Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Street Trucks

WITH SEMA TAKING place in the fall, truck builders scheduled to debut their creations under the bright Vegas lights put their projects into overdrive during the lead up to the first week in November. Chad Carothers isn’t exactly new to the slow tightening of the SEMA-crunch noose; he’s been around the block a few times before. In 2016, he built a coil-over-style ’15 Chevy Silverado aimed to deliver optimum on-road performance, and in 2017, he stuck with a similar formula with his Sharknado project. The ’17 Silverado LTZ71 4x4 that Chad had designed with predatory shark-like style and attitude has come to life with features including a big 9-inch lift on 24-inch wheels with 35-inch tires and performance add-ons that revolved around the newly revamped E-Force supercharger kit from Edelbrock.…

C-10 FEVER IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH AND HAS INFECTED ENTHUSIASTS ALL OVER THE GLOBE. While in Oregon a few years back, we came across a group of truck enthusiasts who had caught the bug, Lonnie Thompson of Carolina Kustoms and local builder Brook Allmaras. Both had completed trucks that were photo-shoot worthy, and we discovered that they were buddies, since the scene is relatively tight-knit. These two recently finished up second gen C-10s of their own, and they have interesting tales to go along with them.…

MOST CLASSIC TRUCKS have been used and abused. Our precious pickups lived rough lives earning their keep, and after decades of hard work, they’ve earned the right to be treated like family members. Once they’ve contributed 50 to 80 years of reliable service, classic trucks usually need a little love, and getting them back in shape means dealing with a load of dented metal. Don’t despair; we have the answer for what ails your truck. Gather a few hand tools and follow our tips and you, too, can achieve excellent results to get your hardest working family member in better-than-new shape. Although we used a ’54 Ford as our example, thick metal is thick metal and these techniques will work on your truck whether it’s a Chevy, Dodge, Studebaker, International,…

AS THE CALENDAR rolled around to August and summer neared its end, it was time for Ft. Smith, Arkansas’s biggest yearly event, Slamily Reunion. Hosted by Keg Media owners Robbie and Keena Bryant, as well as a multitude of sponsors, Slamily Reunion is one of the highlights of the Midwest’s car and truck show schedule. With supporters like Custom Motor Concepts, Kustomz Ink Klothing, Solo Films and this year’s head sponsor, Specialty Forged Wheels, it’s easy to see why this show has grown to what it is today. For the ninth year in a row, some of the best rides around converged on Ft. Smith to compete for awards and cash prizes. Distributing hand-painted and pinstriped awards, Top 100, specialty awards and multiple cash prizes kept the judging staff at…

ENTHUSIASTS DEMANDED IT, AND NOW THE MOPAR BRAND IS UNLEASHING A NEW MOPAR 6.2-LITER SUPERCHARGED CRATE HEMI ENGINE KIT, NICKNAMED THE “HELLCRATE,” THAT INJECTS 707 HP AND 650 LB-FT OF TORQUE UNDER THE HOOD. “Never before has a supercharged, factory-direct 707-horsepower crate engine kit been offered, and we are proud to be the first to deliver a solution enthusiasts have demanded,” said Pietro Gorlier, head of parts and service (Mopar), FCA. “This ultimate powertrain option fits the needs of owners and fans who demand iconic performance.” The new Mopar Hellcrate Hemi engine kit provides relatively simple plug-n-play capability with the 6.2-liter supercharged crate HEMI engine assembly, which is also available from Mopar. The Hellcrate kit marries modern 707 hp with authentic factory-backed quality. The kit includes a powertrain control module…

BEDSIDE MANNER CLASSIC Parts of America has introduced its reproduction 1958-59 Chevrolet short-bed fleetside bedsides, the first of their kind. Made from stamped steel, with proper gauge and bends, this piece stays true to a classic. Classic Parts of America • 800.741.1678 • Classicparts.com COOL UNDER PRESSURE THESE new Flex-A-Lite transmission coolers promise class-leading cooling for the toughest environments, from racing to towing. Their dimpled plate-and-fin design improves cooling efficiency while minimizing transmission-oil pressure drop. The all-aluminum construction makes them lightweight, strong and durable. Available in a variety of sizes, these coolers aim to provide the best of all worlds for your truck. Flex-A-Lite 800.851.1510 Flex-a-lite.com A WHOLE NEW WHEELHOUSE FORGELINE Motorsports has debuted its newest monoblock design in the DR1 wheel. Created from a single 6061-T6 aluminum forging, this…

