For the most part, people don't restore or customize old trucks just because they can't afford to buy a new one. The truth of the matter is it's a lot easier to go to your local dealership, sign on the dotted line, and drive away in a brand-new truck. So what is it that possesses someone to spend more years building an old truck than it takes to pay a new one off, likely spending a lot more money in the process? Beyond individual expression, it's often the memories.
For Eddie Drayden of Lemoore, California, resurrecting the '55 Chevy shortbed Stepside featured on these pages was about a lot more than building a truck just like the one in his youth-this is the truck. Eddie's grandfather John Dale Corbin bought his Chevrolet 1/2-ton brand new right off the showroom floor in Homer, Louisiana. To help make the payments on his new pickup, John's buddies kicked in a few extra bucks to ride back and forth from work with him each day. In '59 Eddie's grandpa and grandma packed up everything they owned into the '55's bed and moved to Southern California. From the time Eddie was a little kid up until his teen years he and his grandpa would pile into the '55 and make the rounds. Eddie's grandfather drove his trusty '55 Chevy right up until his dying day in '82, when he came home from work, sat in his favorite chair, and died from a massive heart attack.
Eddie's family pulled John's '55 Chevy pickup, which he called Old Betsey, into the backyard and let her sit idle for almost 20 years. During this period young Eddie grew up to be quite the hellraiser and for the longest time showed no promise of changing. By the time Eddie had turned his life around and his grandmother had given him the '55 as a reward for his efforts, the '55 had almost completely rusted away. It didn't matter to Eddie and his wife Maria-they had set their sights on saving his grandfather's pride and joy. With a "Come on Old Betsey" just like his grandfather used to say, Eddie kicked the floor starter down and the 235-inch Chevy Stovebolt-6 roared to life in a cloud of gray smoke.
From South Central L.A. to Central California, the '55 Chevy chugged north to meet its new life. In search of the right guy to rebuild the '55 from the ground up, Eddie contacted Hector Marroquin at Hector's Custom Classics in Hanford, California.
When Hector inspected the '55 to estimate the work involved, he told Eddie, "By all rights this truck should be sent to the crusher." Eddie agreed, but when he explained his pickup's history to Hector, the two ended up discussing what needed to be done next. It was a tall order-everything from the hinge pockets to the cab corners was in major need of restoration. Since Hector is one of those guys who pride themselves in doing the best job possible, Eddie's '55 ended up with a lot of custom fabrication that oftentimes not even money can buy. Hector is an amazing guy; he's pretty much a one-man show. To handle the unwieldy stuff he has two different forklifts to load heavy parts onto custom-built jigs and rotisseries. Not one to entrust the work to others if possible, Hector sandblasted all the '55's parts, including the frame and cab, at his shop. After everything was blasted down to the bare metal, Hector sprayed on a liberal coating of Valspar DTM (Direct To Metal) 2000 epoxy primer.
With the bodywork well under way, setting the Chevy pickup's stance was next in line. Eddie wanted his '55 to sit as low as possible without sacrificing ride quality. As with almost all the custom aftermarket parts sourced for Eddie's '55, Hector looked to RB's in Glendale, Arizona, for the new front clip from Serious Hardware. This setup dropped the frontend 5 inches without altering suspension travel and facilitated the installation of late-model GM 11-inch disc brakes and power steering. Lowering the pickup's rearend was as easy as the front using a Serious Hardware bolt-in rear suspension kit from RB's.
Another good feature of the RB front clip surfaced when Eddie chose the powerplant to replace the '55's original 235-inch six-banger. To drop in a 454-inch big-block coupled to a Turbo 400 automatic tranny, all he had to do was locate the pre-drilled holes for a rat motor and ignore the small-block holes. To handle cooling the larger motor and beefed tranny, Hector installed a heavy-duty radiator and transmission cooler from RB's.
After four years of intense work on Eddie's '55, Hector sent the pickup out for upholstery. The truck was loaded onto a flatbed and hauled up to Eduardo's Upholstery in Fresno, California, for a complete custom leather interior. While the '55 was in Fresno, Eddie decided he wanted a kickass sound system. By kickass Eddie meant crystal clear sound with a lot of bottom. Behind the seat in place of the original gas tank sits an enclosure packed with four 10-inch Planet Audio subwoofers and four Pioneer two-way mids and highs. Chris and his crew at Dynamite Car Audio also installed a Clarion head unit complete with a DVD player featuring a flip-up screen.
It's been a long hard road for Eddie and his grandfather's '55 Chevy pickup. Thanks to Eddie's wife Maria, Grandma Corbin, and, of course, Hector's Custom Classics, traveling the highway ahead for the pair will be a lot smoother. CCT
 |  Eddie and Old Betsey ready...  Eddie and Old Betsey ready to roll. |  |
 |  Thanks to Hanford Machine...  Thanks to Hanford Machine and Hector Marroquin, the 454-inch Chevy engine purrs. For induction an Edelbrock carburetor and intake manifold bridge the gap between a set of Sanderson headers. The flamed valve covers and air cleaner are from Big B Auto in Murrieta, California. |  Eduardo's Upholstery stitched...  Eduardo's Upholstery stitched the leather interior. A flamed billet steering wheel from Colorado Custom sits in front of A/C vents that blast ice-cold air from a Gen II Compact by Vintage Air. |
 Hector ordered the direct...  Hector ordered the direct bolt-in specialty power windows from RB's. |  |  A 20-gallon stainless steel...  A 20-gallon stainless steel gas tank from RB's lies beneath a Mar-K bed floor. The gas filler is flush-mounted in the left bedside. |
 The flamed Colorado Custom...  The flamed Colorado Custom 17-inch billet wheels are shod with Yokohama tires. |  Frenched Corvette taillights...  Frenched Corvette taillights bring up the rear. The tailgate releases with a pushbutton mounted on the left side. | |