The saga of Steve Kelban of Parkville, Maryland, and his '48 Chevy started when a friend allowed him to use his barn and Steve began removing everything he didn't want on the truck.
Steve spent two years completing the rolling chassis because he had to teach himself about mechanics and welding. He cleaned up and boxed the original chassis, adding a Heidt's Mustang II front suspension with 2-inch drop spindles and power rack-and-pinion steering. QA1 Pro-System coils and GM 11-inch disc brakes completed the frontend modifications. The work added up to a 6-inch drop for the front of the truck from its former stance.
Out back, a disc brake-equipped Ford 9-inch rearend with 3.55 gears was suspended on GM springs. Cragar Series 61 wheels, 15x6 in front and 15x10 in back, were mounted on the chassis after being fitted with a set of Dayton rubber. Tire sizes are P205/60R15 fore and P295/50R15 aft.
Steve contacted Morris Engines in Morrisville, North Carolina, for the engine build. A '69 350 Chevy small-block was bored 0.030 over, and then balanced and blueprinted. Engine modifications include an Edelbrock RPM cam, Manley valves and Edelbrock lifters, GM double-hump heads, and 10:1 pistons. An Edelbrock Thunder Series 650 carburetor was mounted on an Edelbrock Performer intake for adequate breathing, and the ignition consists of a Mallory distributor and Taylor wires.
Steve used his newly acquired welding skills to make the exhaust system using Hooker block-hugger headers and Flowmaster mufflers. For trouble-free cruising, a Tuff Stuff water pump pushes coolant through a Griffin aluminum radiator.
Zoops pulleys and a dazzling assortment of engine bling from Billet Specialties topped off the engine phase of the project. A TCI TH400 Street Fighter transmission with a TCI 2,400 stall-speed converter was connected to the Ford rear by a custom-made driveshaft.
Having the engine work farmed out allowed Steve to devote his attention to the body, and although it was in pretty straight condition he had quite a few ideas in mind for custom bodywork. He ordered a new firewall, floor section, and toeboards from Bitchin' Products.
During the early part of the build Steve struck up a friendship with Jay Henry of Unc's Garage in Brooklawn, New Jersey. Steve told Jay he wanted the truck to be one of a kind and to look like it was built in the '50s, with body modifications that had not been done on trucks. Jay began by removing the dashboard and building a replacement, along with a console, from scratch. On the exterior he made subtle changes, adding body lines, frenching details, and adding flares to enhance the appearance.
The cab was chopped 2 1/2 inches, the bedsides were raised 3 inches, the top of the bedrails were flattened and the inside of the box was smoothed. Then the bed stake pockets were lengthened, smoothed, and then contoured to the running board splash pans.
Rear wheeltubs were constructed with additional pieces from a pair of identical fenders, and then cut and split to mirror the exterior fender lines. A rolled rear pan with frenched license plate was added, the two-piece hood was welded together and shaved, and the center tip of the hood was peaked, tapering from front to back, with the same body line continuing over the cab above the windshield.
Shark-gill scoops were installed on each side of the hood and flared out along the edges. Driprails on the cab were shaved and the rear window was frenched in with the opening flared around the edge.
Two '59 Cadillac taillights were stacked horizontally and frenched in each rear fender with a flared body line wrapping the opening and extended forward 9 inches. The headlights were done "Harley Earl style," Steve said, to resemble a '56 Chevy by extending the sheetmetal over the headlight with 3/8-inch steel rod used around the forward edge to create a small eyebrow and tapered toward the wheelwell.
Parking lights from a '56 Chevy pickup were centered and frenched below the headlights. Door handles were shaved, side window wings were removed, as was the protruding gas filler. The front bumper was cast aside in favor of one made from a '68 Camaro that was flipped upside down, cut in half, and shaped to the contours of the fenders and curvature of the grille.
Work had progressed for a year when Jay was diagnosed with cancer and passed away shortly after. Steve then found Gary Pozoulakis, owner of Auto Specialties in Rosedale, Maryland, who agreed to help Steve complete the scratch-built running boards and tailgate, sand the body, and spray on the PPG Torrid Teal finish over some gold pearl ghost flames, topping everything with several clear coats.
Steve called upon Pat's Upholstery in Essex, Maryland, to work their magic on the interior. Glacier White vinyl was used to cover Honda bucket seats and door panels with matching tuck 'n' roll inserts. Teal nylon carpeting was used on the floor. A LeCarra wheel tops the ididit steering column. Billet Specialties pedals replace the Chevrolet pieces, and Auto Meter instruments were mounted in the dashboard. A Vintage Air system provides plenty of comfort, while a Pioneer system serves up the tunes. A Lokar shifter and American Autowire kit rounded out the interior portion of the build.
After 9 long years it was time to get the truck on the road. Steve enlisted help from Larry Wooten at Wooten's Automotive to help him with his final punch list of things to do before the key could be turned in the ignition. Larry corrected mistakes made by Steve, checked all the mechanical work, and helped with the wiring. The truck was nicknamed Teal Bird, and that's how this long story ends.