1972 Chevy 4x4 - Never Say Never

We get excited when we see a well-constructed custom vintage truck. Our first thought is, "Would CCT's customers enjoy reading, seeing, and learning more about this pickup?" If the answer to that question is yes, it's time for us to start asking the current caretaker some questions.

Sometimes we see a pickup that may not jive with CCT's core readership, but we can't resist photographing it. Such was the case with Mary Jane and Tommie Glynn's '72 Chevy 4x4. The Glynn's Chevy is an exceptional 4x4, and therefore the exception to the rule of not featuring 4x4 custom classic trucks.

Tommie purchased the pickup in 1997. He drove it for a few years before cutting out all the cancerous sheetmetal panels and cab corners and welding in new metal, all before painting the truck.

Last year, Tommie set out to build a one-of-a-kind truck. He took the C10 apart and modified the front of the frame to accept front shock mounts for a Dana 60 frontend transfer case. With Superlift front shocks and springs, Tommie installed the '82 Dodge Dana 60 and added a dual steering stabilizer. An '80 GM 14-bolt Posi with a 4.10:1 final drive ratio replaced the original differential. Superlift shocks were also used for the rear.

When the time came to provide prodigious power for the 4x4, Tommie was the perfect person for the job. He's a mobile mechanic. Tommie bored the '80 Chevy 454ci cylinders 0.030-over, before stuffing the holes with flat-top 10:1 compression pistons. A COMP Cams solid lifter camshaft and double-roller-timing chain were two more components to the performance-oriented engine build. Tommie backed the big-block with a heavy-duty clutch and a '72 GM four-speed manual trans.

This time around for the 1/2-ton's exterior, the talented crew of C&N Auto Body in Nipomo, California, performed extensive metal surgery. C&N's owner, Nacho Cepeda, removed the panels, bed, and cab; sandblasted the lot; cut out some more rust; and brought the metal back to better than new. Colleague Ramon Garcia painted the exterior a stunning DuPont Blazing Copper. Once the paint had cured, Nacho put the panels and cab back on the frame and installed the Bruce Horkey oak and polished stainless stringer bed floor kit. He also replaced the greenhouse with all-new tinted glass.

Before Tommie could bring the bigger-than-life Bow Tie to the upholstery shop, he utilized the stock wiring harness to wire it. Pete's Upholstery in Santa Maria, California, trimmed the '95 Ford F-250 seat in maroon crushed velvet and black Naugahyde. Considering the 4x4 may see some off-road action, the original seat belts were replaced with three-point retractable shoulder belts for safety sake.

Thanks to the owner's diligence and the craftsmen's professionalism, the Blazing Copper truck took one short year to build. If you craft a vintage pickup that's one of a kind, you're apt to catch the attention of the CCT staff, even if it towers over all the other sweet haulers that are featured in the magazine. In other words, never say never.