Growing up, there's always one phrase-well, it's really more like a mother's natural reaction-we always hear, "If so and so jumped off a bridge, does that mean you would?" And the funny thing is, before that clich even ends you're ready to make a quick and witty comeback that goes something along the lines of, "I dunno...maybe...it just depends on how high the bridge is and what's below!" It's a never-ending battle, and more times than not the story stays the same as we get older, but the chapters develop a little differently.
As Michael Hernandez got older, he noticed his friends were all building old cars and trucks, and he eventually realized he needed to get himself a project. Actually, he didn't need to get himself a project, he just needed to get started on the one he already had. Ten years ago Michael picked up this '84 Chevy. The truck was sitting with a for sale sign in an old man's yard right around the corner from his house, and as luck would have it Michael was in the market for some transportation. The work truck was bone-stock with a straight six, no power brakes, no power steering, basically no nothing, but it could get him from point A to point B. All that equated to SOLD! As the years passed, so did the Chevy's day-to-day driving, and that's when Michael saw the potential to turn the '84 into something totally rad.
 Nuttin' fancy, but the 454...  Nuttin' fancy, but the 454 with an Edelbrock intake and carburetor is more than capable of lighting up a fat burn on the streets of Texas. |  A little different from its...  A little different from its days of haulin' wood and other odds and ends, now the cab is equipped with Auto Meter gauges, an NRC steering wheel, and enough bling to make sure passengers have their Ray Bans on at all times! |  Dig the retro-lookin' graphics....  Dig the retro-lookin' graphics. You might see them posted on the side of a late-'50's/early-'60's Chevy. |
When Michael began laying out some blueprints, his number one requirement was to do as much of it himself in his backyard as possible, no questions about it. The stuff beyond his automotive realm could be shopped out, but the core of the truck had to be Backyard Rigging, his "shop." With a plan of action and some friends, the build was on. The first thing to go was the exciting and vigorous inline-six. Building a new motor was one of the tasks that was beyond his limits and could be shopped out. Michael enlisted the help of Custom Performance and Engine in Woodlands, Texas, to build him a 454. He wasn't looking for anything off the Richter scale, but something that would sound mean and be able to get up and out of its own way was a must. Custom Performance and Engine built him a 454 up to Michael's specs using a Summit cam with a 540 lift, Edelbrock intake manifold and carburetor, MSD ignition, and more. On the engine, Michael runs a Flowmaster exhaust system to keep bystanders on their toes. He also brought the work truck into the modern age by installing power brakes.