RS No More
In high school, Brad Wise, of Blue Springs, Missouri, drove a '69 Camaro RS. Since the day he sold it, he had always dreamed that one day he would step up and get a '69 Camaro RS/SS. When the time came, he got it. However, it was a ways off from perfect, and when he began researching the price of parts to restore it, he decided to sell the Camaro altogether. He figured the next best ride would be a '71 Chevy truck, therefore he set his sight. He picked up a clean, bone-stock '71 Chevy at a Goodguys show. The only modification was the blown small-block under the hood. Being that the truck was solid all around, and Brad had some extra coin from the Camaro sell to burn through, he decided to add his own touch to the '71. First up, the truck was dropped five inches up front and six out back. Being that the American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels-18x8 up front and 20x10 in the rear-that Brad had ordered were on a four-month back order, he decided to keep going. Next, the bench seat was tossed for a set of houndstooth buckets. Brad also threw on a bed cover, ceramic-coated headers and a Flowmaster exhaust system. Although Brad may not have wanted a truck in the beginning, he couldn't be happier that he's crossed over.
It Hasta Be Shasta
When Craig and Janice Gunderson, of Mount Shasta, California, bought a fixer-upper house they needed a Home Depot hauler. They happened to run across this '47 GMC for $800 and figured they couldn't go wrong. They towed the truck home and rewired it; the previous owner used Romex to wire the taillight! Once running, they headed to the dump, and that maiden voyage became the first and last for the '47, because it was flat out unsafe to drive. But since the Gunderson's figured they had bought a fixer-upper house, what more is a fixer-upper truck project, therefore they spent the next seven years restoring the GMC. During the build they installed a Fatman Mustang II frontend with Speedway 11-inch disc brakes. Out back an RB's Obsolete suspension kit with a Ford 8-inch rearend was installed as well. Opting for some more horsepower, a 350 with a Comp Cams power pack and Edelbrock manifold and carburetor was thrown in the GMC. Atop the 350 are Mooneyes valve covers and a Mooneyes air cleaner. The truck was painted with PPG Straight White. Then metallic gray flames were laid down, and a set of American Racing wheels were tossed in the mix. As for the interior, Janice stitched up the Datsun seats herself. Now that the '47 is finished, the truck is back to what they originally purchased it for, driving anywhere and everywhere.
Stuck On Stovebolts
Three years ago this '52 Chevy was purchased from Arkansas and shipped to Carl Narehood's house in Karthaus, Pennsylvania. Upon receiving the truck Carl immediately tore it down to the bare frame. From there the truck was pieced back together from the ground up. The dipper-rod 216-inch Stovebolt motor was scrapped and a full-pressure '59 235-inch stovebolt was dropped in. Behind the 235 rests a three-speed tranny. As for the rest of the truck Carl left it pretty stock. However, seeing that he planned to drive the heck out of the Chevy he installed a Custom Auto Sound stereo in the truck for some highway entertainment. Come summertime you can bet Carl spends as much time as possible behind the wheel of the Chevy.
Editor's Note: Getting your truck into Readers' Trucks is a snap, of the camera, that is. All it takes is a stack of good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs. Send photos of your truck (no Polaroids or printouts) to: CCT, Readers' Trucks, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. It is important that you include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it.