Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Street Trucks

AS ONE OF THE OLDEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN THE U.S. and a one-time industrial giant, International Harvester (IH) has a storied history. Its roots stretch way back to the 1830s when brothers Cyrus and Leander McCormick patented a horse-drawn reaper, which sold remarkably well due to the brothers’ savvy business tactics. In 1902, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company merged with the Deering Harvester Company and formed the International Harvester Company, becoming a titan in agricultural equipment manufacturing, eventually producing the Farmall tractor, the scion of International’s golden era. Light-duty trucks became an increasing part of IH’s industrial mix starting in 1907, and the company eventually enjoyed a very strong position in the mid- and large-size truck market. Its Loadstar series was ubiquitous for decades. However, in an effort to better…

WE DON’T KNOW ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE OLD TRUCKS, BUT ROBERT BRAXTON WANTED A BIT MORE FROM HIS ALL-ORIGINAL ’51 FORD F-1. He loved its looks, but as anyone who has driven a stock vintage truck can attest, you often end up being in the way of other drivers in their modern machines, which can sap all of the fun from owning a classic. After stopping into Premier Street Rods and speaking with builder Ross Logsdon, Robert and Ross drew up a plan to modernize Robert’s F-1 without doing away with all that makes F-1s cool in the first place. For Robert, a major part of that plan meant keeping the drivetrain all Ford, even if it wasn’t the original flathead. For the build to reach the caliber that Ross…

SOMETIMES THE ONLY REASON YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING IS BECAUSE YOU CAN. When Pearland, Texas, resident Robert Meza set out to build his ’89 Chevrolet 1500, he wanted to make it different from any he had seen before. He also wanted to push the limits at his shop, Alamo Customs. He had visions of grandeur for his new project. Whether that was with the motor, the interior or even the bodywork, Meza was set on making this a groundbreaking truck. “FROM THE BEGINNING MEZA KNEW HE DID NOT WANT HIS 1500 TO LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER.” From the beginning Meza knew he did not want his 1500 to look like any other. Starting with the chassis, the suspension and frame began to change. Using Belltech spindles, a…

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 23-25 CONROE, TX—LONE STAR THROWDOWN—At the Lone Star Expo Center, 9255 Airport Rd. Multiple awards, including cash awards. Log on to Lonestarthrowdown.com for details. MARCH MARCH 3-4 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX—2018 SPRING BREAK JAM— At the South Padre Island Convention Center, 355 Padre Blvd. Custom trucks and cars, burnout contest, live music, audio competition, bikini contest, tattoo expo and more. Log on to Heatwaveshow.com for details. MARCH 9-11 FORT WORTH—GOODGUYS 8 TH  SPRING LONE STAR NATIONALS—At Texas Motor Speedway, 3545 Lone Star Circle. Log on to Good-guys.com for more info. MARCH 16-18 SCOTTSDALE, AZ—GOODGUYS 9 TH  SPRING NATIONALS—At WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Rd. Log on to Good-guys.com for more info. MARCH 24-25 PLEASANTON, CA—GOODGUYS 36 TH  ALL AMERICAN GET-TOGETHER—At the Alameda County Fairgrounds.…

GMC RECENTLY UNVEILED THE 2018 YUKON DENALI ULTIMATE BLACK EDITION, AN EXCITING NEW PACKAGE FEATURING THE VERY BEST IN PREMIUM GMC STYLING AND ATTRIBUTES. The Ultimate Black Edition offers all of the options available on the Yukon Denali, with a striking exterior look that includes: • New black-painted 22-inch wheels with chrome inserts • Polished exhaust tip • Chrome mirror caps • Premium carpeted floor mats • Available exclusively with onyx black exterior paint Available on 2WD or 4WD models, the 2018 Yukon Denali Ultimate Black Edition includes the Open Road Package, which consists of a nine-month trial of Sirius XM and NavTraffic; power sunroof and rear-seat entertainment system; power-retractable assist steps; the enhanced security package, including door and lift-gate lock shields, glass breakage sensors, interior motion detectors, self-powered horn…

“THIS STORY IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS. IT’S ALWAYS EXCEPTIONAL WHEN SENTIMENTAL VALUE OUTSHINES BLUEBOOK VALUE. LAST YEAR MARKED THE MOMENT WHEN JOE DECIDED TO GET TO WORK ON THE OLD CHEVY.” AT FIRST GLANCE, THE COLORS OF THIS C-10 HARKEN BACK TO THE MARVEL COMIC BOOK HERO IRON MAN WITH THE STRATEGIC USE OF RED AND GOLD PAINT. While that’s what the Chevy’s owner, Joe Oritz, may have been going for stylistically with the classy color combination, deep down there’s more than meets the eye with this truck. There are certain items you might remember seeing around your grandparent’s house that bring back memories of a simpler time. Some may think back to grandma’s plastic-covered floral-print couch, or they might recall some of the weird stuff…

