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    THE AUTO BUILDER
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    AN UNUSUAL UPGRADE

    Tom Lawson was attending the Goodguys West Coast Nationals with his family and friends when a friend of his father-in-law, Bill, also a street rodder, walked up and started talking to everyone in the group.

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    Necessity Breeds Inspiration

    The ididit steering column in the 38 Chevy presented a conundrum for the SRRC crew. Its intended path straight through the engine compartment was blocked by the mighty LS1 lurking beneath. Instead of compromising on engine placement or aesthetics, the team got crafty. Inspired by modern car designs, they opted to dramatically shorten the column and snake it around the engine, hugging the underside of the custom aluminum dash. This not only cleared the heads but also resulted in a sleek and streamlined look that complemented the truck’s overall transformation. This excerpt highlights the resourcefulness and ingenuity involved in custom car builds, showcasing how unconventional solutions can lead to stunning results.

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    POPULAR READS

    THE RIGHT WAY

    A Young Installer Does a Painstaking Install to Show Us How to Upgrade With a SS Speed Grille

    Author

    Picture of Marshall Spiegel

    Marshall Spiegel

    Story & Photography

    The white ’04 Tundra, a well-converted, slightly lifted street truck, showed up in the driveway of installer Eric Leopold, owner of Diamond Star Racing in Atascadero, California. The customer had purchased a Street Scene (SS) Speed Grille and brought it to Eric to be installed. 

    Eric read the SS “screws-and-clips” installation instructions, and the job appeared to him to be the proverbial piece of cake. Then he got to the part that says, “If your grille has a chrome inlay on it, we highly recommend masking off and painting it black.” It didn’t say anything about white trucks with white stock grille appointments.

    There’s a right way and a wrong way to perform any installation, and installer Leopold demonstrated how to do it the “rightest” way possible. The accompanying photos show the highlights of his approach.

    Installer Eric Leopold, owner of Diamond Star Racing in Atascadero, California, unpacked the Street Scene (SS) Speed Grille slated for installation on this white ’04 Tundra.
    Eric test fit the bumper insert of the billet Speed Grille into the bumper opening.
    He then test fit the main grille insert over the stock grille and determined that the white stock grille was much too visible through the Speed Grille and must be painted black.
    The four-barrel carb has served the truck well, but the future is electronic.
    He then sprayed the stock grille with several coats of black.
    When the stock grille was thoroughly dry he reinstalled it (with the main Speed Grille insert in place over it) into the stock grille shell.
    With a combination of two-sided tape and cement, he secured the Toyota emblem in place.
    After securing the main Speed Grille insert into the stock grille shell with six clips across the top and six screws across the bottom (per the instructions), Leopold removed the masking tape from the grille shell.
    Leopold can’t resist a good look at his handiwork—a Speed Grille in place over a blackened and barely visible stock grille.
    With the main insert of the Speed Grille clipped in place over the blackened stock grille, Leopold installed the new grille assembly into the hood.
    He then reconnected the secondary hood release.
    Before continuing, Leopold took a moment to double-check the main insert installation.
    The lower Speed Grille insert was positioned.
    The lower insert was clipped permanently in place.
    This flawless installation is a credit to Leopold’s attention to detail.

    ARTICLE SOURCES

    Picture of Street Scene Equipment

    Street Scene Equipment

    365 McCormick Ave.
    Costa Mesa, CA 90262

    714/426-0590

    Diamond Star Racing

    5005 Traffic Way
    Units A & B
    Atascadero, CA 93422

    805/275-2360

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