Sunday, March 21, 2010 - B&M and Hurst is excited to announce their 3rd annual car show, held every year at the factory in Chatsworth, CA. This year’s event will kick of the car show season early with the show being held Sunday, March 21, 2010. Over 55 trophies will be given away. There will also be a special car club raffle consisting of a large box of product and other cool prizes - for your club to be eligible just bring 10 or more member cars. All original Hurst cars are invited to join for free and they’ll even throw in a t-shirt! All muscle cars, trucks, street rods, rat rods and classic cars are invited to join. Pre-registration is $25 (includes a show t-shirt) and $30 (includes a show t-shirt) for anyone that wants to register the day of the show. Spectators are admitted free and are welcomed to join in the fun and spectator parking is free, as well. There will be great food, other industry manufactures, awesome raffle prizes and family fun for all. You never know who you’ll see at the show; past guests include Jay Leno, Dave McClelland (of NHRA fame) and legends from throughout our industry. For more information please visit their website at www.bmracing.com and click on the car show link or contact Regis Finn at (760) 712-6545.

Of all the issues confronting the owners of custom classic trucks one of the most critical is maintaining proper engine operating temperature. Big engines, little radiators, air-conditioning condensers, and low-speed cruising can all contribute to overheating, but the major cause is often the wrong combination of components.inline_mediumwraptextrightOne of the most critical decisions when building a truck is selecting the proper cooling system components. When it comes to radiators, size does matter and bigger is better. Radiators come in two basic configurations, cross-flow or down-flow-most early trucks used the latter. This down-flow example is from Speedway Motors.32373333/techarticles/1003cct_engine_cooling_tips1003cct_24_o+electric_fan_controls_methods+proper_cooling_system.jpgTrue

Of all the issues us truck guys are concerned with, engine operating temperature is always at or near the top of the list. Little radiators with big engines, lots of horsepower and lousy air flow, air conditioning, and traffic jams are just a few of the combinations that lend themselves to overheating and the resultant pool of green coolant on the ground.inline_mediumwraptextrightAmerican Autowire offers a variety of fan controls, their #500800 temperature switch triggers a ground for a fan relay when then engine reaches 195F, it's off at 180F.32373237/techarticles/1003cct_electric_fan_controls_methods1003cct_02_o+electric_fan_controls_methods+american_autowire.jpgTrue

Paul Bracken sent us these photos and the following tidbit: "This truck has been here as long as I can remember, only about 50 yards from the highway. I remember passing this on the way to the farm as a child and I'm 33 now. It's in a cow pasture so it has its share of dents and with the lack of a residence nearby, some parts are going missing. So I figured this year on my way to help for harvest I'd take a picture before it disappeared and send it in."inline_mediumwraptextright28189342/featuredvehicles/1003cct_gmc_field_truck1003cct_01_o+abandoned_field_truck+rust_damaged.jpgTrue

Estate Green With Envy Longtime readers Roy and Sharron Beagle of Middleburg, Florida, built this '55 Chevy pickup after years of drooling over the trucks featured in these very pages. The restoration of the pickup was originally started by Jack West, a Korean War vet whose war-related injuries caught up with him, prompting him to sell the project to the Beagles. Working with Jack, Roy's pickup received a Fatman IFS Mustang II frontend with coilover shocks, air suspension on a 9-inch rear, power disc brakes and steering, a 200-4R transmission, and cruise control. Power comes by way of a 350ci Chevy crate engine with Edelbrock performance goodies.inline_mediumwraptextright28189093/featuredvehicles/1003cct_1955_chevy_3100_pickup_truck1003cct_01_o+1955_chevy_3100_pickup_truck+spre_tire.jpgTrue

Gettin' Dizzy
Adding to their already extensive line, PerTronix announces their new plug-and-play billet distributors for GMC and Chevrolet L6 (straight six) applications that are designed to provide maximum ignition performance and easy installation, all at a price you can afford. Available for vacuum advance and non-vacuum applications for the '62-88 194ci, 230ci, and 3.8L engine families in either a male or female cap configuration. These 100% new distributors come with the Ignitor II electronics, compatible with any inductive ignition system coil, but high-rpm performance can be improved when used with their low resistant (0.6 ohm) Flame-Thrower II coil. If you're using a multi-spark CD ignition box, no problem, the PerTronix distributor is compatible. This distributor allows you to upgrade your outdated points or stock electronic distributor with a performance proven distributor that features the patented Ignitor II electronic ignition module and a CNC machined 6061 T-6 polished billet housing and deck.

