Street Rods

Hot Rod/Muscle Car July 16, 2023

CHILL OUT

Be Cool is no newcomer to cooling heavy metal. For years it has provided cooling solutions for some of the most impressive high-performance engines to rumble down the streets and dragstrips of America. The folks at Be Cool understand that having the proper cooling components in any car or truck is vital to keep an engine safely within its operating temperature range. They also understand that to make cooling and installation easier, they had to design a full bolt-in system, a system that would fit hundreds of applications for classic cars and trucks, as well as more modern vehicles that also need cooling help.

Builds July 16, 2023

Buxtosaurus Rex

When the owner brought this truck to Buxton in late 04, it was an old farm truck with a straight-six engine, three on the tree and studded snow tires. Buxton began by boxing the frame and adding an IFS unit. With Air Ride Technologies airbags and 2-inch dropped spindles, the front end of the Chevy was able to go very low. In the rear, a Currie Enterprises 9-inch rearend was suspended with ART airbags on a four-link system. Speaking of the rearend, it has been equipped with Strange Engineering 3.73 gears. As the Chevy would obviously come across a few bumps, aluminum QA1 adjustable shocks are used on all four corners. Speaking of the corners, a set of Wheelsmith smoothie wheels adorns this Chevy, giving it a very cool retro look.

Street Rods July 16, 2023

ECONOMY STEERING

The owner of this ’56 Ford pickup purchased it for a daily driver, and after driving it for a short time decided to make it more comfortable. Still running the original suspension, it rode rough and typically handled like an old truck, which it happens to be. He wanted a softer ride, and for the truck to handle like a modern sports truck, so several chassis improvements were in order.

Builds July 16, 2023

CIMTEX SUPER CAMEO: PART 9

After 1-1/2 years of preparing a rock-solid foundation for our Cimtex Rods-constructed ’56 Chevrolet Super Cameo pickup, the time finally came to hang sheetmetal, but not without experiencing a few major disappointments. “All I can say is, before you buy a truck cab or any kind of old car body, look before you leap,” commented Darrell Cimbanin of Cimtex Rods after picking up our ’56 Chevy big-?window cab from True Grit Sandblasting in Hutto, Texas. This cab was in worse condition than we originally thought. It’s easy to disguise what appears to be a good-looking truck cab with plastic filler and a nice paint job. Sometimes even the experts can be fooled.

Transmission / Drivetrain July 16, 2023

OVER AND UNDER

Our old 350 Chevy-powered ’47 International was running a three-speed 350 Turbo trans with 4.11 gears, which, as you know, is not a great combination for this type of highway cruising. It is fine, however, for those who absolutely love in-town, short-?distance, stop-and-go cruising, as it does prove great low-speed throttle response. On the highway, however, it spins up the engine and uses more fuel. We decided that after having our low-speed fun, we were using too much fuel and weren’t comfortable listening to the whine of the small block as we approached 70 mph. It was time to make a change. We looked around for a number of answers and talked to many classic truck owners who had either installed a new set of gears, an overdrive trans or a Gear Vendors overdrive/underdrive unit. We figured that the new 700R4 trans best fit our application budgetwise, although future plans may call for a Gear Vendors unit, as it represents the best of both worlds. But we first wanted to start with a newer, more modern trans.

Street Rods July 16, 2023

CIMTEX SUPER CAMEO: PART 6

Explore the intricate process of installing a high-performance ZR1/4L80E powertrain into a 1956 Chevrolet half-ton truck chassis. Cimtex Rods in Jarrell, Texas, shares the meticulous steps involved, including fabricating engine mounts, an adjustable transmission crossmember, and a custom aluminum driveshaft. Witness the thoughtful decisions, like setting the engine back for optimal weight transfer and accommodating essential components like intercoolers and superchargers.

Street Rods July 16, 2023

Dare To Be Different

There are a few things you need to know about Sonny Wells. First, Sonny, who is a cabinetmaker in Clearwater, Florida, owns an Elkhart Blue 1967 Corvette with a black stinger hood. Actually, his wife, Jill, lets him share the Corvette with her. Second, Sonny has always had a hankering for an old truck. Third, Jill was tired of sharing the Corvette with Sonny and having to listen to him constantly complain that he wanted an old truck. With that in mind, Sonny began his quest for an old pickup.

Street Rods July 16, 2023

NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE

Dave Kaminski wanted a custom-built truck, but he also wanted a vehicle he could take to a dealer for repairs, plug it into a computer for a diagnosis and determine the problem. In this hobby, that is hard to do with an old truck, given that computers rule the functions of today’s engines. Kaminski met with Frank Strianese, owner of The Car Shop in Springville, New York, and explained that not only did he want an old new truck, he wanted it to blend in with the Ford service trucks used by his Besroi roofing and contracting business in Buffalo. Ideas were passed back and forth, and soon a project began to unfold. Once you read how it was accomplished you will know that nothing is impossible to do.

Street Trucks July 16, 2023

TILT-A-WHEEL

Tilt steering, cruise control, heated seats and A/C are all amenities that we have grown accustomed to without ever knowing it. We’ve come to expect our seat to power forward and our steering column to drop at the flick of a lever; after all, it’s a matter of driver comfort. As these driver comforts have become a part of our daily drivers, it’s not unthinkable that we would want the same for our classic trucks. Our resident ’68 Chevy makes the rounds to and from lunch, along with the occasional cruise-in, so why not build in many of the same conveniences? After looking online, we decided that our outdated straight column just had to go, and then we’d work on the rest of those comfort items.

Street Rods July 16, 2023

The All-Steel Dynacorn ’47-’53 Chevrolet Five-Window Cab

For years, truck builders have searched, looking for that much-sought-after early five-window Chevy pickup project. They are still around and are occasionally found, but it’s getting tougher, and their condition is ever worsening. It’s simple math really: Only so many remain, and many of the really solid ones have been spoken for. To The Delight Of Custom Truck Builders Everywhere, The All-Steel Dynacorn ’47-’53 Chevrolet Five-Window Cab Is Now A Reality!

Street Rods

CHILL OUT

Buxtosaurus Rex

ECONOMY STEERING

CIMTEX SUPER CAMEO: PART 9

OVER AND UNDER

CIMTEX SUPER CAMEO: PART 6

Dare To Be Different

NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE

TILT-A-WHEEL

The All-Steel Dynacorn ’47-’53 Chevrolet Five-Window Cab

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