THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
- All Post
- Trucks
- Swaps
- Performance Boats
- Builders
- Manufacturers
- _000 Home Sliders
- 05 Publications
- Builds
- Cars
- 01 Post Status
- Back
- Street Rods
- Hot Rods
- Late Model
- Drag Race
- Handling
- Compact Cars
- Chassis
- Power Adders
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Power Adders
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Power Adders
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Power Adders
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Power Adders
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Power Adders
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Back
- Chassis
- Power Adders
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Back
- Chassis
- Engine
- Power Adders
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Back
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Power Adders
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Back
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Power Adders
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Back
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Power Adders
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Back
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Power Adders
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Back
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Power Adders
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Back
- Ford
- Dodge
- Honda
- Nissan
- Toyota
- Chrysler
- Subaru
- Plymouth
- Mercury
- Chevrolet
- Volvo
- Cadillac
- Volkswagen
- Pontiac
- GMC
- AMC
- BMW
- Buick
- Jeep
- Lincoln
- Mitsubishi
- Back
- Jesse James
- Jack Fuller
- Bob Cullipher
- Jerry Nichols
- Carl Casper
- J.F. Launier
- Bobby Alloway
- Chip Foose
- Steve Sellers
- Boyd Coddington
- Ring Brothers
- Back
- Exhaust
- Fuel System
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Power Adders
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Electrical
- Back
- Driveline
- Chassis
- Engine Swaps
- Interior Swaps
- Back
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Outdrives
- Steering
- Interior
- Accessories
- Power Adders
- Exterior and Hull
- Back
- 60 Pub FPB Family Power Boat
- 45 Pub SRB Street Rod Builder
- 05 Pub HCI Hot Compact Imports
- 15 Pub 4x4 4x4 Builder
- 20 Pub SR Super Rod
- 25 Pub FB Ford Builder
- 30 Pub AR American Rodder
- 35 Pub RD Rodders Digest
- 40 Pub OTR On the Road
- 55 Pub BSCENE Buckaroo Scene
- 10 Pub CR Chevy Rumble
- 50 Pub TB Truck Builder
- Back
- Street Trucks
- OffRoad Trucks
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Power Adders
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Chassis
- Engine
- Fuel System
- Electrical
- Exhaust
- Transmission / Drivetrain
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Wheels and Tires
- Power Adders
- Interior
- Exterior
- Accessories
- Back
- 10 Post Images Imported
- 27 Post Missing Content
- 17 Post Missing TXT Files
- 18 Post Missing PDF Files
- 05 Post Imported
- 20 Post Missing Images (All)
- 25 Post Missing Images (Partial)
- 15 Post In Progress
- 30 Post Internal Review
- 40 Post On Hold
- 50 Post Approved
RILEY’S ’72 Chevy
What Started as a Daily Driver Project Progressed to a Really Slick Show Truck
Author
Josh Kaylor
Story & Photography
From Humble Beginnings to a Showstopper
It seems never to fail: You buy an old truck from a friend or family member with the intent of just sticking a used motor in it and giving it a quick paint job. This usually means that the front clip comes off to put the motor in, and that leads to taking apart the front suspension, which leads to assorted chassis upgrades, as well as the rest of the frame components being unbolted and stripped down for paint, and that means the cab is taken off and sent to a paint shop. Well, you know how those stories play out, and without going any further, this is exactly what happened to Jim Riley and his son Dusty.
The old truck was purchased from Jim’s brother-in-law, who had purchased it back in 1978 and retired it a couple of years back. It was in pretty decent shape; everything was there and it was pretty solid, so Jim made a deal and hauled the truck back from Dayton, Tennessee, to his home in Bulls Gap, Tennessee—not a bad trip. The plan was to do a little freshening and rebuild the engine. As we mentioned earlier, this is where some of the nicest trucks ever built got their humble beginnings.
