Street Trucks February 2026

chamilton@engaged.media AS WE KICK OFF 2026 WITH THIS JANUARY ISSUE, THE CUSTOM TRUCK WORLD FEELS MORE VIBRANT THAN EVER—A TESTAMENT TO THE BUILDERS, EVENTS, AND INNOVATIONS THAT KEEP OUR COMMUNITY ROLLING STRONG. From engine-swapped classics to full-custom late models, this month’s feature vehicles capture the grit and creativity that define our scene and were each specifically chosen to inspire your next garage session. Our cover story dives into Ramiro Villarreal’s 2020 Chevrolet Silverado named Hustler, which sits on 28-inch Billet Specialties wheels and lays flat on the pavement. Also check out Chelsey Henning’s Haterproof 1986 Ford Bronco, a Canadian powerhouse with a 1998 3.9L Cummins swap, Eibach springs, and a vibrant Tropical Breeze powdercoated frame that turns heads while conquering trails. Then there’s Hersa Motors’ Texas Tradition, a 2025 Ford…

FORD SMALL-BLOCK POWERHOUSE BLUEPRINT ENGINES’ deluxe dressed 347 ci small-block Ford crate engine delivers 415 horsepower and 415 ft-lb of torque with aluminum heads, a hydraulic roller cam, forged internals, a Holley Brawler 670 cfm carburetor, and rear sump oil pan, ready for seamless integration into classic trucks. SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENTwww.summitracing.com 800-230-3030 BILLET LS DRESS-UP PERFECTION ALL AMERICAN Billet’s new line of 6061-T6 USA-made billet pieces transforms cluttered LS and LT engine bays with taller valve covers that clear roller rockers, knockout valley pans that eliminate DOD drilling, and clean two-piece front timing covers—all available in machined, polished, or black anodized finishes. ALL AMERICAN BILLET www.allamericanbillet.com800-577-7505 HYDROBOOST POWER STEERING RESERVOIR BILLET SPECIALTIES’ new remote reservoir is purpose-built for hydroboost-equipped trucks, featuring a 30-ounce 6061-T6 billet aluminum body with twin-baffled return…

IN AUGUST 2020, HURRICANE LAURA, A CATEGORY 4 MONSTER, TORE THROUGH LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA. Six weeks later, Category 2 Delta followed almost the exact same path. The city lost power for thirty-five days, roofs disappeared, and for Chad Rapee, the insurance money that could have rebuilt his house instead went toward keeping his family sheltered. His prized OBS Silverado, the truck he swore he would never sell, was the first to go. FOUR YEARS LATER, THE REPLACEMENT THAT ROLLED OUT OF THE SAME STORM-SCARRED GARAGE CARRIES A NAME THAT NEEDS NO EXPLANATION: CAT-I-GORY 6. Four years later, the replacement that rolled out of the same storm-scarred garage carries a name that needs no explanation: Cat-I-gory 6. What began as a straightforward crew cab Silverado became an act of defiance. Chad, his…

OUR FAVORITE QUESTION TO ASK OWNERS OF KILLER DIESEL MACHINES IS WHY THEY BUILT THEM. What drove them to invest so much time and money into creating such a unique vehicle? Most of the time, truck builders have stories that date back decades as to how they got so far along in their diesel journey. When we asked Chelsey Henning of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, this very question regarding her 1986 Ford Bronco, she fired back with an impressive response. “I never really have a straightforward answer for that question,” Chelsey admits. “I just wanted something cool that my fiancé, Cory Dixon, and I could Cummins swap together. We looked at Jeeps, Blazers, OBS F-150s, and even International Scouts (still on my wish list). At one point, I even considered building…

WALKING THE HALLS OF THE 2025 SEMA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, HELD ON NOVEMBER 4-7, FEELS LIKE STEPPING INTO THE BEATING HEART OF OUR INDUSTRY, WHERE EVERY TURN REVEALS A NEW CHAPTER IN THE CUSTOM TRUCK SCENE. As Editor-in-Chief of Engaged Media's auto brands, including Street Trucks, I've attended SEMA since my early days covering builds, but each year reaffirms the aura around the incredible event. Founded in 1967 as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association by a handful of Southern California speed-shop owners fighting for aftermarket legitimacy amid emissions crackdowns, SEMA started small with 98 exhibitors in a Los Angeles hotel. Today, it's massive, with over 2,400 exhibitors, 160,000 attendees, and over 3,000 product debuts across 1.2 million square feet. This year's Hot Rod Alley section was packed with custom…

RAMIRO VILLARREAL DOES NOT BUILD TRUCKS FOR VALIDATION. He builds them to remind himself what he is made of. The proof sits on 28-inch Billet Specialties wheels and lays flat on the pavement: a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado dubbed Hustler. In two years and roughly $150,000, Villarreal transformed a stock half-ton into one of the most radical late-model customs on the circuit—a truck that looks as if Chevrolet’s engineers sketched it in a dream and then woke up terrified. IN AN ERA WHEN MANY LATE-MODEL BUILDS LEAN ON MONEY AND RENDERINGS, RAMIRO VILLARREAL’S SILVERADO IS A REMINDER THAT DETERMINATION STILL OUTRUNS BUDGET AND THAT A MAN WILLING TO PUSH A TWO-YEAR-OLD PLATFORM FURTHER THAN MOST DARE WITH A CLASSIC IS, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, A HUSTLER. HUSTLER HAS ALREADY…