RILEY’S ’72 Chevy
July 16, 2023
Author
Joe Greeves
Words and Photography
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Spotlighter
Orange Squeeze
This Tangelo Pearl 55 Chevy was Located Fewer than Five Miles from Juan Navedo's Home
When you do a lot of work, as Juan Navedo has on this hot vintage 55 Chevy, it tends to turn a lot of heads on the street and on the show circuit. This is not Juan’s first time down the custom road. As an electronics technician by trade and an automotive hobbyist by choice, he has owned 15 customized vehicles over the years, and his 55 Chevy pickup is the culmination of all those years of experience. It ranks at the top of his list.
Finding the truck was one of those classic tales of chance discovery. When Navedo began the search for a project vehicle, he did not have to travel very far. Fewer than five miles from his home in Pensacola, Florida, he spotted the outline of the roof of an old truck sitting behind a fence. It turned out to be owned by a friend of his, so for $800 Juan’s 1-1/2 years of effort began when he trailered the truck home.
While the body remains recognizable, not much original equipment remains underneath. Navedo determined at the outset that he would build it to fit the new Pro Touring class of vehicles. The truck would be driven regularly, so handling, comfort and reliability were important. Since a big engine was a vital part of the equation, a new chassis was the best solution, so Juan built his own from 2×4 and 2×3 rectangular steel tubing. Choosing the old-school approach of building stance into the chassis, rather than employing air or hydraulics on an adjustable suspension, meant that an extra level of precision was required to achieve the desired rake.
The front suspension began with spindles from a 78 Camaro, a set of tubular A-arms, a GM steering box and Aldan coilovers. Billet Specialties Talledega 18-inch rims and Yokohama 225/40-18 rubber add style and grip. The rearend uses an Alston four-link, Trac Locator and Koni coilovers to position and control the narrowed 9-inch Ford, which is upgraded with a Detroit Locker, 3.73 gears and Moser axles. Navedo constructed a set of 10-inch tubs to provide room for the 20×10 Billet Specialties Talledega rims and 285/30-20 Yokohama rubber. Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes all around ensure plenty of stopping power for the big engine to come. To ensure a long-range fuel supply, Navedo fabricated a 24-gallon aluminum gas tank and mounted it between the new framerails, replacing the original tank behind the seats.
Big horsepower numbers were an important part of the vision Navedo had for his truck, so he squeezed in a big 454 V-8, bored .030-inch over by Car City Machine in Pensacola. Go-fast goodies bump up the numbers even higher, thanks to forged TRW 10:1 pistons, a Crane roller rocker cam with a Pete Jackson gear drive and double roller timing chain, a Holley 750 carburetor on an Edelbrock Performer intake, Edelbrock oval-port aluminum heads, Accel HEI ignition with Taylor color-matched 8mm plug wires and HPC coated headers from Mr. Gasket. Navedo handmade the 3-inch exhaust system, complete with a crossover pipe that flows Corvette style down the center of the truck into twin Turbo mufflers. A Griffin radiator with a Marsh serpentine system keeps everything in the green. Getting the power to the ground is a four-speed 700R4 transmission reworked by Bellview Transmission in Pensacola, with a 2,500-rpm stall speed and shift kit.
Loads of subtle exterior mods let the original lines of the truck show through, beginning with eliminating the cowl vent for a cleaner appearance. BeBop fiberglass front fenders and US Body Source fiberglass rear fenders replaced the rusted originals. Once the gas tank was relocated underneath, the original filler hole along the side of the cab was welded shut and a small filler cap was added to the center of the new steel bed for easy fillups. The rear bumper was flipped upside down and repositioned closer to the body, and it now serves to showcase the twin center exhaust pipes. Navedo deleted the Chevrolet script from the tailgate and constructed a new bed floor from 10-gauge sheetmetal, sprayed with Gravitex for protection. Later the bed was color-coordinated to match the rest of the truck. Taillights from a 48 Ford were added along with the center brakelight in the cab. Custom Jaguar-style headlights add a little European flavor.
Turning his attention to the interior, Navedo began filling all the seams on the dash and fabricated a new sheetmetal center console. The dash is equipped with a full complement of Auto Meter Phantom gauges that include a 160-mph speedometer and a 10,000-rpm tach. The Billet Specialties steering wheel matches the Talledega wheels. Creature comforts include Vintage Air A/C and an Alpine stereo playing through two Polk Audio 5×7 speakers in the forward portion of the console, along with a pair of 6x9s fitted to the rear behind the seats. All of the interior work was accomplished by the owner with the exception of the beige 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse bucket seats, which were chosen for their sporty look and comfort. Johnson’s Trim in Pensacola did the stitchwork.
Using the 32×40 shop behind his home, Navedo completed the project by spraying his own paint. He chose House of Kolor Tangelo Pearl, a bright color that he felt would showcase the lines of the truck. It took 1-1/2 years to build this truck with more than 4,000 hours, and Navedo has been driving it for three years now. Since the creation process is the challenge, there will be another project, as Navedo is looking for that next new vehicle to fill his workshop. In the meantime, he is thoroughly enjoying his Pro Touring truck, both on the streets and at truck shows.