Street Trucks March 2017

THOUGH THERE ARE MANY FORCES THAT AFFECT TRENDS AND STYLES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SCENE, NONE HAVE MORE IMPACT THAN THE ANNUAL SEMA SHOW. Many other large events take place throughout the country that hold a special place in our hearts. Everyone preps for them by adding extra touches to their rides, and though these shows might be important, their impact is felt among their specific fans exclusively. What makes SEMA so meaningful is that it’s not just a show for truck folks. Aside from the fact that it’s a tradeshow for all aftermarket parts manufacturers, the event also brings all types of vehicles to a world audience. It’s where the best customizers come out to flaunt their skills, and if you can leave a mark at SEMA, then you’ll know…

LAST SEEN ON THE MUCH-LOVED CHEVY S-10, THE ZR2 RPO (REGULAR PRODUCTION OPTION) WAS THE GO-TO OFF-ROAD PACKAGE IF YOU WANTED AN AGGRESSIVE, GO-ANYWHERE COMPACT TRUCK. When the last S-10s and Blazers rolled off the lines in 2005, the ZR2 badge died along with it—until now. The new Chevy Colorado ZR2 seeks to reclaim the off-road market in mid-sized form and flaunts a multitude of features that leave little doubt as to its intention. Along with the wider track and increased ride height we’re accustomed to from the name, ZR2s get front and rear locking diffs, Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) shocks and, of course, the Colorado’s available diesel power plant. Sounds like Chevy has come up with the perfect combination: an all-terrain-capable mid-size rig with plenty of torque…

IT’S ALL RUMORS AT THIS POINT, BUT SEMA RECENTLY HAD A 2016 AUSTRALIAN-SPEC FORD RANGER IN THE SEMA GARAGE FOR A MEASURING SESSION, WHICH PROVIDES DATA TO AFTERMARKET PARTS COMPANIES THAT WISH TO MANUFACTURE PARTS FOR VARIOUS VEHICLE MODELS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. What we know as of this writing is that a United Auto Workers manager in the Wayne, Michigan, Ford plant was quoted as saying that the Ranger and Bronco will both be built in Wayne beginning in 2018. Current global models of the Ranger are built in Thailand, South Africa and Argentina, so this is a good indicator that we may see a Ford mid-size truck for sale in the U.S. once again, and aftermarket parts manufacturers will be ready.…

NO, it’s not what your dog tries to do to your face when he wakes you up in the morning; this kind of frenching is good! An old customizing trick, “frenching” refers to setting parts further into the body panels to which they are attached. Headlights, taillights, license plates and even antennas are common recipients of the frenching treatment. Let’s say you want to french in some headlights. Remove said headlights from the fenders, fabricate and weld in deeper-than-stock headlight buckets, and then set those headlights back in for that deep, tunneled look.…

ELECTRIC ENCLOSURES EDDIE Motorsports’ host of cast and billet aluminum battery boxes come in a variety of models ideal for mounting your battery in remote places. Beyond functional, these boxes come in your choice of brightly polished finishes or anodized and Fusioncoat colors, allowing you to better customize your ride. Precision CNC-machined from high-quality 6061-T6 aluminum, and engineered and machined in the U.S.A., these boxes match Eddie Motorsports’ quality with customizable class. Eddie Motorsports 909.581.7398 • Eddiemotorsports.com GET TANKED ACCUAIR’S ENDOTANK LINE offers air tank technology that allows tanks to be built modularly with all precision-machined aluminum components and a bolted construction, promising perhaps the largest leap in air tank engineering in 100 years. Weld-free and leak-free, ports are machined directly into the body and are flush with…

“THE THING WAS, KEVIN HAS TRUCK BUDDIES, AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GROUP OF US GET TOGETHER. TO CUT RIGHT TO THE END OF THE STORY, THEY ALL PITCHED IN AND FINISHED THE WHOLE TRUCK IN 74 DAYS.” MOST OF US WANT TO LEAVE OUR KIDS (AND THEIR KIDS) SOME SORT OF LEGACY, SOMETHING THAT WILL TELL AT LEAST PART OF OUR STORY AND SERVE AS A REMINDER TO THEM OF WHO WE WERE AND WHAT WE ENJOYED. And hey, if it brings some enjoyment to them as well, all the better! We think Kevin Diehl had the right idea when he bought a partially restored ’68 GMC C-10 that he would eventually hand over to his son. Kevin grew up being inspired by mini-trucks,…