Metal, Muscle & Mastery: Inside SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 2025
November 12, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
MONEY-SAVING, BIG-VALVE PERFORMANCE UPGRADE
September 21, 2022
FROM ONE TO TWENTY-FOUR
March 7, 2024
KING OF THE ROAD
“Carroll Shelby has pulled the trick of the year. He’s combined Ford’s new drag champion 428 Cobra Jet engine with his complete road car, the Cobra G.T.500. Result? Cobra G.T.500KR…King of the Road.” Those words accompanied the full-page advertisements for the mid-year introduction of the ’68 Shelby Cobra G.T.500KR. The new model replaced the early ’68 G.T.500 and its more docile 428 V-8 engine.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Delphi 600 Series Power Steering Upgrade by Borgeson
This upgrade is a perfect match for a range of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles, including the 1971-1973 Mustangs and other full-size models from 1965 to 1977. To accommodate the new steering box input shaft, the factory steering coupler must be replaced. This ensures a perfect fit and optimal performance. Borgeson offers hose kits designed for both stock Ford pumps and their Saginaw P/S pump upgrade kits, guaranteeing seamless integration with existing power steering components.
Winter WOW
Just after New Year’s, when the cold really starts settling in, one of the first major indoor car shows of the year rolls into town. The O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels Custom Auto Show has become a yearly tradition—mixing hot rods, customs, and classics with a dose of pop culture to create a winter event that gives the whole family a reason to get out of the house.
Spotlighter
Grumpy’s Toy
Author
Joe Greeves
Story & Photography
Jim Batson from Deltona, Florida, is a retired Navy man and a veteran’s employment representative for the state of Florida. New to the truck scene at age 57, this is his first custom, and he did most of the work himself, learning as he went. Inspiration for the project came after seeing a friend’s custom truck. He liked the looks and, since friends told him that trucks were easier for the first-time builder, he jumped in with both feet, deciding it would make the perfect retirement project. The undertaking began in April 1999 and wasn’t completed until March 2005. Looking back, Jim confesses to having some second thoughts about that ease-of-construction notion, and he tells us that somehow along the way he picked up the nickname Grumpy!
Originally looking for just a good daily driver, Jim found the 48 Chevrolet in a friend’s backyard in southeast Missouri, his original home state. After getting it back to Florida, he began the build process by tearing the truck completely apart. It was in rough shape initially, with a fair amount of amateur bodywork that had to be eliminated before he could proceed. Jim is very mechanically oriented and picked up a lot of techniques simply by watching truck shows on TV. However, since more than half the cab was rusted, he realized that if he were going to accomplish this job himself he’d need to go back to school. He enrolled in welding courses at the local community college and soon was cutting off rusted pieces and welding in patch panels like a pro. It didn’t take very long, however, before workspace became an issue, so Jim temporarily called a halt to the project while he built a shop in his backyard and outfitted it with a complete set of tools. I could have paid someone to build this truck with what I’ve spent on the shop and the tools, he says with a smile, but now I can say I did it myself.
The chassis uses the original Chevy rails, straightened and boxed for additional strength. Jim adapted a Pontiac Firebird rear axle equipped with 3.08 gears, using GM springs and shocks to hold it in place. The frontend is a Heidt’s Mustang II with Eaton springs, 11-inch disc brakes, a Corvette master cylinder and power booster. A factory-fresh 350hp Chevy crate engine was chosen for motive power, and it’s hooked up to a 700R4 transmission. The 350 Ram Jet is fitted with power steering, air conditioning, a Zoops serpentine belt, a Griffin radiator and Sanderson block-hugger headers. A Griffin aluminum radiator and electric fan keep temperatures in the green.
