For years, automotive artists have taken custom truck concepts stored in their heads and put them down on paper for enthusiasts to enjoy. When creating a new image on paper, the sky is the limit with regard to imagination. Body panels can be stretched, lowered, and raised to give a particular body style of pickup an entirely new look, and the artist can paint a vehicle any color they want. These drawings inspire us as enthusiasts and custom truck builders to shoot for the top when constructing our four-wheeled wonders and allow us to explore body modifications, paint, stance, and wheel and tire choices before we open our wallets and start spending.
We recently caught a glimpse of some renderings crafted by Ed White of Fast Eddy's Hot Rod Art out of Katy, Texas, and we were so impressed with the artwork and concepts, we had to share them with you. Growing up in a family who piloted classic Chevelles and GTOs, custom cars have been in Ed's blood since he could walk and talk. During most of his youth, Ed put his automotive dreams to paper, and since he could not own the rides of his dreams at the time, he created them. As time moved on, Ed's artwork progressed, and in high school, he created a model car out of a biology skeleton, causing friends and family to take a second look at this kid's talent.
Back in 1998, Ed hooked up with SRC Motorsports in Houston, became a professional hot-rod designer, and has since drawn pretty much any automotive mode of transportation one can think of, from cars to trucks, bikes, and even airplanes. After Chevy introduced the '88-'98-style pickup, a Stepside version was not yet offered. So, in 1988, Ed drew one up, and when Chevy introduced its version, the similarities were astounding. Take a look at some of the custom truck artwork produced by Ed. None of the vehicle concepts below are currently being built, but according to Ed, if someone built one of his artistic creations, it would be the greatest honor. If you wish to have your project truck built on paper before beginning to turn wrenches and drop cash, you can contact Ed at (281) 455-2883. To catch a glimpse of more examples of Ed's work, go to www.fehrarules.com.
The stunning red classic portrayed here is a '66 Chevy shortbed that has been completely re-styled. The taillights, grille, and wheels are custom designed by Ed. Up front, 22-inchers fill up the fenders, while the rear wells hold 24-inch hoops. The body from the front wheelwell forward has been chopped 2 inches at the grille. Moving rearward from the wheelwell, 4 inches has been added to the beltline, making it higher and more defined. Up top, the roof has been completely reshaped based on a '60 Impala dash and A-pillars, and a '99 Toyota Tacoma roof skin. Shaved door handles and radiused door corners finish off the aerodynamic look of this refined classic.
Did you ever picture what a '66 Avalanche would look like? Ed did, and he drew it. Starting with a '66 Chevy Crew Cab as his base, Ed cut out the back of the cab around the large window body line down to the floor and connected the floor pans. Filling this hole is either a removable panel or back glass. To create the true Avalanche trademark, the cab extension sail panels and bedrail caps were blended with the old-school sheetmetal. Accenting the sides of the truck are fiberglass reproduction Stepside fenders vertically sliced to make them about 4 inches wide. Out back, Ed smoothed the tailgate and added the Avalanche logo to it, which is welded out of flat, stock steel. A flipped rear bumper with large exhaust pipes cleans up the rear even further, while 22-inch front and 24-inch rear Boyd Magneatos enhance the slammed stance. For paint, a silver basecoat was used with a green stripe breaking up a blue stripe that is shaped similar to the original side trim.
Illustrated in bold street-rod style is this '67 Chevy shortbed which has been shaved clean and sits flat on the ground. For definition, Ed chopped the cab 2 inches in back and 3 inches in the rear, and laid the windshield and A-pillars back. The bed was left fairly stock, save for a smoothed tailgate, molded roll pan, and Fast Eddy's Hot Rod Art-designed Euro taillights. The lower forward portion of the bed below the bulkhead is radiused to contour to the cab and match the lines of the rounded door corners. A sheetmetal bumper-shaped roll pan was used up front, while the upper beltline, hood, fenders, and grille are new. Beginning at the rear door edge, the beltline is curved and sloped until it meets the GMC Envoy headlights. Filling the space between the lights is a custom Fast Eddy's Hot Rod Art-designed grille. Cover the whole thing in a bold yellow hue and slide some large hoops under the fenders, and you have one cool truck.
For the new truck junkies, Ed drew this fully custom Chevy Colorado. Slung low on air suspension and rocking 22-inch front and 24-inch rear Akuza Bounce Wheels, this contemporary Bow Tie has the look. The shaved door handles and antenna, along with the 4x4 flares, create some additional attitude. Out back, Lexus RX 330 taillights and a cab wing from a Toyota Sequoia round out the metal mods, while a caramel base color spiced up with brick graphics, which are broken up like rocks covered with squiggly lines and flames thrown in for good measure, complete the picture.