This is one of those builds where it is obvious that the best and most creative people in the business were involved in its creation. Common street rod practices have been executed flawlessly, and stunning custom fabrication is everywhere. It was a labor of love, but it took a bundle of money to turn that love into reality. For love, and significantly less money than it would take to recreate this truck, it could be yours.
"Subtle. Taking understatement to a new level." That is how this truck was described in Custom Classic Trucks magazine. Can you call red paint subtle? Somehow you can here, because its almost a maroon, and it's not a metallic color. The endless curves of the body panels bend the light smoothly, and are matched up to their mates perfectly with tight, consistent gaps. The wonderful chrome grill of the '54 leads the way, with the bumper almost scraping the ground underneath it. The chrome is all new, as is the window glass, trim, and moldings. Custom touches include billet hardware with hidden latches instead of chains for the tailgate, and a fabricated panel to fill the gap between the bed and the bumper quite nicely. A tasteful painted pinstripe surrounds the Chevrolet embossed in the tailgate, and under that tailgate is a custom fabricated, stainless-steel, exhaust tip that blends with rear bumper perfectly. In the bed you will not only find superbly finished wood, but also a slick flip up gas door.
If the outside of this truck took your breath away, take a couple deep ones before you take a look at what has been created inside in top grain leather and ostrich. Just opening the door will make you pause. The custom door panel treatment is quite a work of art with the shape of the ostrich insert mimicking the armrest. Ostrich inserts accent the leather seats too, and are matched by the color of the pinstriping on the custom center console. Billet is everywhere in this interior. It is Immediately obvious in the leather wrapped billet steering wheel, but is also evident in the pedal assembly, the overhead push button start, and the shifter. Dakota digital gauges grace the body colored dash panel in front of the driver. The ventilation controls reside in the center just under the Pioneer infotainment system, with Rockford Fosgate speakers front and rear completing an outstanding sound system.
Now, pop the hood. Before you even take in all the details on the motor, you may notice that perfectly smooth, shaved firewall. There isn't a hole to be found in it and it shines as brightly as the rest of the trucks paint. A/C and heater hoses dive quickly through the fender well and run behind the firewall into the cabin to keep the look clean. Everything is polished on this engine with the ribbed air filter housing and valve covers featuring body color paint between the ribs. The Edelbrock carb and intake feeds a 350 V8 that exhales through shorty headers and Flowmaster mufflers out to that awesome exhaust tip. A March billet accessory frame mounts the chrome alternator and A/C compressor, and an aluminum radiator keeps everything running cool. Up front, a coil over suspension system with rack and pinion steering and big disc brakes make this truck drive like a dream. Power flows back through an automatic transmission, also painted to match the engine and body, to a leaf spring rear end also equipped with disc brakes.
This truck is a showcase of creativity and first-class craftsmanship from top to bottom, and end to end. It could not easily be duplicated. But it could easily be yours. Call or come down to check it out, and ask about the nice collection of build photos that will be included with it.