SLICK SLEEPER
March 20, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
WHERE’S THE POWER?
Bob Gruitch just thought his car was not performing up to his expectations. A ’55 Chevy equipped with a 502 big block, square port heads and a Crane H296-2 camshaft should be more than enough power. But it lacked power and didn’t idle all that well, especially in gear. This shouldn’t be happening with an engine built by John Gianoli at Reggie Jackson’s High Performance Engine Shop, so Gruitch figured he had something wrong and brought the car to John Bishop’s Hot Rod Tuning Service to have it checked. He’s lucky that he did.
A REAL NINE-SECOND STREET SLEEPER
One look at a car is generally all it takes to determine pretty much what it’s made of—whether it’s fast, incredibly slow or falls safely somewhere in between. There are always typical small details that reveal a car’s true identity, whether it’s a huge exhaust, healthy underpinnings, aggressive rubber on wide wheels, a large, efficient cooling system, a well-laid-out induction with appropriate fuel delivery, sturdy engine mounts and/or mounting, the size and scope of the ignition, as well as the inlet air system.
Driven Racing Oil: GP1 Racing Products
Driven Racing Oil, born from Joe Gibbs Racing, is formulated specifically for all-out race and high performance engines. What makes Driven’s products different? In simple terms, Driven’s products are unique because they always put the “Motor ahead of the Molecule”. While other oil companies are in love with chemistry and have no real world understanding of how the products are actually used, Driven keeps things in the proper order. The oil is for the motor, not the other way around. Driven’s product development team looks at the motor and how it is used; then they design application specific products using a “zero compromise” approach that delivers a measurable performance advantage.
Spotlighter
A NEW FLAME
Almost New
A ʼ99 Chevy Truck Thatʼs The New Love Of Warren Boughnʼs Life
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup at his local dealership, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start of his adventure. On the way home he already had the finished truck pictured in his mind, and he worked toward that goal.
Author
Jeff Tann
Story & Photography
The Need for a Shop Truck
If you work on street rods as a hobby, or for a living, you quickly realize you need a truck to haul parts here and there, or for trailering your latest discovery home. Warren Boughn came to that realization while he was working for Magoo in the early 1970s. At that time, he bought a nice ʼ54 Ford pickup that was turned into a show winner, while keeping in mind that it also had to be functional. As time went on, Boughn started his own business, Precision Street Rods and Machines, in Northridge, California and continued to own a truck to carry parts, and in many cases, to haul his customersʼ old automobile carcasses to his shop for a complete turnkey rebuild. Precisionʼs shop truck was a really clean ʼ86 Chevy pickup that served the car builder well for many years. A while ago, Boughn bought a 20-foot-long enclosed trailer and quickly found that his little shop truck was too small to tow a loaded trailer safely. It was finally time to sell the old truck and buy a new one that could handle the trailer and the work of art inside.
Finding the Perfect 1999 Chevy Truck
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start of his adventure. On the way home he already had the finished 1999 Chevy truck custom build pictured in his mind, and he worked toward that goal.
Interior and Exterior Upgrades
He started with some small upgrades first, such as adding a wood kit in the interior. He also improved the windshield wipers with billet ones from Zoops and added a billet antenna from Trenz. He then went on to bigger and better things, such as the Sir Michaels rolled rear pan and the tailgate handle, which was moved from the outside to the inside of the bed. He also installed a BedRug carpet kit in the bed and covered it with an Innovations bed cover, with the inside of the lid covered to match the carpet.
The body was also modified extensively with a new fiberglass ram air hood from South Bay Motorsports along with the companyʼs new grille surround with a Trenz billet bow tie. The grille and hood scoop inserts are from Street Scene. He also installed electric mirrors from Street Scene. The truck was starting to look great, but it definitely needed a set of custom truck wheels and tires. Boughn started looking through wheel catalogs to find a set that was attractive and strong. When he saw a picture of Budnikʼs Prism 6 wheel, thatʼs what he wanted. The billet wheels looked great, and with six spokes, they should be strong enough for the truck even when itʼs hauling a loaded trailer. He ordered a set of 17×8 wheels for the front and installed a set of Pirelli 255/50R17 Scorpion Zero tires. The rear rides on 17×9.5 wheels and Pirelli 275/55R17 Scorpion Zero tires.
Custom Flame Paint Design
The truck was really looking good with its original Victory Red body, but Boughn thought the truck looked too plain. He wanted flames, but not just any flames. He and his friend, Larry Mars, a graphic designer, spent several nights designing a set of custom Chevy truck flames that would accent the lines of the truck. After coming up with the perfect flame pattern, he had to select a shop that could do the work. Boughn had worked with Pete Santini in Westminster, California on a few projects in the past and knew he could do an excellent job.
Santini laid out the flames according to Boughnʼs plans and painted a basecoat of pearl white. The blends consisted of Candy Lemon Yellow, Candy Tangerine and Candy Magenta. The flames were then outlined with an apple-green pinstripe and then the entire flame treatment was covered with clearcoat. The tailgate was also painted with a flame pattern and Boughnʼs shop name.
Lowered Stance and Air Ride Suspension
The final step was to lower the truck, which he accomplished with Belltech dropped spindles and springs at the front of the truck, and an Air Lift four-bar air ride suspension system at the rear with Belltech C-notches. That was exactly what the truck needed to look fantastic.
Vortec V8 Power and Performance
The truck had plenty of power with the 5300 Vortec V-8, but as hot rodders know, the more the better. He wanted to keep everything legal, so he installed PaceSetter Armor Coated headers and a Gibson stainless steel cat-back exhaust system. He also installed a Jet Power Control Module and a Jet SCU2000 transmission chip to effectively control the 4L80E transmission. He also installed a K&N air intake and filter system. With these changes, the engine runs great and should have more than enough power to haul the loaded trailer.
A Rolling Advertisement for Craftsmanship
When Boughn was driving home with the image of the finished truck in his mind, it was a pretty picture. The awesome custom Chevy shop truck equals some of the finely detailed and beautifully crafted creations that come out of his shop, and thatʼs exactly what he wanted. The truck is a rolling advertisement of the work his shop can perform.