Engine Rebuild with a Subtle Edge
After Jim picked up the truck, work was started immediately. The decision was made to rebuild the engine, but plans to take the truck completely apart had not yet been made. First the hood and front clip were removed to get at the engine. The ’72 Chevy’s 350 had seen a pretty mild life, with the usual daily duties of a classic pickup, so the original engine was pulled and sent to the machine shop. The block was stripped down from years of crud and paint and received a .030-inch overbore. The crank and rods were cleaned up and a new set of pistons was purchased and installed. The original heads were in very good shape and needed only a minor cleaning and a valve job to get things going again. Skeen’s Engine Shop, located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, performed the machine work for the Chevy. The stock intake, however, was old, heavy and outdated, so Jim purchased a Weiand aluminum unit and painted it a mild aluminum color to keep things clean and subtle. The original carb was in fairly decent shape, so a few minutes of cleaning and rebuilding got the fuel pumping again. A K&N air cleaner provides plenty of clean air for the newly refurbished 355ci Chevy, while a GM HEI ignition provides spark to the cylinders. A set of coated ram horn manifolds helps the engine exhale burnt gases.
Jim built this truck to be a driver, so rather than stick tons of polished and chromed goodies under the hood, he decided that clean detail would be more appropriate. The original valve covers were slicked down, taped up and painted in the same yellow that graces the exterior, along with some awesome-looking silver and white pinstriping. Instead of spending all his time polishing, he can just wipe things off and get to the show and enjoy the truck. Backing up the 355 is the original Turbo 350 with a mild rebuild.
Chassis Upgrades for a Lower Stance
Well, Jim figured that while the engine was out he would just do a little suspension freshening, and that led to the front suspension being stripped down and totally disassembled. The suspension was cleaned up and new bushings were installed. The original spindles were tossed in favor of a set of late-model 2-1/2-inch dropped spindles that help get the Chevy lower to the ground. Next up was the addition of new rotors, calipers and hoses. A fresh set of drop coils allows a 5-1/2-inch total frontend drop. The ’72 was a somewhat mildly equipped truck and already had power steering, so a simple rebuild was all that was needed to get things steering again.
Out back, the original rear was disassembled, rebuilt and reinstalled using Early Classic Enterprises drop coils. After it was all assembled, the frame received a fresh coat of black paint and the engine was remarried to the chassis. No chassis is complete without a set of rolling stock to get things moving, so 16×7 American Racing Torq-Thrust IIs with Goodyear 225/60-series tires are mounted up front, and massive 18×10-inch wheels with 285/60-series tires are mounted out back.
A Bright and Bold Exterior
The body of the ’72 also received a fair amount of attention during the whole rebuild process. The body was completely torn down and straightened. A new core support and right front fender were joined with the front clip. As far as the cab goes, the passenger door was shot and the cab corners needed replacing. Jim and Dusty did all the bodywork. The only parts that the truck’s missing are the mirrors, which are now but a memory. When it came time to shoot the short-wide hauler, PPG Flame Yellow and white were the choices. Dusty sprayed the beautifully bright pickup in original style and then wet sanded and slicked it to a bright shine. After the basecoat dried, pinstriping was laid around the beltline of the cab. Where the factory trim once was, a custom design was hand brushed along the bottom. Next up was the addition of new chrome handles, windshield wipers and marker lights. A set of new chrome bumpers was purchased and bolted to the truck. New glass and rubber were installed to continue the clean look.
An Interior Built for Simplicity and Style
Inside the truck is absolutely clean. There is not a single thing in the interior of this truck that isn’t needed. The stock ’72 Chevy bench seat was in fairly good shape, so Randy Wice & Wayne’s Auto Trim, located in Morristown, Tennessee, recovered the seat in saddle-colored Mustang material. The original instrument bezel was removed, cleaned, repainted and installed back into the truck. The door panels are reproduction originals that have been customized with Mustang fabric for inserts, and new door handles were also added. A Grant steering wheel adds a bit of modernism to the inside, and a Pioneer CD player blasts out the tunes. Original-style carpet covers the floorboards, while new pedals have taken the place of the old units.
A Shared Labor of Love
Jim and Dusty have been taking turns sharing the truck, attending different shows in the area, and they made it to Nashville for the Goodguys show. The ’72 has been a labor of love, and one that turned out looking great. It’s clean and simple, and that’s the name of the game these two are playing. If you ask us, we would say they’ve hit the nail right on the head with this project. What’s even better is that the two are moving on from here, as there is a ’68 stepside presently in the garage that’s receiving the same special attention.