PerTronix
(909) 599-5955
www.pertronix.cominline_mediumwraptextright32374389/techarticles/1003cct_march_2010_classic_truck_parts1003cct_01_o+march_2010_classic_truck_parts+billet_distributor.jpgTrue

The crew at Nissen's Hot Rod Garage has distinguished itself by building an extensive series of innovative hot rods. John Nissen has developed ideas and products for years but counts his discovery of longtime employee, Tom Stephens, as one of the greatest finds of his career, second of course to his wife, Dawn. She keeps it all together while the crew gets greasy. Tom came to work at Nissen's shop in remote Williams, California, as a talented rookie with a desire to learn and has developed into a very serious car builder.inline_mediumwraptextright26931317/featuredvehicles/1003cct_bare_metal_1948_ford_pickup_truck1003cct_01_o+bare_metal_1948_ford_pickup_truck+front_bumper.jpgTrue

Well it is that time of year again (April 2-5) when all the parts vendors around the country and anyone who sells anything to do with the automotive industry head to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Harrisburg, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, to sell their products. Because of the state of the American economy the folks at Lowe's were wondering what the turnout would be; and were they ever surprised. By the time the gates opened on Thursday for the first day of the event, about 6,000 vendors had covered every inch of space set aside for them both inside and outside the one-and-a-half mile oval and over four thousand spaces had been set up for the car corral.inline_mediumwraptextright26930405/eventcoverage/1003cct_charlotte_autofair_20091003cct_01_o+charlotte_autofair_2009+car_show_crowd.jpgTrue

Creating a show winning custom vehicle demands an unwavering level of commitment. It will challenge your dedication, your imagination, your budget, and maybe even your marriage! And don't forget time. If the winner's circle is your goal, plan on dedicating a year or two at least to the project. Paul Gerritsen is lucky since his wife, Carol, is as active an enthusiast as he is, enjoying the sport together for the last 25 years. They can list several high-performance cars that have been in the garage but decided this time that a Pro Street truck was the right choice. Turning to eBay, Paul was happy to hear he was the winning bidder on a partially customized '48 F-1 pickup. He transported the truck to their Dandridge, Tennessee, home and started to work.inline_mediumwraptextright28180237/featuredvehicles/1003cct_1948_ford_f1_pickup_truck1003cct_01_o+1948_ford_f1_pickup_truck+hood_scoop.jpgTrue

It's hard to imagine what the automotive world in general would be like if it weren't for the military-industrial complex. Now, while you may be asking yourself, what has the Navy got to do with my F-100, think about it for a minute. The majority of manufacturing techniques, tools, and materials that were commonplace in the 1950s and '60s, were a direct byproduct of things learned by industry during World War Two. The stringent tolerances demanded by the military and the production challenges that came with them enabled automotive manufacturers to more or less learn on the government's dime in a few short years what would have taken them decades and millions of dollars to develop on their own. Building tanks, ships, and aircraft of all shapes and sizes challenged their manufacturing abilities and allowed them to develop new technologies and techniques that are continued today. Better braking systems, more reliable engines, improved electrical components, precise manufacturing; these were all byproducts of what industry learned while they were manufacturing products for the military. During the late '30s and early '40s, the automotive industry accounted for a major portion of aircraft production, going so far as halting automobile production completely by 1942 to concentrate on aircraft and related production. By the time the war was over, the automobile and related industries would be forever changed.inline_mediumwraptextright26925476/techarticles/1003cct_how_to_safety_wire1003cct_01_o+how_to_safety_wire+proceedures_methods_techniques.jpgTrue

When Jim Kelley, of Waco, Texas, found a rusty, retired '58 Chevy farm truck he could look past the battered sheetmetal to see its potential. Fortunately, Bill Hart and the crew at Smoky Hill Restorations shared Jim's vision-and they had the means to make it a reality.inline_mediumwraptextright26903237/featuredvehicles/1003cct_1958_chevy_apache_pickup_truck1003cct_01_o+1958_chevy_apache_pickup_truck+custom_front_bumper.jpgTrue

Oftentimes, we try to come up with some clever, witty, and sly remark to paint a picture with words, but more times than not the same ol' clichés weasel their little heads into the picture. No matter how hard one tries, at some point it's time to give in and accept the unavoidable and stick with what works; with clichés being what work. We've said it before, and we'll say it again, when it comes to the titles of shows across this vast country, don't judge a book by its cover. Just because the name of the show may imply that the show is catering to a specified genre, the truth of the matter is what lies behind those spectator gates is much like ABC's Wide World of Sports, an immense variety.inline_mediumwraptextrightTow-Mater eat your heart out! This dude was the talk of the night at the Saturday night shindig-for obvious reasons.32343972/eventcoverage/1003cct_2009_kustom_kemps_of_america1003cct_01_o+2009_kustom_kemps_of_america+flame_exhaust_kit.jpgTrue