THE POPULARITY OF diesel-powered vehicles here in the U.S. has jumped dramatically in recent years. More and more manufacturers are offering new diesel power plants in ½-ton trucks, cars and midsize SUVs. Maybe the reasons for the boost are better highway fuel efficiency and the giant increase in torque offered by a diesel engine, but it’s probably an attempt to meet ever-increasing CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) numbers. Either way, these smaller V-6 and four-cylinder engines will be sticking around. But back in the day, it was Cummins that developed its own small diesel engine market with the 3.9L 4BT. 4BT History The 4BT—which stands for “four-cylinder B series turbocharged”— was used mostly in midsize box trucks, agricultural equipment and small industrial vehicles, and is basically a smaller version of…

YEARS BACK, Lonnie had a customer come into his shop looking to create a ’69 C-10 that would make a leave on the scene. At the time, Lonnie’s brother John was also working at the shop and was a big part of the team. The truck originally came in for some rust repair and a paint job, and eventually turned into a full build. Big plans were laid out as they made major progress, but the build came to a halt when the owner’s wife found out how much funding was going into the project. The truck eventually left and the owner took a breather to regroup. John was also diagnosed with cancer at that time, and unfortunately, he has since passed away. Situations like this are difficult for close-knit…

“ONCE THE KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL AND THE CASH IS FLOWING MORE SMOOTHLY, THEY GET BACK UP ON THE HORSE AND START BUILDING AGAIN.” T SEEMS THAT A LOT OF STORIES THAT TRUCK GUYS TELL FOLLOW A SIMILAR NARRATIVE. They start out as a mini-trucker, building a ride or two along the way. Then they get married, maybe have kids, and when their priorities shift, they stop building for a bit. Once the kids are in school and the cash is flowing more smoothly, they get back up on the horse and start building again. All of that applies to Jonathan Mansour of Rowlett, Texas, with one big difference: television. It’s not often that a former mini-trucker finds himself on TV, but that’s exactly what happened to…

HAVING THE RIGHT look is everything. All it takes is the smallest detail to make or break the appearance of your truck. For Ray Greenlee, his ’69 C-10 was already top-notch, but even though the truck looked good, he wanted to take it to the next level with side molding. While researching products, Ray came across MAR-K Manufacturing. He soon discovered that the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma company has been around since 1975. MAR-K’s side molding starts as raw aluminum, next it’s rolled out like the factory versions, polished, anodized, and then the black sections are powder-coated. The best part is that this is all done in the USA. Raymond is a paint and body specialist at Lewis Milinich Body Shop and knows good quality when he sees it. When he…

FORMED IN THE ’50S TO EDUCATE AMATEUR RACERS ON HOW TO SET UP A SAFE DRAG RACE, THE NHRA SAFETY SAFARI HAS EVOLVED INTO THE SANCTIONING BODY’S FIRST-LINE SAFETY TEAM FOR THE NHRA MELLO YELLO SERIES. Its duties include inspecting and prepping the track before an event and assisting with firefighting and other safety-related tasks during the race. Supporting this dedicated team is a fleet of specially outfitted trucks, like the 2018 Silverado 3500 NHRA Safety Safari concept. It’s equipped with a fire-suppression system and other supporting equipment, including an AMKUS Rescue Equipment System. For maximum capability, the concept safety vehicle is powered by the Silverado HD’s available Duramax 6.6L turbodiesel engine, which offers 910 lb-ft of torque and 445 hp, the segment’s highest horsepower rating. Keep an eye out…

