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Street Trucks

STEALTH OPULENCE

Building a cool new truck to show off at SEMA is nothing new for Jim Lewis and his team at ProMotorsports in Edmond, Oklahoma, as that’s what they do. This stunning new ’07 Cadillac Escalade EXT is their most recent creation. Like so many other enthusiasts, Lewis used the latest generation Escalade because it was an immediate hit, especially among the urban lifestyle crowd, so team ProMotorsports thought one would make a great representative demo vehicle for their shop. Billy Lewis came up with the flat black concept, with tons of chrome and polished metal to contrast the flatness of the finish. While the paint may be the first item that attracts you to this truck, the crew at ProMotorsports actually started the build underneath it all by increasing the performance of the Escalade.

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A FAMILY AFFAIR

In the summer of 1977, a young couple expecting a son decided to purchase a new family vehicle, one that would provide ample room, safety and the ability to handle their love of camping and the outdoors. After deciding on a Chevrolet, the couple headed out and purchased a new ’78 two-wheel-drive Blazer from a dealer in Knoxville, Tennessee. Optioned out nicely for the time, the Blazer was equipped with A/C, a 400-inch small block, an automatic transmission, power disc brakes and a factory tach-equipped instrument cluster.
After driving the Blazer for several years, the couple decided to present it to their son, Travis Griffin, as a 16th birthday present. He drove the Blazer to and from high school, and then was given the opportunity to have the Blazer painted for graduation.

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SPECTACULAR SUVS

Since the start of the modern automotive era, shortly following WWII, the SUV has been used for mass transportation, taking people to and from their desired destinations. This began with the early depot hacks, and that has turned into a massive SUV marketplace, complete with blinged-out Tahoes, Suburbans, Explorers and all manner of crossover vehicles made to look more truck-like, and offering two and three-row seating. These larger-than-life automobiles and trucks have made as much of an impact on the truck-buying public as the pickup.

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The Trucks Of ’57 Heaven

We heard of the Glenn Patch Collection a couple of years ago from a friend who had visited Patch’s warehouse in Scottsdale, Arizona. We were told of the quality of the restorations, as well as the variety of different cars, but the thing that intrigued us most was the fact that the entire collection consisted of cars and trucks manufactured in 1957.

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A Long Time Coming

How many times have you heard the following: I sold my first truck for $1,000 and wish I had never gotten rid of it. If you have, then you understand the mental grief generally associated with selling your first truck. What can make matters worse is to find out the new owner wrecked it, sold it or that it was eventually parted out or scraped. Perhaps you have succumbed to one of these unfortunate circumstances, leaving you to long for that first ride. Longtime classic truck enthusiast Eddie Rudd of Knoxville, Tennessee, knows that empty feeling, as Rudd drove a not-so-flashy 66 Chevy 1/2-ton to and from work during his teens, and even into his 20s, it served as his daily driver. Times changed, Rudd became a father and soon learned the uncomfortable truth that the truck no longer allowed the entire family to ride comfortably. Rudd knew the truck had to go, so in March of 1982, he sold it to a friend.

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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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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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A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

After purchasing this ’02 Silverado, the owner was looking to gain some additional horsepower and torque through a few small bolt-on performance parts. While the truck is still under warranty, there is a large variety of performance parts that not only meet certain warranty requirements, but also do not cause any problems at the dealership. After looking at all the available options for this Silverado, it was decided that the first modification to the engine was going to be the addition of a new AEM Brute Force air intake. AEM offers a vast array of dyno-proven intakes for specific applications, including trucks such as this Silverado.

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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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hired gun

Shops such as Barry’s Speed Shop can take a brand-new, stock vehicle and turn it into a rolling showcase, and do it in a short amount of time. Many of our readers are familiar with Barry White’s “Wrecks to Riches” TV show, as well as the many technical stories we have presented on the work he has done. So when the owners of a company contact White they know they’ll get a vehicle that will attract attention, and it will be built by a shop that makes building outstanding custom vehicles its only business (well, that and being TV stars).

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