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Interior

DASHING F100

In past stories we have shown you how to shave door handles, install custom outside door handles, round door corners, build suicide doors, add bear claw latches and so on. Now we’re going to offer you a personal favorite custom touch—installing a dash from a ’59-’60 Chevrolet Impala into a ’56 Ford F-100.

SMOKIN’

Allen Cornelius wanted to make a statement that his shop, AC Customs in Shreve, Ohio, could blend old-school Ford muscle-car performance with a new style truck, giving it the performance and looks to match.

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kickin’ it

Over the past 20 years custom truck interiors have taken on many forms, and like so much of the world today, prices and costs for these outlandish interiors have reached new heights in every way. Molded, flowing consoles, leather and killer stereos have taken front row in the world of custom interiors, and gone are the old, plain, painted panels. Going to the local upholstery shop can mean some serious change in today’s market, as the price of materials and the cost of labor have risen dramatically. But leave it to truck guys to study the art of interiors to help contain the cost of a new look, making effective use of options throughout the build of a classic or a more modern truck. While checking out some pictures on the Internet, we happened upon this at-home molded kick panel build that cost under $50!

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PHAT ’53

Join Jeff Schwierman in his quest for the prestigious F-100 Truck of the Year award as he breathes new life into a ’53 Ford F-100. From the ground-up build on a Fat Man Fabrications chassis to the powerful Ford Racing 351W engine, every detail of this custom pickup is crafted to perfection. Follow along as Schwierman and his team reshape the classic truck into a true showstopper, setting new standards for classic Ford truck enthusiasts.

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SNAKE-BITTEN

Discover how Tim McKenna enhances his Dodge Ram SRT-10 with upgrades ranging from a powerful sound system to customizations by West Coast Customs. With its Viper V-10 engine and distinctive appearance, McKenna’s truck stands out as a unique and formidable powerhouse on the road, showcasing the perfect blend of performance and style.

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Homebuilt Hauler With An Attitude

It often takes a serious challenge to test a person’s capabilities. After years of driving a string of performance cars, Terry Short wanted something different sitting in his North Tonawanda, New York, garage. So, he set out and found this ’55 Chevy big-window pickup in an apple orchard. He just knew he had met his challenge.

Terry Short’s ’55 Chevy pickup has a just-right rake, a monochromatic finish on a super-smooth body and a potent big-block Chevy. All these elements combine to make this Hot Rod Red truck a perfect cruising machine. Short’s goal was to build a truck that if you couldn’t see it, then you could certainly hear it coming. Though the roof went unchopped, the remainder of the body was extensively reworked and is devoid of chrome accessories.

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MOLDED MONITORS

Installing A Covans Classic Molded Gauge Package: Covans Classic, located in Cumming, Georgia, offers a full line of ABS molded dash panels and glovebox doors for classic cars and trucks. The fully molded dashes are designed to be factory replacements, giving a smooth, custom look while accepting common 3-3/8-inch speedometer and tach and 2-1/16-inch oil pressure, water temp, fuel level and volt gauges. The instrument panels feature high-quality molding and are available with or without holes. They can be purchased in brushed aluminum, black, burl wood and carbon fiber. The panels can also be painted to match the interior.

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WHAAZZZZ UP

Adding power windows has long been a popular aftermarket option for restyled pickups, as much for practical reasons as for comfort convenience. Worn-out window regulators will give people fits, and replacement parts have become increasingly harder to find, not to mention the lack of availability or the cost of retro units. So, if the vehicle is to have smooth, trouble-free window operation, it’s often easier and cheaper to replace the old regulators with new electric ones.

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FUELING THE FIRE

Bully Dog Technologies, located in Aberdeen, Idaho, designs and develops some great bolt-on power products for the diesel aftermarket. Creating these pieces involves literally hundreds of hours in R&D and design work with some of the brightest engineers and technicians around. But, as you can imagine, it’s fun work.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT:
Hushmat® Wave Breaker

The HushMat Wave Breaker sound deflecting pads are designed to eliminate the back wave created from your car’s speakers. Speakers create sound by simply moving air at specific frequencies. You are able to see speakers move the air when you see the mid-range cone of your speaker move when it is playing music. As the speaker creates sound going toward you, it also creates sound going backwards. This sound travels backwards and then typically bounces off the surface behind the speaker. When the waves hit that surface they then bounce back going toward to front of the speaker and you the listener. When the back wave bounces off the hard surface, it does not stay the same, but rather inverts.

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