Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Street Trucks

THE TRUCK YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS A REVVING, TIRE-BURNING EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW STRONG THE PERFORMANCE TRUCK SCENE IN TEXAS CURRENTLY IS. Now, building badass pickups is nothing new for Texans—let’s make that point very clear. For decades, we’ve had the privilege of featuring countless builds from the Lone Star state, and there is a certain style that comes from this particular region we (and our readers) have grown to love. There’s an old saying that proclaims everything being bigger in Texas, and when it comes to the custom trucks out there, that certainly is the case when looking for huge billet wheels. Large diameters and wide lips are practically the norm out there, which makes a hell of a first impression when seeing how low they like…

TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE SEE PROJECT TRUCKS END UP ON SOME ONLINE MARKETPLACE BECAUSE THE OWNER IS FED UP AND READY TO WALK. Whether it’s another incorrect part they can’t return, the lack of indoor storage space to keep all their stuff, for some reason or another most projects never make it across the finish line. So, when we hear a story about a 15-year build that the owner never gave up on, we just had to know more. “BEN DURAN OUT OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, HAD A VISION FOR THE PERFECT TRUCK WHEN HE WAS JUST 15 YEARS OLD. A SMOOTH LOOKING, LOW SITTING, BRIGHT COLORED CLASSIC TRUCK IS THE IMAGE THAT HE ENVISIONED, AND ALL HE NEEDED WAS SOME TIME AND A LITTLE MONEY TO MAKE…

IMAGINE PUTTING OVER A YEAR OF TIME, EFFORT AND MONEY INTO AN ANNUAL EVENT AND THEN, A MONTH BEFORE THE GATES OPEN, FINDING OUT THAT A NATIONAL PANDEMIC WAS APPROACHING THE COUNTRY. The stress and logistical chaos that followed after hearing the news reports must have been on another level for the Showoff crew. Luckily, the state of Texas handled everything quickly enough for the event to happen as scheduled. When we heard they received the official green light, we couldn’t wait to check out this event being hosted at the Aveva Stadium in Houston, Texas. On Friday, the gates opened at 10 a.m. for vendors and pre-registered vehicles, while the local public had to wait until noon for everyone to set up. This was a true exhibit-style event, which…

IF YOU WERE A NATURAL BORN TRUCK JUNKIE FINALLY MAKING IT TO LEGAL DRIVING AGE IN THE ’90S, YOU MOST CERTAINLY NOTICED THESE CHEVY C/K BODY STYLE TRUCKS. They could be seen everywhere thanks to utility companies, school district workers and even grandpa’s grocery getter. Originally designed by Donald Wood in 1983, Chevy was able to move 551,223 of these GMT400 trucks by 1989 alone—not to mention the popular 454 model released in 1990 that sold 16,953 units over four years, with 13,748 of those units selling in the first year of production alone! It was an impressive and hard-working truck designed for the street, but what about the guys who like to go off-road? Could their truck perform just as well with the additional front drive axle, transfer case…

ALL-NEW 2021 BRONCO AVAILABLE IN FUN, ASSORTED SIZES FORD finally unveiled the 2021 Bronco—including a classic two-door and first-ever four-door—the flagship of an all-new family of rugged off-road vehicles. The all-4x4 Bronco brand is Built Wild and ready to deliver thrilling experiences with its heritage-inspired style, engineering and smart off-road technology, plus innovative features to help outdoor enthusiasts create adventures in the most remote corners of the world. “We created the Bronco family to elevate every aspect of off-road adventure and equipped them with class-leading chassis hardware and exclusive technologies to raise the bar in the rugged 4x4 segment and take people further into the wild,” said Jim Farley, Ford chief operating officer. “They’re built with the toughness of an F-Series truck and performance spirit of Mustang—and come wrapped in…

MAKING ITS DEBUT AT THE 1993 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, THE REDESIGNED ’94 RAM WAS A SALES SUCCESS AND NAMED “TRUCK OF THE YEAR” IN 1994. Sales increased from 95,542 units in 1993 to 232,092 in 1994, 410,000 in 1995 and 411,000 by 1996 when it was prominently featured as the hero vehicle in the film “Twister.” Sales of this generation peaked at just over 400,000 in 1999 before declining. The purpose of the difference between the light-duty and heavy-duty 2500 trucks was for the heavy-duty 2500 to take the place of the discontinued one-ton single-rear-wheel trucks. Rear axles for the light-duty 2500 trucks were semi-floating, while the heavy-duty 2500 rear axles were full-floating. Lowering these massive metal movers needs to be done right the first time. No cheap…

WE DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE HEARD OF SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA, BUT IT’S KNOWN FOR ITS EXCELLENT WEATHER YEAR-ROUND. During the hot August months around the country, it’s a scorching 90 degrees, sometimes reaching into the 100s, but not in Santa Maria. It’s like mid-50s in the morning and, if they’re lucky, it will top out at 74 degrees. Yes sir, that’s what we said—74 degrees. Santa Maria is nestled on the Central Coast of California, just down the road from Pismo Beach. So, what does all this mean? Just a short trip inland, California’s Central Valley is the state’s agriculture hub, producing more than 360 products. California is the sole producer of more than 13 fruits, vegetables and nuts, including walnuts, olives, clingstone peaches and sweet rice. California is also…

TRUCK ENTHUSIASTS ARE A PRETTY LUCKY BUNCH. It seems like no matter what we need, someone out there makes it for whatever make and model truck we may have. Well, someone needs to get back on the mini-truck stuff … but still, we’ve pretty much got it made. I was recently in the market for a tonneau cover to switch things up from the shell I’ve been running on my F-150. I loved the shell but was missing the freedom of being able to load up bikes vertically at a moment’s notice without pulling the shell off (and, of course, having to grab a friend to help remove it!). The only problem was I also wanted the bed to be protected from the elements and curious eyes. Obviously, a tonneau…

