The 1947-1987 Chevy & GMC Truck Show & Shine is known for fun, food, live music and sweet rides. This year at the 15th Annual 1947-1987 Chevy & GMC Truck Show & Shine, the show will revisit the Canyon R.V. Park in Anaheim, California on June 30th, 2013. All Chevrolet & GMC models from 1947-1987 will be accepted into the show and you can register Here.

I’ll be the first to admit that I take any and every chance that I get to tease, berate, degrade, embarrass, or otherwise humiliate my coworkers when it comes to their projects ’round the tech center. But having said that, I’m usually not the first, nor the meanest when it comes down to the friendly badgering that takes place regularly in the shop. I am also not immune to being on the receiving end, rest assured! It usually starts off friendly enough until one of us is yelling at the other about being thrown under the bus, not knowing how to do something, or worse yet, doing something half-, ahem, heartedly.

While having a nice weekend ride is good, it’s always nice to wake up in the morning and have your good ol’ reliable daily driver at your side to get you from point A to B. Folks who have newer cars would have been able to appreciate Colorado’s new legislation that was approved by the appropriations committee and moved to the senate floor, however, bill S.B. 257 in Colorado failed in the House after the legislature adjourned for the year.

OPTIMA Batteries will be teaming up with Golden State Foods and partnering with ChumpCar race participants to give children the bike building experience of a lifetime. On May 26, 2013, Build-A-Bike will be taking place at the Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Eastwood Company just celebrated 35 years of high performance DIY-auto restoration! Eastwood was started in 1978 and pioneered the DIY-auto restoration world, which allowed home-builders the accessibility they needed to get tools and chemicals.

The use of alternative fuel – like Ethanol - is on the rise and gaining popularity. However, if you’re current project is not equipped to handle this unconventional fuel, overtime; the fuel can corrode metals, plastics and even rubber fuel lines. Fuel systems and even internal components need to be upgraded in order to handle the different fuel efficiently. Currently, Florida is allowing an Ethanol-blend of fuel (9-10 percent) at a majority of pumps. To ease pain at the pumps, SEMA has announced its support of a new bill (H.B. 4001), which will help eliminate Ethanol and other alternatives from its pumped-fuel.

I’ve hauled giant sacks of gravel, enough lumber to build a patio, rolls of sod for the entire backyard, and bags of concrete too numerous to count. An E-Z Up, two bikes, an ice chest, a foor jack, every tool in my toolbox, and enough luggage for two grown men for a week (that’s two pairs of underwear, an extra pair of socks, and whatever shirts were on sale at the SCTA booth!) all ft nicely back there on the trip to Bonneville; even had a little extra room to bring home some souvenirs. And the fact that my truck had an 8-foot bed made most of this possible.

American Autowire has released wiring systems in the Classic Update Kit that make setting up a wiring harness for your truck a snap. In case you haven’t taken a look, here’s a breakdown of three of the kits we chose.

Attention California readers! The California Senate has amended S.B 459 to allow financial assistance from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) for low-income motor vehicle owners to retire their vehicles. The Bureau currently gives $1,500 and this would be an addition. BAR must also establish a one-year pilot program to provide financial assistance to low-income motor vehicle owners for the retirement of gross-polluting vehicles, but will not allow BAR from collecting proof that these vehicles were registered within the last two years prior to acceptance into the program. If this goes through, hobbyists may be denied the availability of vintage cars and parts for restoration. A hearing will take place at the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. We strongly request your support in opposition to S.B. 459 by contacting members of the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee: http://www.semasan.com/page.asp?content=aa_2013CA2&g=SEMAGA
Thank you.

Maryland bills to create vintage production licenses have moved to the Governor. H.B. 977/S.B. 39 requires that the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to provide for one year, a specially designed vintage reproduction registration plate to qualifying vehicle owners was approved by the Maryland Senate and House. In order for one to be eligible, the vehicle must be Class A, Class E, Class L, Class M, and Class N. The license plate will resemble the 1910 Maryland plate that has black lettering and a yellow background. Both bills have been sent to the governor for his signature and enactment into law. Please, we urge you to get in contact with Governor Martin O’Malley for support of H.B. 977 and S.B. 39.