Friends don't let friends drive imports, or at least that seems to be the case for Daniel Hanson. You see, back in high school Daniel's good friend Nick Fredricks built a '42 Chevy Coupe with his dad. Since the first day Daniel rode shotgun, he knew that someday he and his dad needed to embark on a journey like that, and Nick had always told him that he'd be there to lend a helping hand if that day ever came.inline_mediumwraptextright32342772/featuredvehicles/1003cct_1948_chevy_3100_pickup_truck1003cct_01_o+1948_chevy_3100_pickup_truck+custom_jaguar_bumper.jpgTrue

Loyal Custom Classic Trucks readers might recollect in the January 2010 issue I promised in my resignation editorial that I'd continue on as a contributing editor with at least one story in each edition. The following tech feature on installing Chris Alston's Chassisworks new gStreet 16-inch disc brake kit for '63-87 C10 Chevrolets is the first in a series of stories where I'm able to focus entirely on producing an in-depth story without worrying about the administrative duties that come with editing a magazine - that's Ryan's new job.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe Super Duper's '73-87 C10 shortbed F44 chassis features a full air-ride suspension with a KP Components bolt-on urethane-bushed cantilever system on the rear and KP Components upper and lower tubular control arms with polished stainless steel clamps up front.26901257/techarticles/1003cct_16_inch_disc_brake_kit_install_for_1963_1987_chevy_c10s1003cct_03_o+16_inch_disc_brake_kit_install_for_1963_1987_chevy_c10s+aftermarket_chassis.jpgTrue

The Fresno Autorama has long been regarded as one of the finest indoor car shows held in North America. Scheduled to be held March 19-21 2010 in the Fresno Convention Center’s Exhibit Halls, the Fresno Autorama will feature some of the finest show cars, hot rods, trucks, and custom automobiles around; hand-picked from all over the nation.inline_mediumwraptextright32384793/hotnews/1003cct_2010_fresno_autorama1003cct_01_z+2010_fresno_autorama+event.jpgTrue

Inspiration can often come at odd times and from random sources. The other night I was perusing that eye in the sky known as Google Earth, peering at random things that caught my attention and using the street view to take wannabe tours of various cities and sights. I do this from time to time when I'm trying not to get any work done and the TV is on in the background as I stare blankly at an empty screen, anxiously waiting for a story to appear out of thin air. It never does and more often than not, I end up doing exactly what I was doing this very night; wasting time. Anyways, something on the old boob tube caught my attention and drove me to Google Earth. Couldn't tell you what it was or even what I was looking at because it quickly turned into a random curiosity fest as I scanned across the country stopping for a peek at various cities and attractions along the way.inline_mediumwraptextright28152826/hotnews/1003cct_google_earth_and_bonneville1004rc01_o+google_earth_and_bonneville+open_road.jpgTrue

As soon as Mike pulled into the shopping center parking lot, his '68 Ford F-100 was drawing onlookers like ants to a dropped Popsicle. Even behind the grocery store loading docks, where we photographed the engine compartment, people found us-as if drawn by some sixth-sense perception that something cool was hiding back there. And down at the beach, where the rest of the photos were taken, more curious bystanders stopped to admire the pickup. Mike's used to the attention and doesn't mind answering questions about the Viper Red truck he spent three years building.inline_mediumwraptextright32339739/featuredvehicles/1003cct_1968_ford_f100_pickup_truck1004rc01_o+1968_ford_f100_pickup_truck+front_grill.jpgTrue

V-Belt Svelte
New from Rocky Hinge is this Street Drive SD1 V-belt front system for small- and big-block Chevy engines. CNC-machined from aircraft aluminum and polished to a mirror finish, the SD1 comes complete with a polished Weiand high-flow water pump, polished Sanden A/C compressor, polished Powermaster 105-amp alternator, polished GM Type-2 power steering pump, polished pulleys, Dayco belts, and stainless mounting hardware.

Rocky Hinge, Inc.
(888) 539-6295
www.rockyhinge.cominline_mediumwraptextright26713097/techarticles/1002cct_february_2010_classic_truck_parts1002cct_01_o+february_2009_classic_truck_parts+big_block_chevy_engines.jpgTrue

Ever since the initial preparation of the '79 C10 Big 10 known to CCT readers as the Americruise truck I've had an issue with the stock bench seat. It's a shame really because the condition of the '79's upholstery was in near mint condition, but there was two things about the seat I really disliked. I couldn't reach behind it because base model C10 seats don't fold forward to allow access, and the optional extra foam padding the factory installed was ergonomically incorrect to say the least. I've been living with this situation for a few years now because I was reluctant to alter the stock appearance of the upholstery. After suffering long enough I came up with a good way to stop the pain. I decided to pull the optional folding bench seat out of my '75 Big 10 and recover it with a factory style upholstery kit. A quick glance at Brothers 1973-87 Chevy & GMC catalog and I found exactly what I was searching for right down to matching the original factory blue color.

