Classic Truck Performance

October officially marks my 30th anniversary in the automotive publishing industry. Reflecting back on the past three decades, it amazes me not only how things have changed dramatically, but it also makes me feel blessed that there’s still a hobby to enjoy—and put food on the table. To put things into perspective for the younger readers, when I started out back in 1993, the word “digital” was not in the magazine business dictionary. (Heck, the Internet wasn’t either!) I photographed everything with a non-metered Canon F1 SLR, wrote everything on an IBM 286 PC, and printed everything on dot matrix paper to be proofread by hand with a red grease pencil. But that was just the article preparation portion of being a magazine editor. The industry itself was an entirely…

1. NEW FOUNDATIONS Schwartz Performance is proud to expand their G-Machine Chassis offerings for classic trucks with the addition of a bolt-in chassis for ’47-54 GM trucks. The G-Machine Chassis is designed to bolt to most of the factory cab/body mounting locations and requires no floor cutting (except to accommodate different transmissions). The 6-inch framerails produce a rigid foundation that delivers a smooth ride with amazing handling to transform any vintage GM truck to a comfortable, stable ride. The updated front suspension includes needle bearing supported A-arms for smooth bind-free movement along with separate caster and camber adjustments. Extra-long adjustable Ridetech coilovers have been positioned at each corner to produce superior ride quality and comfort. The rear suspension is a triangulated four-bar system with bind-free, Teflon-lined spherical rod ends coupled…

Back in 2020, Roadster Shop began the R&D process of developing their Legend Series chassis. Using a ’73 C/K10 as a vehicular guinea pig, they constructed a 2x6 “laser rail” frame using—get this—late-model (’17) Chevy Silverado suspension and brakes, with the ultimate goal of creating—as they put it—their “most complete, full rolling chassis with modern comfort for classic trucks with the durability and serviceability of modern OEM (GM) components.” Well, 20,000-miles later, Roadster Shop worked out all the bugs and figured out the production model basis for the Legend Series line of chassis for the ’73-87 C/K10 and ’69-92 K5/Blazer. Now, by “figured out,” we mean they did their usual Roadster Shop due diligence and then some—not only are all the factory cab/bed mounting points configured, they also custom-designed and…

Project #backpay is the latest truck to go under construction from the guys at AMD. In the last article, we covered the install of the Classic Performance Products (CPP) power steering conversion. It went in with ease and is something you should definitely check out. Here we will be addressing the top end of the steering equation: the steering column. Now, the original steering column wasn’t in bad shape when we started. However, it did need some work. With the cost to rebuild the stock column compared to the cost of the CPP column, plus the added benefits to the new unit, we chose to swap it out. The classic trucks we love are more than transportation. The feeling you get rolling down the street is hard to explain to…

You know that old adage about a glass being half full versus half empty? Well, imagine how it applies to a project vehicle, if you will. When Michael Petramalo and his family originally acquired their ’72 Chevy Suburban, they were under the impression it was, as they put it, a “nearly complete build” (glass half full, as it were). But upon further inspection once it was in their possession, “it didn’t take long for me to come to the realization that our definition of nearly complete was vastly different!” Michael admits. Initially, Michael called upon Jared Hancock from J-Rod & Custom (Black Diamond, Washington) to come out to talk about notching the Suburban’s frame to get the stance a bit more to his liking. Well, that half-full glass reared its…

What a whirlwind weekend we had. Not only was the 2nd Annual Reunion Truck Show an absolute blast Saturday, March 11, in beautiful downtown Chandler, Arizona, but it was kicked off properly by our first-ever preparty at the QuartHaus the previous Friday evening, which, in our humble opinion, was a great success! Unlike last year for the inaugural Reunion where we drove out on Thursday, took our time, and enjoyed as much of the cooler Arizona desert climate as possible, this year we hopped in one of Southwest’s finest for the quick flight from SoCal to Phoenix Friday morning, then jumped into one of Hertz’s finest (no, neither are promotional plugs—it’s sarcasm!), and made the even quicker drive from Sky Harbor to neighboring Chandler to check into the luxurious Crown…