross classes, and finally complete the Drivability Cruise. The competition will have three…

EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T ATTENDED SLAMFEST, YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF IT. Now in its 28th year, it’s an event that just about everyone in the Southeast attends. Even folks as far away as the West Coast catch it whenever they can. It’s a fun-filled—and highly successful—weekend for several reasons. First of all, it’s the largest show of its kind in the state of Florida and also the longest running mini-truck and custom car show in the state. The proceeds from Slamfest help many charities in the Tampa Bay area. Next, the MiniMadness club is composed of about 25 members with some of the original members now welcoming their children into the fold. Corporate club knowledge is getting passed down to the next generation. Finally, the planning for next year’s event…

BOREDOM CAN HIT ANYONE, BUT MAYBE NOT QUITE AS FIERCELY AS IT HITS THOSE WHO HAVE “FINISHED” THEIR PROJECT TRUCK. Sure, there’s the enjoyment of finally being able to drive it, or possibly even the excitement of getting props at a show, but then what? I mean, half of the fun is the build process itself, isn’t it? Once that part is done, it can often feel like something is missing. In some cases, an owner will just sell the truck off to fund a new project that has caught their interest, but sometimes they’ll come to the realization that a revamp is what’s really in order. After all, there’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater if a few tweaks here and there will result…

KERN COUNTY MINI-TRUCK SHOWDOWN Feb. 13-16 Kern County Fairgrounds 1142 S P St. Bakersfield, CA 93307 minitruckshowdown.com LONE STAR THROWDOWN Feb. 22-24 Lone Star Expo Center & Montgomery County Fairgrounds 9255 Airport Road Conroe, TX 77303 www.lonestarthrowdown.com ORANGE BEACH INVASION March 15-17 The Wharf 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL 36561 www.orangebeachinvasion.com GOODGUYS EVENT CALENDAR 10TH LMC TRUCK SPRING LONE STAR NATIONALS March 13-15 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX Featuring hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks through ’87, Goodguys AutoCross, vendors, track cruise, swap meet, Cars 4 Sale Corral and all-American Sunday. 11TH SPRING NATIONALS March 20-22 WestWorld of Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ Featuring hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks through ’87, Goodguys AutoCross, vendors, swap meet, Cars 4 Sale Corral and all-American Sunday. 38TH ALL…