Lemonade

Monica & Ricardo Lopez's '55 Chevy Stepside

By D. Brian Smith

Photography by D. Brian Smith, Rich Boyd

Our offspring are supposed to outlive us. We want them to be more prosperous, smarter, kinder, and more generous. We protect them, comfort them, and teach them to be courageous and honest. If we're lucky, they worship the ground we walk on, even when they get to be teenagers and become smarter than us.

Monica and Ricardo Lopez of Norwalk, California, have four kids--three adorable daughters and, sadly, a son Ricky who's already in Heaven. Halfway through building a father/son '55 Chevy Stepside, Ricky passed away, and for a long time, Ricardo wanted to sell the half-done 1/2-ton. He didn't have the heart to continue with the project. His business, Custom by Lopez, in Compton, California, also suffered. Ricardo could hardly force himself out of bed in the morning, let alone work on someone's hobby vehicle, or his own vintage truck. With love and support from family and friends, he came to realize that completing the Chevy would be a way to honor his son, finishing it in his memory.

Construction commenced with the customization of the Chevy's chassis. Father and son had boxed the original '55 framerails and replaced the stock front suspension with a '79 Camaro IFS unit. KYB gas shocks and Air Ride Technologies airbags gave cushion and ride-height adjustability to the front, as it did for the four- link-located '81 Camaro differential in the rear. After installing a 20-gallon aluminum fuel tank behind the third member, the duo plumbed the fuel and brake lines.

Friends Felix and Tomas helped Ricardo rebuild a 350ci Chevy small-block backed by a renewed TH350. Since Ricardo wanted a solid street-performing Chevy, the buddies built the Bow Tie mill for reliable performance. They added aluminum valve covers, an aluminum intake, and a Holley 650-cfm four-barrel carb to ensure the correct measure of fuel and air made effective combustibility.In the middle of the immense bodywork, Ricardo felt like blowing out the rusty exterior panels and cab and replacing them with another Chevy's sheetmetal. Somehow he persevered. He performed quality, professional bodywork to the fenders, hood, and roll pan, before crafting the bed and bed floor out of aluminum. For covering the pickup, Ricardo selected the hue he has applied to all of his personal creations: Smooth Yellow.

In addition to his custom-crafted center console, Ricardo smoothed and painted the dash the same color as the Chevy's exterior. Tomas Armendariz wired the truck with a Painless Performance Products wiring harness. Before handing the hauler over to the auto trimmers, Ricardo found a set of '96 Infiniti G30 power seats. Orange Auto Upholstery in Orange, California, upholstered the seats in tan leather and vinyl. Tomas and Ricardo completed the cabin and the truck by adding a Sony CD/stereo/DVD/TV system, which included four 6x9-inch speakers, two 12-inch woofers, and two amps.

The day we took some outside photos of the Lopez pickup, Ricardo's daughters offered us some lemonade to quench our thirst on the hot August afternoon. We never get over losing loved ones. But we can honor, remember, and cherish them for the rest of our lives, until we join them in the hereafter. Sometimes life is all about turning tragedy into triumph.