 L&H Rod Shop applied the PPG...  L&H Rod Shop applied the PPG Vivid Red after performing the multitude of body modifications. |
 The interior is ultraplush...  The interior is ultraplush with a center console and a fold-down center armrest. One-piece side windows modernize the truck's look quite a bit. |
 Bob Merchant built a 1974...  Bob Merchant built a 1974 Chevy 400ci for his 1958 Chevy pickup. It uses a Weiand intake manifold, a Carter AFB 600-cfm carburetor, chrome Hooker headers, and more. A stainless steel radiator cover jazzes up the engine compartment. |
 Fifteen-inch Tru-Spoke wheels...  Fifteen-inch Tru-Spoke wheels provide a different touch. Seven-inch wheels are used up front, and 8-inchers are used in the rear. |
 The shaved door handles and...  The shaved door handles and tinted windows give this 1958 pickup a slick look. |
 There are 49 louvers on the...  There are 49 louvers on the tailgate (count them), which were punched by L&H Rod Shop. |
It’s no coincidence that this 1958 Chevy stepside pickup is painted fire-engine red and has smoked window tint--Bob Merchant is a firefighter, and he and his wife, Anna, own the blazing beauty. The Merchants, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, are members of the Central Kentucky Rods & Machines club, and their automotive past includes a 1969 Camaro, a 1976 Pontiac Cutlass, and an 1985 Monte Carlo SS.
The Merchants built the 1958 Chevy over a seven-year period during which they shaved the door handles, removed the vent windows, dechromed the body, frenched the taillights and antenna, louvered the hood and tailgate, and more. Bob added a 1974 Nova clip to the frontend, which provided disc brakes as well as a ride height that’s about 6 inches lower.
The front grille is stock but painted the same PPG Vivid Red as the rest of the truck. Custom Bow Tie parking-light covers are a nice touch for the front end. The bed is finished off with yellow pine and stainless steel inserts. Chromed stock bumpers grace the front and rear.
The interior has an 1988 Dodge Shadow seat and burlap, tweed, and leather door panels with built-in armrests. Scott’s Interior of Louisville, Kentucky, built a custom console and did the rest of the interior work. A 1977 Buick Century tilt steering column was used with a Grant steering wheel.