Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Street Trucks

THE SHOW SCENE IS FILLED WITH AMAZING BUILDS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Some sit on stands so fans can view every last detail—front, back, and side to side. Some go on the occasional evening cruise to attend a show or event. Others simply drive and look cool doing it. Justin Griffin’s 3500 dually is exactly that. With a slammed stance, radical paint job, and wheels that chop the light rolling down the highway, it looks cool, but don’t let this thing fool you. It was built to work. OBS BROTHERS Justin has been obsessed with the automotive lifestyle since a young age. His father, who was engulfed in the street rod scene, influenced him and his interest in the hobby. Justin’s first car was a 1970 Chevelle SS, which he…

BUILDING A CUSTOM TRUCK CAN MEAN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT FOLKS. While there is no single “right” reason to do it, Elsayet Garcia of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, was looking to focus past creating a truck that was simply just for show or cruising during the weekends. Does he plan on taking his ’99 Chevy Silverado to shows and driving it around whenever possible? Yes, of course. His real reason for building the truck, however, was to honor his family—both those who are currently here and those important members who he has lost over the years. “Essentially, I aimed at building this truck in the memory of my grandfather,” says Elsayet. “He didn’t get me into custom trucks or anything like that. It has always been something…

EVERYONE IN THE CAR HOBBY KNOWS THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A PARTICULAR TRUCK, COLOR, OR BODY STYLE STRIKES A CHORD. There’s just something about a certain year, make, or model that says that’s the one! That’s what drew Keith “Tank” Tacti to his current ride. Tank has been involved in the truck scene since the late ’80s. Passionate about every aspect of the custom automotive hobby, he took it a step further, becoming more involved in the technical side. After developing talents for paint and body work, he eventually opened his own shop and ran a successful business for more than 20 years. During that time, as one of the perks of the business, he has owned more than 50 unique vehicles. In the beginning, the fun part was when…

WITH GASOLINE PRICES SHARPLY RISING WITH NO PLATEAU IN SIGHT, SOME TRUCK OWNERS MAY OPT TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLE WITH THE LEAST IDEAL MPG RATING PARKED AT HOME UNTIL THE PAIN AT THE PUMP STARTS TO SUBSIDE. While we all keep an eye on the fluctuating rates at the gas station, it’s only natural to wonder how things are on the other side of the fence. In theory, electric vehicles sound so easy to use—just plug it in, charge it up and go, right? Well, for the most part, that’s the general gist of how they operate, with a few differences here and there. Drivers who are fine with cruising around in cars that might not exactly be considered ‘lookers’ (with the exception of a few Tesla and Rivian models),…

THERE’S A DECISION WE MUST ALL MAKE WHEN STARTING A NEW TRUCK PROJECT. Keep it as original and unmolested as possible, restore it, or modify the hell out of it. Most of us end up somewhere in the middle, creating what is known as a “restomod,” which is basically a melding of old and new school aesthetics. Steve Jones wanted to build an awesome truck but stopping at the “restomod” level wasn’t enough for him. No, he wanted to join the more exclusive Pro Touring club, where the wheels are wider and the suspension is tighter. The first step, though, was to find the truck. “This was an old farm truck from West Texas that had seen better days,” Steve says. “I have always loved the late ’60s era C10s.…

MANY OF US HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR A CAR SHOW TO RETURN TO JOPLIN, MISSOURI. Some remember an event named SOL. It brought in mini-truckers from around the country for a weekend of shenanigans that may or not have gotten a little too wild and crazy. When I heard Keg Media was throwing Mother Road Mayhem—brought to us by the same folks behind the Orange Beach Invasion and Lifted Truck Nationals—I wasted no time getting booked for the weekend. A small-town vibe with big city rides, the show was going to be awesome. LOVING THE LAYOUT As I walked around the Landreth Park showgrounds on Saturday morning, I absolutely loved the layout. It was easy to see that the Mother Road Mayhem crew had done this before. Big…

