1956 Custom Chevy Pickup - Low Life

Travis and Jim performed all of the exterior body work themselves, and the list is extensive. The all-steel '56 Chevy doors were shaved, the hood was pie-cut 3 inches, the parking lights and antenna were frenched, and the drip rails were modified. The stock front bumper and grille were smoothed, straightened, and then re-chromed, maintaining that hot-rod look. A pair of Hagen tri-bar blue-dot headlights flank the chrome grille. The tailgate was smoothed with the 3rd brake light and license plate frenched into the tailgate. A custom roll pan was fitted between the two Stepside fenders with slotted LED taillights. The bed rail corners were smoothed and rounded, and '93 C1500 inner bed fenders were installed. All of the body seams were welded, ground, and sanded smooth. The white oak wood bed floor planks received 12 coats of automotive clear and a fine mist of multi-colored metalflake. The white oak planks are separated by stainless steel stringers, with the gas filler cap assembly centered in the white oak bed floor. Both doors received one-piece, tinted side windows.

The truck was then loaded onto a trailer and delivered to the crew at Final Finish Auto Body in Sparks, Nevada. The colors are PPG custom blends mixed by owner and painter Eric Collins. He also added a fine mist of multi-colored metalflake. The flamed graphics were laid and sprayed by Dale Webber at Webber Graphics. The colors and graphics of the cab, doors, hood, fenders, bed, and tailgate were color sanded and then buried in multi-coats of clear, wet sanded between each coat.

Activating the AutoLoc door poppers, our eyes focus on the plush '94 Chrysler bucket seats covered in silver leather and gray suede inserts. The seats are separated by a waterfall center console that is also covered in silver leather and gray suede. Square-weave charcoal carpet adds a rich contrast, and the silver leather headliner wraps around and above the inner cab. The smoothed dash is painted in the body's two-tone silver and green with a gothic flamed graphic centered in the dash. A Dakota Digital gauge cluster was inserted in the stock gauge panel to maintain the authentic appearance. Creature comfort is maintained by a Southern Air A/C and heating system, and the ididit polished stainless tilt steering column is capped with a 14-inch billet aluminum Colorado Custom flamed steering wheel.

Rockin' entertainment is organized by a Pioneer DVD head unit. The system is powered by a single JL Audio 250 amplifier. Four six-inch coaxial speakers cover the mids and highs in the door panels. Travis built a sealed sub box and stuffed it with an 8-inch JL Audio that delivers the heavy thump.

The father-son bonding that Tom and Travis experienced during the journey while building "Low Life" will be cherished for a lifetime and then carried on hopefully for generations to come. For these two special men, this build was all about the passion and love between a father and his son.

Two thumbs up.