AT LONG LAST

Mauro, who is the owner of Stockton Wheel in Stockton, California, finally got the owner to turn loose the truck; the guy gave it to him for free (see, patience really is rewarded). When he finally got possession of the Chevy, he turned it loose to Roger Segarr at Stroker’s Rod & Custom in nearby Ripon, California, who did most of the work to the sweet ‘38. 

When we say most of the work, we mean that the frame was built by Jim Myers of Lincoln City, Oregon. Myers took the stock ‘38 frame and turned it into a frame that would be comfortable on the streets today. He pulled the stock rearend and installed a killer Dutchman Motorsports independent rearend. The body is held aloft from the Dutchman by a set of Air Ride Technologies ShockWave units. The drum brakes on the rearend are helped by the Master Power 8-inch power-master booster. The front suspension features one of Meyers’ IFS units that is also equipped with the Air Ride Shock Waves, though this time the Master Power brakes are 11-inch disc models.

And it should go without saying that the rolling hardware found on the Chevy comes from Stockton Wheel (but we will say it anyway). Mauro chose to equip the Chevy with his very cool chromed TQ wheels, complete with knockoff-type spinners. These are one of the latest offerings from Stockton Wheel, and they are the perfect choice for the ‘38. Though they are available in much larger sizes, the wheel wells on the old truck only had so much room to work with, so the TQs found on the Chevy are 16×8 in the rear and 15×5.5 in front. These have been shod with BFGoodrich rubber, and the combination of the wheel and tire configuration and the Air Ride components gives the Chevy the perfect look to complement the slammed stance.

Mauro thought that the perfect engine for his truck would be a GM crate engine, and we agree. With the frame and suspension handles, the truck was then sent to Segaar, who set about installing the 350 Ram Jet. As cool as the Ram Jets are, they can be visually improved upon, so a full set of Zoops pulleys, brackets and valve covers were installed. While a Tanks fuel tank feeds the Ram Jet EFI to take care of the induction, a Bassani exhaust system takes care of the aftereffects. The headers are aluminized block-huggers that connect to the outside with a set of 2-1/2-inch tubes. Connecting the engine to the rearend is a Bow Tie Overdrives 700R4 transmission. The Bow Tie is kept cool with a Perma Cool transmission cooler, which was also installed by Stroker’s Rod and Custom.

When Mauro was asked if any bodywork restoration was needed, his reply was simply “total.” Before the Viper Red paint was applied, the truck did indeed have to be completely rebuilt. That is not to say that modifications required the labor, but things such as the bed and hood had to be custom-built as well as refurbishing the grille and front fenders. In addition, Segaar seems to have found the time to do a little smoothing and filling to the Chevy’s body. The bed was built by the crew at Hanks Custom Stepsides of Herald, California, and it was equipped with 3-inch wider fenders produced by Old Chicago. The stock taillights were replaced with a set of ‘50 Pontiac models by Bob Drake. When all was said and done, Segaar loaded up the pot with the aforementioned Sikkens Viper Red paint and let fly. The truck really pops since the body of the vintage truck lends itself to the dazzling paint color.

Speaking of lending itself perfectly, the browns and tans that adorn the interior perfectly match the red that covers not only the exterior, but also the dash and ididit steering column. Speaking of the dash, it was also filled and smoothed by the crew at Stroker’s. A set of Haneline white Elite gauges is all that can be found mounted in the dash, as the controls for the Vintage Air system have been hidden from view. The Grant steering wheel gives Mauro a feeling of control, and the custom bench seat gives him a feeling of warmth. Ron Giavacchini of Dante’s Modern Top (also of Stockton), who covered it and the door panels with Alante teak and linen tweed material, is the craftsman who built the seat. The color scheme was continued to the brown carpeting. A Specialty Power Windows one-piece glass kit was chosen, and a Ron Francis wiring kit was used to connect all of the various electrical pieces, such as the StreetWorks remote door system.

Though it may have taken Mauro a long time to acquire the truck, it only took him and his people a few years to build it up to the beauty seen here. He uses the Chevy as a rolling billboard for his company, Stockton Wheel, but this truck is more than that. Mauro is one of those owners who is also an enthusiast. He has many cool rides, and this truck will be a driver, not just an object de’ marketing. After all, he spent so much time and effort trying to acquire it, he wants to make sure that it was time well spent.