If you live in North Carolina, you’ve probably been made aware of Legislation (S.B. 344) or the North Carolina Bill to Speed Titling Process for Out-of-State Older Vehicles. This bill will allow for the immediate issuance of titles to owners of out-of-state motor vehicles that are 35-years old or older. If an inspection and verification of the vehicle is required by the DMV, an inspector will exam the vehicle and the vehicle will be issued to the owner 10 days after inspection. If an inspection is not conducted by the DMV within 10 days, the title will be issued when those 10 days are up. Please contact members of the Senate Commerce Committee and request support for S.B. 344. If you want to voice your support, the hearing will convene on April 9, at 11:00am at the following address:

It’s really been that long? Save the dates of January 24-26, 2014. The Grand National Roadster Show at the Fairplex in Pomona, California is celebrating 100 years of Bonneville speed. This is an event that will go down in the history books and you’re not going to want to miss it. The event is going to showcase some of the coolest hot rods on the planet, including 100 of the greatest land speed record cars and motorcycles of the past 100 years. Owners of the vehicles will get to enjoy a special gathering on Thursday, to view the exhibition before it’s opened up to the public.

Over the years I have developed a love for classic cars and trucks, my favorite being the five-window Chevys. On a visit to my cousin’s farm about six years ago, the realization hit me hard; that this truck I had passed by hundreds of times and played around on visits to the farm since I was a young girl was indeed my favorite truck that I have been in love with as an adult. The early ’50s GMC sits surrounded by trees on the farm in Shelton, Nebraska, and every time I visit, I stop to take pictures of it and admire it. Even though some may view it as just another pile of rust, it’s beautiful to me! CCT

What with instant access to forums, newsgroups, and various websites dedicated to certain minutia of information, it’s hard to say that it isn’t? But not since the Gutenberg Press has information been so freely available to the masses. It’s amazing what’s available via the Internet these days.

Haul Monitor

Right Click here to Download the PDF version of the 2012 Custom Classic Trucks Holiday Gift Guide

Haul Monitor

INDIANAPOLIS – The Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show (www.hotrodshow.com) and The Petersen Automotive Museum are excited to announce that Dave McClelland, the legendary "Voice of the NHRA," will receive the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, March 15 at the Grand Opening Breakfast for the 2013 Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show.

The old Chevy has definitely seen better days, but at least it looks like it was put to good use when it was put out to pasture. The drivetrain was used to run a well pump somewhere in New Mexico for a number of years and it seems the owner thought it better to keep the sheetmetal in place in order to protect his investment. Given the scarcity of decent big-window cabs, this pickup could have great potential for a third or maybe even fourth chance at life!

Some days you make some progress and some days you end up sitting there at the end of the evening wondering “what in the hell did I even get done today?”

SAN DIEGO – Aug. 31, 2012 – Two of the biggest names in the automotive world are teaming up again – this time with Source Interlink Media, to build two trucks that will benefit a good cause and to create new, limited edition WD-40® Smart Straw® cans that feature some of Chip Foose’s classic vehicle designs.

Parked and abandoned for many years in a wooded area, this vintage Dodge truck is barely visible from the county road in rural Benton Harbor, Michigan. Brambles, weeds, and wild grapes obscure the views of the truck during much of the year.

Joe Ragazoo snapped this lineup while on vacation in Atascadero, California. An attentive eye will notice that one truck is not like the others...wonder what the story is?

March Performance’s new Revolver serpentine system is created with a combination of style and low price that is sure to find favor among truck enthusiasts everywhere. The one piece alternator and air conditioning bracket provides a rigid support for the alternator and A/C compressor while a separate bracket allows the option of power steering.

With summer in full swing, I’m sure some of you out there have already completed or are knee deep in your truck-related summer road trip vacations. You do plan your vacations via places to drive your truck, don’t you?! I know I do, sort of. It’s what I like to call “recreational occupationalism.” And yes, I’m pretty sure I just made that up. But it goes something like this.