I’ve stumbled across some cool trucks that are for sale here in the city. Last week I found a late model convertible Chevy truck on eBay. This week I found this tasteful 1963 Chevy Truck for sale over on MarkBarbee.com.

First, take a look at the original concept drawing. This is the kind of stuff they taught us at Georgia Tech…it makes me want to bust out my tools and start drawing. It’s rare that a finished product looks so close to the original drawing. Most drawings are sensational and cool, but unrealistic to fabricate with a real car body. But here they got it right.


The idea.


The reality.

The minor difference don’t amount to much, but they are worth pointing out. They removed the “parking lights in the hood”, something Chevy should’ve done before the truck ever left the factory. They used a stock grill instead of the Rolls-inspired grill in the concept. I would’ve liked to see them make the bumper as it was in the concept sketch with the concrete-scraping crease along the lowest portion of the bumper.

Here’s some more photos:

 


Notice the smoothed-out tailgate and the deleted bumper.

 

To make room for big rims, you have to remove the inner fender well. Now the top of the wheel rises well into the engine bay. Other classy details are leather seats and suicide doors.

To pull off this ride height requires a lot of reworking of the frame. The photo below shows all the modifications beneath the bed. Typically, the gray frame would be pretty flat from front to back. But here, the frame rises up and over the rear axle to allow for the low stance. The two yellow boxes are batteries for the airbag suspension.


Beneath every cool truck is an unexciting foundation.

Let’s talk about the bed, because that’s where all the magic happens. First, the wood looks fantastic juxtaposed against the chrome strips. This is the pinstriped suit of the auto world. Second, the leather panels tucked around the perimeter are subtle, yet luxurious. The inset frame of stitching gives it an extra detail. A poor man’s version is to paint the bed to match the interior. (Take a look at the Datsun truck in a previous blog.) Lastly, you’ll see that the fenders rise just to the top of the bed because the rims are that big and truck is that low. On a stock truck, you’d might see 10-12 inches separating the two.

Well done.

Chevy got low low low. That’s the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, home of Super Bowl XLII.

 

The glamor shot.

Summary: Big Rims Save Lives

Big rims have saved many vehicles from the junkyard, including this generation of the Chevy truck. Throughout my childhood, guys were only interested in the generation that came before and after. (Check out ChevyTrucks.com for a detailed history with photos.) But this generation didn’t have many fans because it’s body was so wonky. If you wanted to describe the truck like it were a person, it had a big head that goofy glasses.

But big chrome rims fill out the fenders and allow the truck to have better proportions. The trucks that were once forgotten are getting dragged out of desert junkyards and into the welder’s shop. Just look at how this 1963 Chevy looked on day one.