THE AUTO BUILDER

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Simplicity is the key here, as this ’55 Chevy perfectly embodies the sleeper theme with a no-frills look and monster power. It doesn’t even feature all the stainless Bel Air or 210 trim you normally find on most tri-5 models; but even though this is a plain-Jane 150 devoid of trim, Ernie Lankford’s all-black ’55 certainly doesn’t get overlooked.

BUTCH

Back in the ’60s, a youthful Barry Wallner was well known in and around Illinois for his modified ’57 sedan delivery. It was a tough competitor at the local dragstrips, but time took its toll, and most of the dragstrips have disappeared, giving way to housing and shopping-center developments and industrial complexes. But this hasn’t stopped Wallner, who was an adept restorer. So, from the late-’60s through the mid-’90s, he has gone on with other ’57 Chevys to win top show awards.

SLOWING DOWN A FAST MUSTANG

The Ford Mustang was one of the first cars to offer disc brakes as an option, but they were not a big hit with buyers when they were first introduced. Most buyers were happy to buy a base model with a six-cylinder engine or a slightly improved version with a 289 backed by an automatic transmission. This was the standard Mustang package that most Mustang owners wanted in those days—grocery-chasers that people had no intention of using to sit on the pole of the Indianapolis 500. Aside from the Brickyard, that’s all changed, as standard drum brakes are no longer considered standard fare, and car enthusiasts now know the benefits of full disc brakes. It’s hard to find a car today without them, at least on the front brakes.

Spotlighter

BLOWTORCH

Cleaning Up With Big Daddy

Just when you thought it was safe to enter a show again, Gordon Andrews, husband, father of three and owner of G&S Carpet Cleaning, comes at you with this killer Chevy crew cab dually.

Author

Simon Richards

Story And Photography

This ride sports every sweet modification that one can throw at a truck. You name it and this Chevy dually has it. Bags? Got ’em. Outrageous body mods? Yep, got them too. Killer sound and multi-media system?

Say what?

Does it have max tunes?

Huh??

We asked if the truck has a great sound system.

Sorry, you have to speak up. Andrews is blowing out the neighborhood windows with this thing!

A Chevy Dually Built to Get Attention

We may as well start on the ground and work our way back up. That’s what Andrews did with this truck.

Air Ride Suspension and Stance

Keeping a ride this big suspended is not easy, but the crew at The Chop Shop in Temecula, California, are the ones responsible for the fine stance that this Chevy displays. They used a Pete & Jakes four-link out back with a pair of Firestone 2600 airbags. To match the look up front, they used a pair of Belltech 2-inch drop spindles with an identical set of the Firestone bags. The air controls, as well as the gauges, are in the center console inside the truck. With this setup, the truck can be set completely on the frame. Sweet!

Ultra-dually wheels wrapped with 60-series General tires peek out from beneath the wells to prove that they truly belong on the big truck.

Escalade Styling and Custom Body Modifications

According to Andrews, way too much is not even enough for him—and one look at this outrageous ride is more than enough to prove that. He likes his rides to be cutting and this Chevy is lethal. Luckily, he found Lloyd’s Collision & Paint Center in Santee, California, which shared his vision and did all of the work.

The stock front clip is gone and in its place is a unit from a Cadillac Escalade, although it now houses a billet grille in place of the stock plastic unit. And speaking of vision, letting in the sky is no problem with the slide-back sunroof. The tailgate handle and taillights have been shaved off and a Sir Michael’s custom roll pan now houses the lights. Even those are hot—they resemble flames. The door handles are smooth with no locks (even the ones up front).

House of Kolor Flames from Nose to Tail

Lloyds then shot on the white Sherwin Williams paint, but it is the killer flame job that gets this ride noticed. The amazing flames were drawn and painted by Rob Taylor, who used House of Kolor Violet Purple. The intense flames travel over the nose and hood, down the sides of the beast and even cover the tonneau.

A Bed Full of Custom Details

Beneath that tonneau is another outrageous example of the twisted mind of Andrews. He had Phantom Interiors of Anaheim, California, cover the underside in black tweed, but not before having them copy the flames and incorporate them into the material.

You say you like flames? Andrews does, too. He even went so far as to have them covering the floor of the bed as well. We won’t tell all of his secrets, but he did the custom job himself before the rest of the bed was covered with LINE-X.

More Power for the 454 Vortec

Andrews likes power, too. Even though the truck came with a 454 Vortec engine, he wanted more. He got plenty of it when he dialed in a Hypertech Power Programmer. That—along with the MSD ignition coil, throttle body spacer and a K&N air filter—and Andrews was happy. The engine has been sprayed with the same House of Kolor paint as the flames.

A Flame-Themed Interior

Moving inside, Andrews has once again flamed out. They blaze everywhere: flames are on the doors, the headliner and dash, on the steering wheel … It’s a lick overload!

Andrews again had Phantom Interiors work its magic, using purple and gray tweed to cover everything. The dash, center console, door panels—nothing escaped the Phantom crew. They also installed the Billet Accessories Direct Hellfire steering wheel, along with the APC flame gauge cover. Again, all purple paint found on the inside is from House of Kolor.

Serious Sound and Multimedia Performance

“Hot” also describes the stereo: San Diego Car Stereo installed a Kenwood head unit with TV and connected it to the JL Audio amplifiers. The impulses finally exit through 12-inch W6 Version 2 sub-woofers and a bunch of MB Quartz mids and tweeters. They also punched a hole in the area above the glovebox and put in a PlayStation 2. With screens inset on the back of both front seat headrests, as well as playing through the head unit, there is more than enough to distract Andrews from the road.

Why “Big Daddy” Remains a Family Favorite

This fine ride has carried the Andrews family on many outings and even though he is busy building a classic Chevy pickup, this truck will probably remain a family favorite. Andrews says that the kids love to play the PlayStation and watch TV while he is driving. In fact, little 5-year-old Mariah named the truck “Big Daddy.” That seems reason enough to keep it around.