IN PREVIOUS ISSUES, YOU MAY REMEMBER FOLLOWING THE RESTOMOD OF THIS 1985 CHEVY C10 SQUAREBODY TRUCK. We have completely modernized it with a new 6.0L LS engine, a new adjustable ride height suspension system from QA1, and a much safer and more capable four-wheel disc brake package from Wilwood. The truck is now a solid and reliable daily driver that rides like a modern vehicle, though it still has the smooth styling of a classic American truck. It’s the perfect combination, in our humble opinion. The only thing that looks old and outdated is the interior, but we have a plan for that. We have worked with quite a few interior shops in the past building out custom seat covers, unique door panels, and even hand-wrapped dash panels. Unfortunately, we…

AFTER TAKING TIME OFF FROM PROJECT LUCID DREAMS TO COMPLETE MY FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL, WE ARE BACK IN ACTION WITH THE S-10. We brought the truck home from The Shop, owned by Chace Yonts, toward the end of last year after completing the air management. We are now starting on a few interior upgrades as we plan out the rest of the build. First up, we’re adding a new steering wheel from Forever Sharp. The company carries many different styles of steering wheels as well as adapters to fit just about any vehicle. We chose the 14-inch billet muscle half wrap design, and boy does it look good! With Forever Sharp, they also supply the horn, so you don’t lose any functionality when swapping to an aftermarket wheel.…

INTERIOR DAMPING KIT ’88-’98 GM TRUCK/SUV DESIGN ENGINEERING, INC. NOW OFFERS A CUSTOM-CUT SOLUTION SPECIFICALLY FOR 1988-’98 EXTENDED-CAB GM PICKUPS. Using a combination of proven 2mm damping material and Under Carpet Lite to control heat and block unwanted road, tire and engine noise, the kits are an easy, affordable way to cruise your classic truck in style. DEI insulation kits are CNC-cut for a precise fit and easy installation: • Insulation Kit (#50023) • Damping Kit (#50022) • Roof Insulation Kit (#50299) • Roof Damping Kit (#50300) DESIGN ENGINEERING, INC. 800-264-9472www.designengineering.com OBS UNDER BED STEP NOTCH THIS REACT SUSPENSION UNDER BED NOTCH GIVES THE EXTRA CLEARANCE NEEDED ON THOSE EXTREME DROPS. With 2 to 2.5 inches of extra room over most other notches, you can enjoy a better ride. Overall,…

ALTHOUGH THINGS SEEM TO BE SLOWLY GETTING BACK TO “NORMAL” (FOR NOW), THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED A LOT OF FACETS OF OUR LIVES THAT MIGHT IMPACT OUR LONG-TERM OUTLOOK ON WHERE WE GO NEXT. One thing that this ordeal has changed without a doubt is the process of building full custom vintage trucks. Getting the parts you need when you need them has been a struggle the last two-plus years due to strangled supply chains, but where there’s a will, there’s a way (most of the time). Another aspect that is different for some of us now is switching up the type of truck we decide to build and what to do with said truck once it’s finally completed. With the forced closure of public indoor spaces, we collectively…

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE FOR ANY CUSTOM TRUCK OWNER IS UNDOUBTEDLY A MULTI-STATE ROAD TRIP DURING THE HOTTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR. The pressure put on gaskets and seals after a few hundred miles will find any flaw in your system, ultimately leaving you stranded on the side of the road watching all the other cool cars pass you by. It’s a horrible feeling, and unfortunately one we are all too familiar with. So, this year we decided to take the challenge by registering our 1985 Chevy Squarebody for the 2,000-mile Hot Rod Power Tour, which started in Memphis, Tennessee, and ended at Atlanta Motor Speedway five days later. On top of all those obstacles, Mother Nature decided it would be a terrific time to cover these states in a heatwave…

WHILE YOU MIGHT NOT LOVE THE IDEA OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES (BETTER KNOWN AS EVS) OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE THEY CURRENTLY SERVE, LET’S GET ONE THING STRAIGHT—THEY ARE HERE TO STAY. This is evident more than it ever has been due to the sheer amount, quality and variety of electrified cars and trucks on display at the 2021 SEMA show. Now, we aren’t talking about factory-built electric powered vehicles that are currently on the road such as Tesla models and various smaller cars from just about every major auto manufacturer. While these did help with pave the way for where the electric marketplace it is today, we were paying closer attention to the conversion projects that were in attendance—and sheesh, there were a lot of them! Of course, the type of…