Kustom '53 Chevy 1/2 Ton

Bobby Murray Chevrolet Cruise-Night

2005-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why a car dealer would host a cruise-in, during the middle of the week, but Bobby Murray Chevrolet did just that. I heard about it from Caddyman65, so we met there after work, along with Zman and Reece. The real plan was to meet there and go for beers/burgers afterwards, but the folks running the cruise did their best to make folks welcome. Matter of fact, NC State head coach, Chuck Amato was going to be there at 8:00 to talk Wolfpack football, and there was Bojangles chicken on hand for folks who brought their cars.

Caddyman rolled up in his badass Rivullac, with Reese riding shotgun. This car just looks evil. The recently added Astro Supremes are just another step along the way to shaping this kustom the way Caddyman wants it. As if the Riviera front-end, grafted to the drop-top Caddy wasn't enough... the tail-light and exhaust treatments in store are going to be mind bending

The turnout for the cruise was relatively small, but considering it was during the week, I give the dealership credit for trying. Too bad Chevrolet can't try a little harder in their design department. We took long, hard looks at the new HHR, SSR, and the Impala SS. All three are retro-designs, based on earlier vehicles (how's that for redundant?). The HHR emulates a 50's-era Suburban; the SSR is supposed to embody the spirit of the '47-'53 Advanced Design Pickup; and the Impala? well, that one's easy enough.

The problem is, that all three cars have been so stylized and slicked-up, that there just isn't much interesting to look at in terms of details. Where is the trim and accent pieces? How about some chrome bumpers to break up the monochrome paint scheme? Zman extoled on the virtues of some chrome treatment for the tail-light bezels. (Okay, so the HHR had a chrome roof rack... but surely the boys in Detroit can do better than this!)

I guess it all comes down to parts and manufacturing costs. I guess that's also the reason I opted to purchase a 1953 Chevy 1/2 Ton Pickup. Why pay $45K+ for a "hotrod truck" (built on a minivan chassis, btw), when you can own the real-deal for way less then 1/4 the price!?!? Sure, it will take some amount of money, time, talent, and perserverance (likely a BUNCH of all four of these things). But in the end, which vehicle is going to get more thumbs-ups? Probably the Rivullac.

-murph

FHM Estonia Magazine Article

2005-08-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Shortly after I posted some pics from the West Coast Kustoms Paso Robles show this year, I received an email from an editor at FHM Magazine in Estonia. He was interested in using my pics for a piece he was doing on kustoms. I was kinda surprised (and a bit skeptical), cuz my pics weren't that great, and I had no idea how he came across the pics on the HAMB so fast (I didn't think any of the search engines would have picked them up yet).

So we exchange a few emails, and I sent him thirty or so, high-res pics with descriptions. I thought it was cool that someone wanted to use my pics, but pretty much wrote the whole thing off as a goof. A coupla months go by and I haven't heard anything, so just for fun, I dropped him some email earlier this week.

Well, today he sends me a postscript (pdf) file of the complete article from the July issue of FHM-Estonia. It looks pretty slick! Unfortunately, I don't read a lick of Estonian, so I can't tell much about the article. It does appear that he used the descriptions I sent him (easy to tell by English words that were not translated). There seems to be a short interview on page 5, with the guy in the picture from page 1. I also appear to have gotten photo credits in the left margin of page 2. No paycheck, but hey, it is cool to see your words and pics in print (even if the words are in a foreign language, and the print is digital).

One thing I did find ironic is that the story is laced with advertisements for billet wheels and steering wheels. LOL I guess someone has to pay the bills? Here's a link to a pdf of the article if you want to check it out.

Link to July Issue of FHM-Estonia Kustom Article

And yes, I sent pictures of my own cars (I feel like a dork). I really had no idea the pics were actually gonna end up in print. At the same time, I didn't tell him which of the thirty pics to use. So... I guess it just shows that Estonians have particularly good taste in rods and customs.

-murph

'53 Project List

2005-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

The following list was put together shortly after the truck arrived here in Raleigh. It was an attempt to capture all of the things I thought would be a good idea to do to the '53, as time and funds permitted. The list has actually changed very little in the last month or so. Now, before you get excited about my deft ability to plan a project, I can assure you that the lack of churn is the direct result of starting with a very short list.

The short list was made possible by a grant from the buy-it-as-close-to-the-way-you-want-it foundation, a 501c status, non-profit group that helps buyers unlock the potential of purchasing vehicles that require very little additional work to finish. More importantly, these vehicles minimize the amount of changes required and work that must be undone or redone to meet the buyer's desired finished product.