“ONCE HIS KIDS GREW UP AND HE WAS ABLE TO RETIRE, BOB GOT THE ITCH TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CLASSIC TRUCK THAT HE COULD WORK ON AND ENJOY AT SHOWS. ” TRUCKS HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED A GOOD REPUTATION AS TOUGH, HARDWORKING BEASTS OF BURDEN, BUT FOR SOME, THEIR POPULARITY EXTENDS TO HOW GOOD THEY CAN LOOK WITH THE RIGHT TREATMENT. Bob Wiley has had his share of vehicles, and when it comes down to it, he chooses trucks. Back in his high school days, Bob was behind the wheel of a different vehicle every few weeks. He was a lot boy at a local dealership, which meant he was busy maintaining the shine on all of the rides. As an employee, he enjoyed a few…

EVERY HORSEPOWER-OBSESSED GUY DREAMS OF ONE DAY BEING ABLE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT CAN SMOKE WOULD-BE COMPETITORS IN STREET RACES ON A REGULAR BASIS. Maybe it’s due in part to all of the car movies we watched growing up, or it’s some deeply rooted drive to be able to kick the next guy’s ass in competition. Regardless of the reason, the feeling exists, and once the speed bug bites, there’s no going back. “MAYBE IT’S DUE IN PART TO ALL OF THE CAR MOVIES WE WATCHED GROWING UP, OR IT’S SOME DEEPLY ROOTED DRIVE TO BE ABLE TO KICK THE NEXT GUY’S ASS IN COMPETITION. WHATEVER THE REASON, THE FEELING EXISTS, AND ONCETHE SPEED BUG BITES, THERE’S NO GOING BACK.” There are already a fair amount of…

 LAST TIME we featured a truck belonging to Brook Allmaras it was a ‘68 C-10 he had recently finished in his own garage. The truck’s photo shoot ran in our sister publication, C/10 Builder’s Guide. Brook called the truck done, but there were still a few things on his list that he hadn’t finished. Luckily, someone made an offer on the truck, and he sold it in order to finance an improved version. “FROM THERE, HE PIECED TOGETHER THE MAJORITY OF THE BODY PANELS BY SEARCHING CRAIGSLIST ADS. HE WAS ABLE TO SOURCE MOST OF THE ORIGINAL SHEET METAL, AND THE ONLY PARTS THAT WEREN’T MADE DECADES BEFORE ARE THOSE FROM DYNACORN THAT MAKE UP THE BED.” After stockpiling some dough in his bank account, Brook devised a…

PLENTY OF US USE OUR TRUCKS FOR WORK, BUT IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE AN EXTRA TRUCK THAT WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO ABUSE. Everything from gravel to hauling an engine and trans home from the swap meet has the potential to add a lot of unwanted wear and tear to our rides, so we generally like to use our beaters whenever possible. Julio Trevino was totally onboard with this methodology, and picked up a well-used ’00 Chevy Silverado to do his dirty work. It even had the 4.3L V-6 so that he’d have a better chance of fighting off any temptation to mod it. But, as often happens in our circles, the supposed work truck ends up hauling home more trophies than 2x4s. We get that work trucks don’t have…

JANUARY JANUARY 13-21 SCOTTSDALE, AZ—BARRETT-JACKSON AUCTION—At Westworld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Rd. Log on to Barrett-jackson.com for details. JANUARY 26-28 POMONA, CA—69 TH  GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW—One of the oldest and longest running indoor car shows in the world is held at Pomona Fairplex, 1101 West McKinley Ave. For more info, log on to Rodshows.com/gnrs. FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 23-25 CONROE, TX—LONE STAR THROWDOWN— At the Lone Star Expo Center, 9255 Airport Rd. Multiple awards, including cash. Log on to Lonestarthrowdown.com for details. APRIL APRIL 27-29 MAGGIE VALLEY, NC—24 TH  ANNUAL SOUTHEASTERN MINI TRUCKIN’ NATIONALS— At the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Top 50 handmade trophies and more than 20 handmade awards, the new FAB 5 and more will be featured. A legal cruise and drag down the Maggie Valley…