WE ALL LIKE restoring and customizing classic trucks, but doing it with flair is even more exciting. Which is why we at Jeff Lilly Restorations recently set out to tweak the bumper on a ’54 Ford F-100. The techniques we used can be applied to any classic pickup from the ’30s to the ’50s and even some from the ’60s. From mock-up to final weld you’ll be ready for paint prep as we show you the ins and outs to get a one-of-a-kind look. Obviously you’ll need a few tools, and if you choose the right facility to do the work, you can be involved in the mock-up so that you know you’ll be happy with the outcome. With this upgrade you’ll have another piece of the custom truck puzzle…

WE ALL LIKE hopping into new trucks; the only problem is that stock isn’t fun. Everyone wants a truck that runs well, but no one wants a truck that looks like all of the others out there. Changing the suspension not only changes a vehicle’s look, it also changes how it functions. You just need to decide whether you want to go low or reach for the sky. For this particular truck, the answer was clear because it was purchased as a 4x4. Knowing that the truck would see rough terrain, the owner decided to lift it up high to get more clearance. Rough Country was chosen to supply the components thanks to the company’s 7-inch lift kits. The knuckle kit essentially drops the lower front arms, makes use of…

AS A SUMMIT WHITE 2018 TAHOE RST ROLLS OFF THE LINE, GENERAL MOTORS’ ARLINGTON ASSEMBLY PLANT MARKS THE 11 MILLIONTH VEHICLE—AND MORE THAN 2.5-MILLION FULL-SIZE CHEVROLET UTILITIES—PRODUCED AT THE FACILITY SINCE IT OPENED IN 1954. “Chevrolet has led the full-size utility segment in sales for 42 consecutive years by focusing on our customers and providing a range of confident, capable and connected vehicles to move a lot of people and cargo,” said Eric Stanczak, chief engineer for Full-Size Trucks and SUVs. “Today we continue that leadership with a complete lineup of full-size utility vehicle options to meet our customers’ lifestyles and needs, from Tahoe Custom to Suburban Premier to the 420-horsepower Tahoe RST.” Arlington Assembly’s impressive milestone underscores Chevrolet’s full-size utility success story. Seventy-five percent of all full-size utility vehicles…

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN laying out C-10s for decades, but once large diameter wheels came into play, a problem emerged: the hood hinges. The stock hood hinges on a 1967-72 Chevrolet truck are huge. They mount to the fenders, the springs are big and—here’s the rub—they get in the way of those big rollers. So how do you fix the issues? The fine folks at Switch Suspension in Phoenix have a solution. They came up with a set of hood hinges that mount inside the cowl that not only give the hood a place to pivot, but also include shocks to keep the hood up. Although the kit does involve some welding and cutting, it’s still super easy to do, and can be accomplished in just a few hours. Don’t believe…

“LUCKILY FOR THE SEPULVEDAS, THEIR PROJECT WOULD BE THE PERFECT PLATFORM TO SHOW OFF PREMIER’S NEWEST PRODUCTS, WHICH INCLUDE SOME PRETTY REVOLUTIONARY STUFF FOR TRUCK AFICIONADOS.” WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING CLASSIC CUSTOM TRUCKS, YOU’RE ALWAYS BETTER OFF STARTING WITH AS PRISTINE AN EXAMPLE AS YOU CAN FIND, WHICH ADMITTEDLY CAN BE A CHALLENGE. After all, most trucks are used as, well, trucks, so they’ve seen their fair share of abuse. Now add 60 years to the equation and the task becomes even more daunting. And despite our affinity for cutting up pretty much anything, it’s still a shame to slice into a survivor or a fully restored truck. So, what do you do when you want to build a custom truck out of something that’s older than…

IF YOU’RE INTO customized vehicles in any way, the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is definitely where it’s at. For those who might not know, this event is a tradeshow for the automotive aftermarket industry. It’s closed to the public, and you must work in the industry to apply for a ticket to enter. One popular misconception is that it’s a car show (it isn’t); however, the 1,181,400 net square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center is the battleground for 2,400 exhibiting aftermarket companies competing for new business and often, they’ll bring in some stellar rides to showcase their wares. To give you a bit of a history lesson, SEMA was originally formed in 1963 to serve as a campaign for automotive aftermarket products and the companies that…

Ace of Spades THIS ’86 CHEVROLET 3500 CREW CAB DUALLY BELONGS TO DUSTIN “ACE” FORD. All homebuilt, Dustin fabricated his own motor mounts and built the 4-inch exhaust that flows to a 5-inch 90-degree elbow in the rear. This effort shows throughout the build, and is one aspect that makes the Chevy our “Hometown Hero.” At the heart of this build beats a 1990 Dodge Cummins engine backed by a 727 transmission. The entire engine bay has been smoothed and sprayed in red bedliner to keep it looking clean and make these modifications pop. The motor is painted gloss black with a custom-built Mechman 240-amp red alternator that ties into the build’s color scheme. Even the frame has been painted black through and through. The suspension setup brags a Porterbuilt…