Now, even short project lists need to be prioritized and sequenced. Well, don't they? I had no intention of falling into the trap of changing the oil the week before I performed the engine swap. What you've never heard of that classic gaff? Actually, my list was no where near that detailed. Sorry to dissapoint all you micro-manager types, but you may as well surf over to your favorite bean-counting website, if you want Gant charts suitable for wall-papering your garage with.

So I opted to define several categories of projects, in hopes that some logical priority and precedence would emerge from the chaos. But I didn't have a clue what those categories might be, so I started by scribbling down all the things I could think of, on the not-so-proverbial back of the envelope. When I didn't have to flip the envelope over to finish the list, I knew I had a prayer in hell for getting them sorted. Thanks buy-it-as-close-to-the-way-you-want-it, I couldn't have done it without you.

With the list in front of me, I noticed that the projects could be grouped in a few major areas. The areas were already familiar to me, but I didn't recognize them right away. When I set out to buy a cool old truck, the criteria was that it had to be safe, dependable, fun to drive, and cool looking. Funny that the list sorted itself into three of those four categories, without much effort on my part.

Safety

Dual Master cylinder (stock location)
Front Disc Brakes
3-point seat belts
Relocate gas tank from cab to under bed
Gauges and Speedo
Rear View Mirror
Turn Signals

Driveability

New rear-end with better highway gears
Auto tranny (so wife can drive it)
Convert to open driveline
Upgrade front/rear parallel leafs
Install door poppers/solenoids
Hidden stereo and dash speaker

Appearance

Door panels, headliner, carpet, firewall cover
Replace cracked/worn steering wheel
Complete side glass install
Chrome interior window garnish mouldings
Door seals and all weather gaskets/seals
Door handles and window cranks
Dome light, shift knob
Replace wooden bed, strips, and hardware

A True West Coast Kustom

2005-07-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

I can't take any credit for this cool '53 Chevy 1/2 ton, other than falling in love with it about a year ago. The style, colors, and paint were put together by Adam Barton, who is a bay-area tattoo artist. It was "the look" that drew me in when he posted it for sale on the HAMB last year. I did not make a move on it then, but did contact the new owner, Larry Cooper - a Fresno HAMBer. I contacted Larry again in February, and it turned out that the truck was mostly just sitting, so we struck a deal. Needless to say I was stoked!

So I sat there with an atlas and a calendar, trying to figure out how to get the truck from CA to NC, when I realized that Fresno was about 120 miles from Paso, and Memorial Day weekend was less than two months away. That's when I hatched the scheme to fly out and actually cruise Paso in the '53. For an east coast custom car/truck nut, it was like a kid getting to go to Disney World.

The truck was picked up in Fresno about a week after Paso, and arrived in Raleigh the second week of June. Since then, I've had a chance to "bond" with it somewhat. Hehe. It is amazingly solid for the type of vehicle typically worked hard and put up wet... we just don't see 'em this well-preserved here in North Carolina. The frame and all of the sheet-metal including floors, cab corners, firewall, cowl, and fenders appear to be original and rust free. The front bed panel and tailgate appear to be new. The bed wood is in dire need of replacement, but that is no big thing.

There is a white number stenciled on the (still blue) firewall, so perhaps this was a fleet vehicle of some sort? The truck seems to have been extremely well maintained over the years. The stock, dipper-oiled 235 has been replaced with a pressure-oiled version from 1956, and converted to 12 volt, but other than that, the suspension and drive train are bone-stock. I'm currently trying to track down more details of the truck's history.

The stance was achieved by removing leafs from the front and rear parallel spring setups, and 4" lowering blocks out back. It's running the original 16" 6-lug steel wheels, with Coker wide whites and early Olds (caddy-styled) sombreros..

The interior is still in progress. The seat is upholstered in a tasteful red and white tuck and roll, and the dash has been sprayed in red metalflake, with approximately forty-eleventy coats of clear, which makes it look like a late-60's drumset on steroids when the sun hits it. Hehe. It really just needs headliner, doorpanels, carpet, and window trim to be considered "complete". Oh, and a new steering wheel to replace the cracked original, and maybe some Moon gauges, and how 'bout a heater for winter cruising, and...

My plan is to maintain the truck's current "low-tech, west coast, mild custom" vibe. I plan to drive it as my daily, so there will be a few concessions for safety's sake. Key items include shoulder belts, discs up front, dual-master cylinder (stock location), possibly relocating the gas tank from cab to under bed, and turn signals.