Attend any cruise night, rod run, or indoor car show in the Southeast and it becomes abundantly clear that trucks are a big part of the overall hot rod scene. So it was no surprise to see an amazing array of vintage trucks rolling into Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Lowe's Motor Speedway to attend the 16th Annual Goodguys Rod & Custom Association Southeastern Nationals. This event has become a tradition for many people, leading to them saving the last weekend in October to attend this event. While October in North Carolina is generally a fairly dry month with pleasant temperatures, for some unknown reason this event always seems to have at least one day of rain and this year was no exception.inline_mediumwraptextright27897511/eventcoverage/1002cct_2009_goodguys_southeastern_nationals_car_show1002cct_01_o+2009_goodguys_southeastern_nationals_car_show+vintage_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

It's not real often that one can trace back the lineage of their pickup to the dealer. It's rarer still to be able to trace back a custom ordered truck to the guy who ordered it in the first place. But when Dustin Kingma bought a '68 GMC 1/2-ton longbed from his uncle Tim, he was only the fourth in a short list of owners who had laid claim to the pickup in almost 30 years. The truck was originally ordered by Jack Miller in two-tone blue and white with cab lights, heavy rear springs, and a TH400 trans for his GMC dealership in Isanti, Minnesota. Dustin's great uncle Kenny Kunkle purchased the truck from Jack and proceeded to drive it all over the country before selling it to Dustin's uncle Tim. Tim drove the truck for years as his daily driver until the time came when a young Dustin reached that coveted age where a youngster is handed his first set of keys. Dustin and his father, Brad, purchased the truck from Tim six months before Dustin's 16th birthday and a new love affair began.inline_mediumwraptextright27896275/featuredvehicles/1002cct_1968_gmc_1_2_ton_longbed_truck1002cct_01_o+1968_gmc_1_2_ton_longbed_truck+vintage_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

We thought this would spark a debate or two between the Chevy vs. Ford crowd when we spotted this scene somewhere out in west Texas. It seems like at some point in time, the F-1 received a bit of "help" from the Advance Design Chevy; seems like. A closer look, however, reveals that they're both in serious need of a little TLC. Whatever the case, we like to think that the owner just couldn't make up his mind about which make he preferred and simply decided that he needed to haul one of each home. That's what we like to think anyways.inline_mediumwraptextright27915628/hotnews/1002cct_ford_vs_chevy1002cct_01_o+ford_vs_chevy+rust_damage_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

The first rule of advertising and the first rule of car and truck shows are the same: Get their attention. In this case, some crisp paint, a down-low stance, and a "don't-see-many-of-those" body style follows that rule to the letter. Owner and builder David Rieger didn't build his '50 Willys-Overland Jeep pickup just to draw crowds at fairgrounds; he also built it to demonstrate his skills as a bodyman at his shop, Classic Revivals in LaGrange, Ohio.inline_mediumwraptextright32111733/featuredvehicles/1002cct_1950_willys_jeep_pickup_truck1002cct_01_o+1950_willys_jeep_pickup_truck+custom_front_bumper.jpgTrue

For anyone who has shopped for a project truck, you know from the beginning that in many cases the process is a roll of the dice. Oftentimes, an extremely low price or sentimental reasons cloud our otherwise good judgment. Those things happen even when that potential show-winning truck is right there in front of us to inspect to our hearts content before shelling out the long green. With so many trucks (and vehicles in general) being offered for sale over the Internet, the practice of buying and selling a vehicle has become even more complicated.inline_mediumwraptextright26748068/techarticles/1002cct_how_to_shop_for_a_project_truck1002cct_01_o+how_to_shop_for_a_project_truck+classic_truck.jpgTrue

Nostalgia takes on different forms for different people. Roger Shawgo's pet nostalgia is Texaco. "I used to co-own a Texaco gas station from 1973 to 1975 with my brother, Wayne," he said. In fact, his nostalgia runs so deep that it inspired him to replicate a service station in his backyard using most of the original Texaco equipment he saved from that shop. Then he got a tip on something he didn't know he needed until he heard about it.inline_mediumwraptextright27893134/featuredvehicles/1002cct_vintage_ford_texaco_service_truck1002cct_01_o+vintage_ford_texaco_service_truck+classic_pickup_truck.jpgTrue