Trucks
For the last ten years or so, SUVs have been the buzz in the world of new cars, soccer Moms, and the general motoring public. As a matter of fact, this trend is so strong that automakers from Kia to Porsche have offered myriad variations on the theme, to the point where most of us can’t even begin to name them all. With names ranging from half of a state name to words that don’t mean much of anything (Dakota, Cayenne, Rainier and on and on) the onslaught of SUVs seems to show no sign of slowing down.
Custom trucks have bulldozed their way into the hot rod world, turning what were once old workhorses from the ’30s through the ’90s into show-stopping, tire-shredding machines. These trucks aren’t just about hauling gear anymore—they’re packing serious muscle under the hood, killer suspension setups, and sleek designs that demand attention at events like the Triple Crown of Rodding.
This 1994 Chevy ½ Ton isn’t just another slammed truck built to win trophies—it’s got a job to do, and it’s built to do it right. Originally started over a decade ago as a hauler for café racers, this single cab, short bed rig morphed into a legit Pro Touring machine. But here’s the twist: the builder didn’t want anything flashy. This truck’s about subtlety, where the real magic reveals itself the closer you get. Every panel, every mod, it’s all dialed in so nothing steals the show—but together, it’s something you won’t forget.
The story of Terry Beaty’s ’50 Ford F-1 is no whopper of a fishing tale—this is the one that did not get away, a pickup that has been in possession of the Beaty family since the truck was nearly new.
The 2024 Triple Crown of Rodding at Nashville Superspeedway brought the heat, and while the Elite 10 took home the big glory, don’t sleep on the rest of the Top 30 winners. These rides didn’t snag the top spots, but they’re anything but second-rate. This show is a heavyweight showdown, and these builds were ready to rumble.
Taking home a win at the Triple Crown of Rodding? That’s a big deal. This event isn’t your run-of-the-mill car show—it’s where the best of the best go head-to-head, and the judging is no joke. You’ve got to bring something truly exceptional, both in design and craftsmanship, to even get a nod here.
Overland Expo Mountain West 2024 just wrapped up, and if you weren’t there, you missed out on one heck of a great weekend. Held from August 23-25 in Loveland, Colorado, this event was the ultimate gathering for anyone who lives and breathes off-road adventure. We’re talking thousands of overlanding die-hards, hundreds of exhibitors, and more gear than you could shake a winch at.
This purple-flamed ’71 El Camino is but one of a number of outstanding street rods and street machines residing in movie executive Jim Brubaker’s impressive muscle car collection in Universal City, California. And believe us, it is really nice!
The C10 series of Chevy pickups is generally accepted as being the best-looking early pickups from the land of Bow Ties. But the one problem is that the factory fit them with roughly the same ride height as a 4×4. We suppose the guys who bought and used these trucks as trucks liked them that way, but the rest of us prefer them down in front. Having read nothing but truck magazines all your adult life, you know that there are many ways to lower a truck, from melting the springs with a torch all the way to installing forged aluminum IFS A-arms. We’ve read a couple of magazines ourselves and can tell you the safest, most affordable and simplest way.
Long before the automotive world was familiar with the name Chip Foose, he had already honed his skills working with his father, custom car builder Sam Foose, at Sam’s Goleta, California, shop since he was a mere seven years old. Armed with this hands-on knowledge of the mechanics of hot rods, Chip enrolled at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