The biggest limiting factor to hitting the highways is the stock rear gears. My (very cool) wife would like to get some wheel-time, but won't drive a stick, so I'll probably install a 2004R auto and convert to open drive-line. Otherwise, I'd probably just install a Patrick's 3.55:1 ring and pinion set and call it good. I like the way the I-6 looks in the engine bay, so I'll probably pick up another one cheap to build while driving the one in the truck (or possibly just freshen the one that's in there). There are hop-up goodies available that will boost performance on the road, and the cool factor when the hood is raised. Plus, the only engine I have ever fully rebuilt was a Chevy 292 I-6 (back in 1984), so I feel like I already know my way around this mill.

The exterior paint is thought to be some sort of late-model champagne color (possibly Chrysler, Cadillac, Honda, or ?? ) with a ton of flatterer added. You've heard of ghost flames? Well, this paint is like "ghost metaflake". At night, or even under electic lights, the finish appears very flat or suede-like - which is a cool look in and of itself. The roof is painted a flat ivory color, which also adds to the suede-effect. But, when sunlight hits all that curvy sheetmetal? Holy cow, the whole truck just lights up as if someone threw a switch.. The contrast is amazing.

With all new exterior chrome (including running boards!) and tasteful scallops, the truck really has a cool look. Mild custom mods include nosed and peaked hood, and shaved door handles, filler cap, wipers, and badges. The hood was already
pinstriped, and Skratch did a neat piece for me on the tailgate at Paso. Since this year's Paso was a tribute to Von Dutch, I asked Skratch if he could do a version of "Harvey Shaken From Cross Breeding", which Von Dutch did for a 1956 Rod and Custom story. I thought it would be cool way to commemorate Paso, and the California roots of a True West Coast Kustom.

-murph

Heavy Rebel Weekender 2005

2005-07-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

This was the 5th year for the Heavy Rebel Weekender music, art, and car show at the Millenium Center in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. I've been trying to get to this show for years, but something always came up. This year I actually made it! The show was a total blast, but for me, the roadtrip there and back was equally enjoyable. This was the first REAL long distance cruise for the '53 at ~220 miles roundtrip.

The fastest route from Raleigh to Winston-Salem is I-40, but an enclosed drive-line and 4.11:1 gears makes the truck's top-speed in the 50-55 mph range. I had three main concerns going into the trip. 1) Would I get my doors blown off by passing motorists (or worse rear-ended). 2) would there be mechanical troubles on a trip that long and 3) would there be mechanical troubles due to the high-speed/high-rev nature of the route.

Well, I'm happy to report that the truck performed flawlessly. It's been hot as hell here lately and the humidity has put the heat index through the roof. To offset some of this effect, I rolled out of Raleigh by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. I packed as many tools as would fit in my larger toolbox, 2 gallons of fuel, a gallon of water, a quart of oil, and a cooler of beverages suitable for a hot day at a car show. I also took a boombox for tunes on the road.

Although the motor was winding higher than I prefer, I never really pushed it. The speedo is currently inop, but I believe I was travelling somewhere right around 50 mph. I base this solely on seat-of-the-pants comparisons with test runs I made the previous night, with my wife following the truck in our daily driver. On one run down the highway, I found what I thought was a "comfortable" speed for the truck. This was in the 45-50 mph range. On another run, I pushed it "slightly beyond comfortable" and this speed was between 52-55 mph. I tried to keep the speed/effort right at the start of the beyond comfortable point. This gave me a little extra top-end if needed to get out of someone's way, or accelerate for some strategic reason.

This seemed to work out great. The engine temp never climbed above 180, although I am not sure how accurate the gauge is. I do know that it has read higher in stop and go traffic, so the ram air effect must have been doing a great job dissipating heat from the radiator. The truck's road manners were pretty impressive, even with the bias-ply tires. The only real issue was a few bridges, where the transition to/from the roadbed caused the suspension to bottom out. This is defintely one of the areas I'd like to improve over time.

So, I rolled into the show by 9:15, registered, and hung out with some folks from the HAMB. I recognized a number of their cars first, and then figured out who their owners were. Talk about a great group of traditional car enthusiasts.

Folks drove from all over the
Southeast in vintage tin that looked like it rolled straight outta the 50's or early 60's. I don't have an exact count, but I think there were ~50 cars in attendance.

To call it a car show is really a bit of a stretch. Yes, there are cars parked along a closed off section of downtown. Yes, there are people walking around checking em out. Yes, there are a few awards to recognize stand-out cars/paint/interior/etc. But it's really more of a party atmosphere.

