As with any buildup, once you get in to it, more seems to undergo surgery or upgrading as you go. And it doesn’t matter whether it is an old truck or a fresh new one. Mods are mods, and they always lead to more. In this case, the SRRC crew has been hard at work on a ’38 Chevy, which has been subject to many body mods and suspension changes. During this build, the crew completely removed the stock dash and fabricated a new one out of aluminum sheet. The resulting dash is turning out sweet and will even include a matching center console. So, envision your own truck and taking it to this level, even if you only upgrade the dash. But it didn’t stop here.

SRRC had also installed an LS1 engine in the truck, and that’s where this story really begins. While this story doesn’t have to do with installing the engine, it does have to do with installing the new ididit steering column. However, the engine had an awful lot to do with what comes next. It seems that the heads on the LS1 are (almost) exactly where the steering column would have entered the engine compartment. Something had to be changed, and it sure couldn’t be the engine location. These same considerations could happen if you were to swap another type of engine, or perhaps a big block where once a smaller six-cylinder was once located. Any number of things can affect what comes next.

It was then that the SRRC crew figured that the engine location might be a blessing in disguise. Sure, they needed a new method to get around the cylinder head location, but they also thought the steering column should reflect the new smooth dash configuration. So, rather than run the column at a harsh angle, as so many of these installations normally do, the SRRC crew took a page from the new-car textbook and decided to shorten the column and run it up against the lower edge of the dash. This way, the column would be out of the way of the driver’s legs and could snake around the engine, and it would be cleaner looking all at the same time. If this type of application appeals to you, depending upon your needs, you can order what ididit calls its Shorty column, which is mounted with double column drops, and the steering shaft can be routed acutely in almost any manner dictated by unusual Òin the way items.

The only thing left to do in this case, and we were on hand as the crew did it, was to dramatically shorten the ididit column they had, and it worked. We followed along as SRRC employee Davey Singery made the job look easy, although for those at home this may be a job best left to a professional. That all depends on your skill level, as there are two areas that you want to make certain are safe and correct: the brakes and the steering system. Obviously, as demonstrated here, the SRRC crew can help you out with either or both. But to figure out for yourself the level of talent that such an install and modification requires, tag along here.