Street Trucks December 2016

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS ABOUT OWNING A TRUCK IS TO BUY A NEW ONE THAT’S PROBLEM-FREE, AND THEN TRADE IT IN A FEW YEARS LATER. I’m sure this strategy was formulated by auto manufacturers who have brainwashed everyone into thinking that this is the way it has to be. It’s so ingrained in our culture that most of us adhere to this plan and buy a new vehicle every five or six years no questions asked. This bugs the hell out of me for several reasons. First of all, it’s very wasteful. I’m not some kind of radical environmentalist, but I don’t see a reason to create extra waste. We live in a world that feeds off of the consumer’s perceived need to have the latest thing, but is that really…

“THE ’56 FORD IS THE FIRST NOTEWORTHY CUSTOM TRUCK EVER DONE BY THE FAMOUS RAT FINK DESIGNER.” SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S GALPIN MOTORS, HOME TO THE WORLD-FAMOUS GALPIN AUTO SPORTS (GAS), RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS FOUND THE FAMED, LONG-LOST ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH CUSTOM ’56 FORD F-100 PICKUP. The ’56 Ford is the first noteworthy custom truck ever done by the famous Rat Fink designer. It was used as advertising for Roth’s pinstriping business and featured a Packard V-8 engine, Roth’s signature red flame pinstripes, a mural on the tonneau cover and chrome-plated parts. The truck had been stored in a barn in Oklahoma for more than 30 years. While Galpin plans to completely restore the truck, it can currently be seen in the condition it was found for…

While these might sound like acronyms you’d use to find a doctor to cure that festering itch you’ve been having, rest assured that we’re talking about trucks here. More specifically, these acronyms usually refer to GM trucks and can be broken down like so: OOBS Old, Old Body Style: 1973-87 GM trucks and 1973-91 crew cabs, Suburbans and Blazers/Jimmys. OBS Old Body Style: 1988-98 GM trucks as well as Classic 1999 models and Suburban/ Tahoe. 3500 series trucks and Tahoe Limited and Tahoe Z71 models through the 2000 model year. NBS New Body Style: 1999-2006 GM trucks, as well as Classic 2007 models. Includes 2000-06 Tahoe/Yukon and Suburban. NNBS New, New Body Style: 2007-13 GM trucks and SUVs up to 2014. NNNBS New, New, New Body Style: Yes, this is…

RUGGED RUBBER THE TERRAIN CONTACT A/T is Continental Tires’ debut all-terrain tire and features new TractionPlus technology to provide off-road traction and durability with wet traction and a quiet, comfortable on-road ride. Available in 15 LT metric sizes from 16- to 20-inch wheel diameters, this tire’s open pattern, large and stable blocks and gripping teeth make it an ideal choice for all-season, on- and off-road performance for light trucks. Continental Tire • 800.847.3349 • Continentaltire.com MANUAL LUBRICATION FORMULATED with Synerlec technology, Royal Purple’s Synchromax extends life in manual transmissions by creating a high-strength ionic bond with metal surfaces for oil film strength to decrease the amount of metal-to-metal contact. Synchromax promises increased lubricity under high temperatures as well as corrosion and oxidation protection, improving shifting and reducing gear noise while…

 STREET TRUCKS DIE-HARDS OUGHT TO BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT WE LOVE A BIT OF FLASH FROM TIME TO TIME. Whether it’s mirror-finished billets, exotic leather interiors or a hundred different colors full of candy and flake, showmanship is a favorite dimension of the custom truck game. Among the limitless directions in which a build can be modified, certain qualities pull a bit more weight than others. However, no matter what your personal taste and style preference, brand loyalties, polished vs. patina’d, etc. just about everyone can agree that clean is king. There’s a good reason cleanliness is next to godliness, and few places is this demonstrated as well as in the custom truck world. For any automotive genre, when a build is done with proper attention to detail,…

Four-wheel-drive truck owners are known for maximizing their rides to the fullest. Whether they’re hardcore trail riding, deep mud bogging, doing construction work or even displaying their truck at a show, 4WDs do it all. Our particular project truck was purchased as a daily driver, to tow a show vehicle and motorcycles, and to haul landscaping supplies. The owner wanted to change the stance and height of the truck, add a little more presence to it and make it more nimble if he decided to take it off paved roads. This truck already received towing upgrades that we covered in the March 2016 issue (“Towing Improved,” pg. 108 ), which included rear helper airbags, onboard air and a rear sway bar; so, it would be necessary to work around…