Putting aside the chassis and engine, Jim turned his attention to a few custom mods on the body. The original two-piece butterfly hood was converted to a one-piece, rear-hinged version, and chromed hinges hold it up without a prop rod. The smoothed firewall was notched to give the V-8 clearance, and all the holes were filled in the inner fender panels. Headlights were frenched into reproduction front fenders using the original rims, and then painted to match. A Bumper Boys grille and one-piece bumper update the originals. The show-style running boards are reinforced underneath for strength. Jim says he never planned on suicide doors, but when he tried to get the replacement doors to fit, it became easier to install suicide hinges than to retain the originals. Dale Dinse in Deltona did the conversion. The bed is brand new from a MK VIII, accented inside with diamond plate with a subtle gas filler cap mounted in the center. The Gaylord fiberglass tonneau cover protects the bed, while the tailgate proudly proclaims the truck’s Chevrolet origins. Continuing the Bow Tie theme, Dinse modified the new rear pan with quad Corvette-style taillights and matching oval exhaust tips.
The interior is an elegant combination of taupe-colored fabric and leather. Accenting the smoothed dash is a full complement of Dolphin instruments, Vintage Air A/C outlets and custom cup holders from Yearwood in the new center console. An Olds steering column now sports a LeCarra wheel, the plush seats were liberated from a late-model GM, and the custom-made headliner and overhead console now put the Blaupunkt head unit within easy reach of the driver. Blaupunkt speakers were added behind the seats with 5.25-inch component sets on either side, along with an additional pair of tweeters. Additional component sets are tucked inside the kick panels. Underneath the seats is a 10-CD player on the passenger’s side and a Blaupunkt amplifier under the driverÕs seat. For easy access to the stereo gear, Jim designed a hydraulic ram that lifts the seats at the touch of a button. Doors are equipped with Billet Specialties hardware along with suicide door locks. Ed Schreck in Deland, Florida, did the upholstery work. Mike Sr., Mike and Jason Sweeney helped in the final assembly.
Todd Fisher of Deland, Florida, accomplished the beautiful paint job. Jim told him the colors he wanted and Todd drew the rendering. Using House of Kolor Blue Pearl and GM silver, Todd added a touch of Blue Pearl to the silver to ensure that both colors blended together perfectly. American Racing 17-inch Hopster rims get the truck rolling in style.
INTERIOR: Many custom details are evident throughout the plush new interior. The late-model GM leather split bench seat lifts for easy access to the stereo components underneath. The Blaupunkt head unit in the overhead console controls speakers positioned throughout the cab and musical variety from the 10-CD player underneath the seat. Vintage Air keeps occupants cool in the Florida heat, and the Dolphin gauges on the dash keep the driver in touch with the Chevy V-8 under the hood.
When Jim started the project, he just wanted a good daily driver. Now that it’s complete and he has achieved a level he never thought he could attain, Jim and his custom ride will be frequent participants on the custom show circuit. Wherever he goes, people admire his truck, and he is so pleased at the way it turned out that he plans to build another one soon (or at least as soon as people stop calling him Grumpy).
Jim says,
For any guy who wants to do one of these vehicles, itÕs a big commitment and it gets expensive, since once you get started you have to continue. It means everything in the world when you have support from your significant other. My wife, Helen, has supported me throughout this six-year project. I couldnÕt have done it without her.Ó We understand the feeling, Jim, and we couldnÕt agree more.
EXTERIOR: The vintage lines of the classic truck show through, even though there are dozens of subtle body modifications. The shaved suicide doors are accented with Cal Custom sideview mirrors. The two-piece butterfly hood was converted to a single, rear-hinged version with a new grille, bumper and frenched headlights. Custom House of Kolor paint and 17-inch American Racing rims complete the process.
ENGINE: A 350hp Chevrolet Ram Jet crate motor resides in the customized engine compartment that includes a smoothed firewall, custom inner fender panels and graphics that match the exterior paint scheme.
BED: The new pickup bed from a MK VIII is accented with a diamond-plate floor, a chromed gas cap in the center and a Gaylord tonneau cover on two gas struts.
REAR: The distinctive rearend uses a Chevrolet emblem on the tailgate, worked into the paint scheme, along with a custom rear pan that uses Corvette-style quad lights and oval exhaust tips.
GRUMPY: Some of the difficulties encountered during the build process led to Jim's new nickname!