People are busy catching up on latest projects, playing "what if?" with body lines, colors, and customization possibilities. That doesn't leave too much time to clean bugs of off windshields or break out the California car dusters.

Most/all of the cars in attendance are daily-drivers for the participants, so "the show" part of it all, is really for spectators coming downtown to see what all the fuss (and pipe rapping) is about.

The "awards ceremony" was at 4:00, after which time the mud wrestling started. You gotta love the idea of hot chicks in 95 degree heat throwing down in a huge mud pit. Did I mention there was a guy with a waterhose squirting em down?

A few guys jumped into the pit, but fortunately they were outnumbered and did not clutter the otherwise enjoyable action. And it got pretty intense at times too. I was back with the rest of the crowd and still managed to get mud flung on my clothes and shoes. The price to pay for getting a few good shots.

Afterwards it was time to head home. The local police wanted all the cars off of Trade Street by 5:00, which worked out fine for me, since I wanted to head out early enough to get home comfortably before dark.

I gassed up at a local station and proceeded to spray fuel all over the interior of the truck. A shaved filler cap looks cool, but it kinda sucks for practicality. I do plan to relocate the tank beneath the bed. Not so much for additional room in the cab (which will create some nice storage space), but to avoid dealing with fumes, fuel spills, and the possible KABOOM sound that might happen when I hit the (to be intalled one day) solenoids to pop a door open.

The truck ran as well going home as it did getting there. Because I already had one leg of the journey under my belt, I was able to relax a little more. Even with heavier traffic and hotter temps outside, the truck proved itself reliable and comfortable, even while slightly pushing the speeds it was designed to operate at.

With the slick paint job and lowering, it's hard to keep in mind that it was once a farm or utility truck of some sort in it's past life. There's even a white serial number stenciled on the still blue firewall, indicating that it was part of a fleet of vehicles. It appears that the '53 was well-cared for, but many of these trucks were worked hard and put up wet. Hopefully after all those years, the '53 won't mind shuttling me to/from work, the home/car/parts store, and the occasional show or cruise-night. Geez, sounds like the type of retirement I'd like to have.

For additional pictures, event coverage, and list of bands from this year's Heavy Rebel Weekender, check out: http://www.heavyrebel.net . Be sure to bookmark the site, because HRW 2006 is sure to be even bigger and better.

-murph

First Commute Photo Shoot

2005-06-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was too exhausted to unload the stuff in the pickup bed, the day (middle of the night) the '53 arrived. Plus, the truck was covered in bugs and road grime... couldn't let the truck make it's Raleigh debut looking like that! So, after work that day, I cleaned the spare parts out the bed and cab and commenced to scrubbing. I put the rear bumper back on (which had been removed for loading/unloading from the carrier), unstuck the shifter (from the unloading exercise the night before), and installed the NC plate. My family was amazed when they saw the transformation with just soap, water, and elbow grease. We cruised the neighborhood a little, but with no seatbelts, wasn't willing to take the family out onto any main roads.

The next day, I could hardly wait to pull the truck out and drive it to work. There's an office building that's not far off my commute route, that has some neat architecture and landscaping. The morning sun is also favorable, so I made a quick pitstop to snap some photos... kinda like taking baby pictures, I suppose?

-murph

From Hollywood To Raleighwood

2005-06-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the '53 actually migrated from Nor-Cal to Fresno to Raleigh, but it didn't make for much of a working title. I had been waiting for the transport company to get to Raleigh all weekend, but a few delays made the actual arrival date on Tuesday, and about 2:30 a.m. to boot. As stoked as I was, this was not a problem! Larry snapped a shot after he loaded it for the driver in Fresno on June 6th.

I hired King's Transport out of Houston Texas to make the haul, and I was very pleased with the level of service and care they took to deliver the truck. It made it from Fresno to Raleigh in only 8 days (arrived on June 13th), and on top of that, the price was very reasonable. Doug actually hauled the truck the entire 2300+ miles. I think the biggest challenge was getting the '53 on/off the carrier. Because of the fat fenders and running boards, it made it tough for Doug to determine exact positioning of the wheels on the ramps.

I was relieved to see that although filthy from the roadtrip, the paint, chrome, and glass was in the same shape it was when it left Fresno. It took a while to get the truck off the top of the rig... it was pretty surreal jumping from ramp to ramp, and pointing left or right, for Doug to line up the wheels. The engine kept stalling when he moved it forward, but I finally figured out that he was in 3rd gear and not first. Having driven the truck at Paso, I knew it was a solid runner.

