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Branding Your Shop Truck the Right Way
While shop trucks can technically be defined as any truck used to run parts around town, the classic speed shops of the ‘40s and ‘50s branded their trucks, and like many of us, they customized them, as well. That style has persisted to this day and has become increasingly popular in the truck scene for those looking for a retro, vintage look that’s easy to achieve. (more…)
Adding Some Style With BASF, L&G Enterprises and Stylin’ Trucks
We are wrapping up the custom paint and graphics on Project Greystone over at L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. The crew cab has undergone a subtle two-tone paint scheme with custom graphics laid out and sprayed by Theresa Contreras. We have BASF R-M Onyx HD waterborne materials for everything from the primer to the Lexus Smoky Granite Mica and Greystone Metallic paint to the clearcoat. The VOC-compliant paint system from BASF keeps us out of trouble with the EPA while still maintaining a great finish with all of the benefits of traditional solvent-based systems. After the truck was baked, color sanded and buffed to a perfect shine, the reassembly process began. (more…)
Adding Some Style With BASF, L&G Enterprises and Stylin’ Trucks
We brought our Project Greystone truck, a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic crew cab, to L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California, to begin the paint process using BASF R-M Onyx HD waterborne materials. Our goal is to keep the clean, monochromatic look with a subtle two-tone broken up with highly detailed graphics that bring a few tricks and different textures to the plate. Finishing it all off are a few custom-painted parts and a Street Scene EQ Gen I front bumper cover and RECON Smoked LED taillights supplied by the folks at Stylin’ Trucks. (more…)
Adding Some Style With BASF Automotive Refinish, L&G Enterprises and Stylin’ Trucks
A custom paint job whether mild or wild is one of the most attention-grabbing aspects of a custom truck. The combinations are truly endless using different colors, graphic elements and other tricks. When the time came to apply new paint to our crew cab Silverado project dubbed Project Greystone, we wanted to keep with the theme of creating a custom truck inspired by luxury vehicles. (more…)
Giving your Daily Driver a Full Show Detail With Adam’s Polishes
Detailing your show truck can be a simple task if your truck is kept garaged and driven only to cruise nights and shows. You can simply hit the finish with some quick detailer and a microfiber towel, maybe polish up the wheels every once in a while, and wax it when you feel like it. But what about those of us who drive their custom trucks to work every day, on road trips, and then want to take them to weekend shows? Road grime, rainwater, snow and bird droppings plague the custom finish. Brake dust clouds the wheels, and evidence of daily use is apparent inside the cab. A full show detail is a must. (more…)
Hotchkis Turns Its Suspension Talents to Tuning Street Trucks
The classic Chevy C-10 pickup is fast becoming one of the most popular platforms for street truck enthusiasts, with good reason. They’re cheap, plentiful, easy to lower, and they look sweet when laid out. (more…)
Grant Kustoms Smooth Square Body Roll Pan
One of the most popular full-size trucks to build these days is the 1973-87 Chevy C-10. They look great planted on the ground and rolling on big inch wheels and rubber. However, if you are aiming to build one with a bevy of body modifications, one of the first areas to look at is the back of the truck. These trucks have a bumper relief under the taillight that allows room for the rear bumper to hug the body and wrap around to the bedside. When you remove the bumper and add a roll pan this factory body pocket sticks out like a sore thumb. (more…)
Adding the Bed Wood Touch to a Custom F-150
A wood bed floor can add a great retro, hot rod touch to a late-model truck. Bed Wood & Parts offer wood floor kits for a variety of truck models from to 2011. More than 40 different varieties of woods and finishes are available, everything from domestic wood to exotic species, ash to zebra wood is available. Stainless steel rails connect the wood pieces and utilize hidden fasteners to secure them to your bed floor. The company’s RetroLiner is a new option for late-model trucks. It comes with each piece pre-cut, milled, sanded and ready for staining, varnishing and installation. For our application, a custom ‘05 Ford F-150 being built over at Status in Rockwall, Texas, we opted for Cypress wood, chosen for its slight red hue and subtle grain.
Building a Stronger 20-Bolt GM Rear Differential
Growing up in an automotive environment, I always heard how the GM 12-bolt rear differential was the superior model over the GM 10-bolt model. When I asked why, most of my mentors treated my question as if it were a line from the Spinal Tap. “They have 12 bolts and not 10, so they’re better.” (more…)
Hill’s Hot Rods and JD Glassworks Get Fast Lane’s Smoothed Metal and Slick Interior Ready for Paint
Custom paintwork laid over arrow-straight panels really sets the tone for the first impression your truck makes on the scene. A good combination of custom colors combined with a clean graphic treatment or simple pinstripe color separation can give your truck a bold look that makes it a standout at every show. With custom paintwork the quality of the finished product is only as good as the bodywork underneath. If you want your truck to drop jaws the minute someone’s eye balls wander in its direction, you better be willing to put in the time to make it perfectly straight, or find a professional paint and body shop to do it for you. (more…)
