Everyone has a special buddy who makes his or her life a little more fun. The loss of such a close friend can leave a big hurtful hole in our lives--especially when this friend passes on. We typically treasure the fond memories. And in the case of Luis Ramirez of Fontana, California, the '69 Chevy pickup he has purchased from his friend (pinstriper Michael Lopez of Whittier, CA) was a special possession because it was a pleasant reminder of Michael.
Luis has now owned his truck for 14 years. Over the years it has evolved from a stepside to a Fleetside and changed colors, wheel sizes, and engines. The suspension has been 'bagged and lowered with an adjustable ride-height system. The brake lines are now all stainless steel. A Jaz Products fuel cell was located in the rear of the chassis between the framerails. There's very little about the truck that has not been modified or improved over the past decade. The last rebuild took almost two years, but the shiny black results speak for themselves.
Currently in the engine bay of what was a hoodless hauler, is a Bender's Automotive-built 454ci Chevy big-block. We were impressed enough with the visual details to shoot the truck in the studio without the hood. (And you can also see it well on our cover.) A Holley 670-cfm carburetor resides on a polished Edelbrock manifold that feeds TRW pistons in a bored 0.040-over block. Polished Chevy Motorsports valve covers add to the gleam while Sanderson headers exhale spent gasses. Also polished to a mirror finish is an aluminum radiator from Mattson's Radiator in Stanton, California.
GS Auto Body and Mario's Auto Works prepared the seriously straight cab for black paint after the door handles had been shaved by Mario's. Additionally, all emblems were removed, and the firewall was filled and smoothed. The stock front bumper had its bolts shaved (ouch) and was painted Chroma-base black to match the body.
Matching black upholstery, which was handled by Covina Auto Trim, throughout the cab is black leather stitched by Tony. Stock instruments reside behind a Billet Specialties steering wheel. For familiar cruising tunes or visual entertainment, Luis cranks switches on the Eclipse TV/CD/DVD player.
We met Luis at the Brother's annual gathering in the park (CCT Dec. '04) where the black truck was parked in the shade. We decided the truck was feature-worthy and asked Luis to bring the '69 Chevy to our photo studio. This was somewhat fortuitous because Michael had been like a brother to him, and here was an opportunity to demonstrate how much the former friend's truck meant to him. We also learned how Michael Lopez's cousin, Robert "Bobby" Lopez, has helped Luis build the truck into a constant show winner--a fine tribute to the memory of a treasured friend and relative.