We wrapped up around 4:00 a.m. and after the paperwork and giving directions to a place Doug could catch some z's, before heading over to Falls of the Neuse road for a few vehicles, it was time to drive the '53 home. As soon as I tried to shift from 1st to 2nd, I realized the shifter was jammed. I messed with it for awhile, but it was so hot out, and I was so tired, I opted to just limp home in granny gear. Fortunately I was less than one mile from the house! It felt good hanging my head out the window to cool off.

It was a relief to finally park the '53 in the garage. I started talking to Larry about buying it at the end of February. We struck a deal pretty quick and then we sealed the deal (green for pink) the first week in May. Then there was the anticipation of going to Fresno and cruising the '53 at Paso. And finally, there was the excitement of getting the truck cross-country to Raleigh. As I pulled in and shut her down, I knew the fun was really just beginning.

-murph

Paso Robles 2005

2005-06-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe Paso was a week ago. As soon as I got back to Raleigh, I had to head out of town for week. So, needless to say I've been jonesin' for a HAMB fix, and kinda bumming that Paso came and went so quickly. So, I figured I might feel better if I posted some pics and some words to describe the experience. (Feel free to use the scroll bar and go straight to the pics).

First off, to call Paso "a car show" would be an understatement and a misnomer. It really is a weekend-long party, immersed in all things kustom. The show proper is maybe only 50% of the overall experience. To see a bad-ass custom parked under a tree is one thing, but to actually see, hear, and feel it prowling the streets is totally different. And between the Friday night cruise, and bouncing between the A&W and the bowling alley, there are tons of opportunities to experience these customs in their dynamic state.

And it's not just the cars, it's the people too. I got a chance to meet and hangout with a bunch of HAMBers over the weekend... way more than I'd ever hope to be able to remember their real or HAMB names. I also got to meet Gene Winfield, Keith Weesner, Scratch, Shag, and Coupe de Cab. Most of these guys are also HAMBers, and all are as down-to-earth as they come. But they all live 2000+ miles from the east coast, so to have a chance to meet them in person was a real pleasure. Hell, Richard Zocchi and Jesse James even walked by the truck, but they must not have recognized me. That wasn't true for HotRodHon (Craig) of West Coast Kustoms. I bumped into him several times, and even with 850+ entrants, he still had time to stop and make me feel welcome.

And that same spririt really seemed to resonate throughout the whole town. Maybe the kustom crowd is a refreshing change from the stuffy whine-and cheese bunch who normally vacation in Paso? Sure there were cops on the street, but people were still having fun with their cars. And it was an "alchohol free" event, but I saw people drinking responsibly and no one was getting hassled. How cool is that? Maybe it's all just "good for business", but it still made for a great environment to kick back and enjoy the weekend.

Folks on the HAMB were right... it doesn't matter if you drive, walk, or skydive into town - you will have a blast! We crashed in the Walmart parking lot and there were a bunch of HAMBers staying at a nearby RV park (that allowed tent camping). So, even if you can't score a room in town, with a little creativity you can avoid having to drive to SLO or the coast, and paying big bucks for a room. Plus, with all the stuff going on in Paso, you just don't want to miss any of it. And no matter how hard you try, I don't think it's possible to see everything at the show. From that standpoint, it really was a little overwhelming. If it was a full-on two day event, it might take some of the heat off. At one point, I just quit taking pictures and chilled out for awhile. So many cool cars, so little time.

As far as parking goes for Saturday - don't sweat it! I read stories about having to sit in line, starting at 6:00 a.m. or earlier. We didn't care about getting in the park, so we rolled down Spring street at 7:30, hoping to find a nice side street to park on. Well, before we could even circle the park one time, we were directed into the park, and ended up under a huge oak tree across from City Hall. Hell, we were right next to the Reyes '54 Buick ragtop and the Harry Bradley-designed Afterglow. So, sleep-in, and get there when ya get there.

The whole weekend went super-smooth thanks to Creeper Larry, who served as Central Coast Ambassador for Zman and me. Larry was debating on going surfing or hitting Paso with us, but the allure of Paso won him over (or was it the fouled plug or Fosters oil-cans?). Hehe. He even gave up roadster build-time to make the trip, and last I heard he had the new motor in and was headed to the Antique Nationals in Palmdale. I hope he kicked ass!

So, now that it's all over, I'm already scheming how to get back to Paso. It might take a few years, but till then I'll rely on the HAMB for event coverage. Here's a few pics to help those who didn't make it this year. There's probably a bunch of repeats here from other's posts, but I'm too lazy to sort em out.

-murph