NEW ARRIVALS! CHECK OUT THE NEWEST ARRIVALS FROM RACELINE WHEELS, NOW IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP. The company’s newest styles for 2020 include the 947 Scout, 948 Split and 950 Gauge in addition to the legendary 946 Boost that was just released in the new satin black finish. RACELINE WHEELS www.racelinewheels.com714-893-4160 ’19-’20 SILVERADO SWAY BAR HELLWIG SUSPENSION PRODUCTS JUST RELEASED ITS NEW UPGRADED FRONT SWAY BAR FOR THE ’19-’20 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND GMC SIERRA 1500 HALF-TON PICKUP TRUCKS. Available for both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models, the Hellwig front sway bar is wider in diameter than the stock sway bar and reduces body roll for improved driving dynamics and more driver control. Hellwig’s Silverado/Sierra front sway bar (part #7781) is 1 3/8 inches in diameter and forged from…

THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC THING HAS REALLY PUT A DAMPER ON GET-TOGETHERS, AND AS SERIOUS AS IT IS, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOPING FOR A SENSE OF NORMALCY IN THEIR LIVES. Shows have been cancelled left and right, which means that a lot of vehicle enthusiasts haven’t been able to get their proper fix. The town I live in is pretty small, but somewhat famous—or infamous—depending on how you look at it. Hollister, California. Ever heard of it? If you’ve ever owned a Harley, you have. It’s often touted as the “Birthplace of the American Biker,” and as the location of the legendary “Hollister Riot” of 1947, it shone a huge spotlight on “outlaw biker” culture. Heck, even the Marlon Brando flick “The Wild One” was based on the…

“IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO GET THE GMC TO WHERE IT IS TODAY, WITH YOVANY LOGGING MORE THAN TWO YEARS INTO THE BUILD, AND THERE ARE LOT OF SUBTLE TRICKS THAT A LOT OF FOLKS MIGHT NOT EVEN NOTICE UNLESS THEY’RE DIEHARD OBS FANS.” TWO-DOOR SUVS OF ALL TYPES ARE PRETTY MUCH UNIVERSALLY COOL: 4RUNNERS, PATHFINDERS AND EXPLORERS WERE ALL ONCE AVAILABLE AS TWO-DOORS AND ARE NOW HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER, BUT IT’S THE ’92-’99 K5 BLAZER/TAHOE/YUKON THAT HAS CAPTURED THE MOST HEARTS OVER THE YEARS. There’s just something about the OBS shorty SUV that looks perfect in all iterations, whether lifted or lowered, but admittedly we’re a little partial to the slammed variety. Yovany Diaz’s ’96 checks all of our boxes, and it’s even an ultra-rare GMC…

“WITH ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT HE PUT INTO BUILDING HIS CHEVY CHEYENNE, WADE HAS OFTEN JOKED THAT THE TRUCK HAS BECOME HIS FOURTH DEPENDENT. ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT BE A JOKE HIS KIDS APPRECIATE, IT CERTAINLY IS CATCHY AND SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER ALL THE TIME AND MONEY INVESTED.” BY THE LATE ’60S, PICKUPS HAD BECOME A POPULAR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. The truck-buying demographic went through a change and wanted increased comfort and style in their trucks. Chevy and GMC saw the demand and responded with good-looking trucks that represented both work-truck utility as well as reasonable comforts, especially when well-optioned. Even in today’s market, the ’67-’72 Chevy and GMC pickups remain some of the most desirable trucks. Wade Loewer is…

AS A COLLISION REPAIR SPECIALIST, MARK TULLIS BEGAN WORKING ON HIS HIGHLY MODIFIED ’53 F-100 AS AN OUTLET FOR HIS CREATIVITY. Since collision work is repetitious and fabrication is fresh and new, it was natural for him to launch a project where he could explore new directions. Mark got his start as an enthusiast at an early age, thanks to his grandfather who worked at General Motors and loved cars. About the time he turned 12, Mark’s enthusiasm genuinely ignited when he caught sight of a bright yellow ’53 F-100. It made an indelible impression, and he knew that one day he would own a truck like that. Enrolling in vocational school and getting started in the body shop business, again with the help of his grandfather, he began earning…

MADNESS IN THE MOUNTAINS 2020 WAS AN OUTSTANDING FIRST-TIME EVENT! The June show took place at the Pantili Mitsubishi dealership in Princeton, West Virginia. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed most events, Chad Hutchens and his determined crew made this show happen. The one-day show had something for everyone. With 178 vehicles registered and more than 250 cars, trucks and bikes lined up on the asphalt, the place was packed with some amazing rides. Tons of vendors showed up to support the show. Snap On Tools by Cory Suiter was on site along with Bluestone Health Center. Power Curve Motorsports was there, too, with a portable dyno machine. Tons of people lined up to test out their vehicles and see what kind of power they’re putting down! John Molloy of…

SEPTEMBER BATTLE IN BAMA Sept. 4-6 U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Mobile, AL COLORADO NATIONALS Sept. 11-13 The Ranch Events Complex Loveland, CO LONE STAR NATIONALS Sept. 25-27 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX OCTOBER SLAMFEST Oct. 10-11 Florida State Fairgrounds Tampa, FL C10 FALL REVIVAL Oct. 24 16140 McLester Rd. Oakboro, NC NOVEMBER AUTUMN GET-TOGETHER Nov. 14-15 Alameda County Fairgrounds Pleasanton, CA SOUTHWEST NATIONALS Nov. 20-22 WestWorld of Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ DECEMBER TURKEY DRAG Dec. 4-6 Wind Point Park Lone Oak, TX…