Opting for reliability, a 350ci GM Performance Parts crate motor was purchased and left virtually stock, save for an Edelbrock intake manifold and carburetor, and HPC-coated S&S Headers linked to a custom MagnaFlow exhaust system, fabricated and installed at RSM Muffler in Lake Forest, California. Backing the mild mill was a GM Turbo 350 transmission supported by an Energy Suspension transmission mount and aided by a Lokar shift indicator unit and Lokar shifter. The engine was dressed with Zoops pulleys and brackets, Zoops aluminum ball-milled valve covers, Lokar braided cables and dipsticks, a Hayden electric fan, a Sir Michaels flamed fan shroud, Energy Suspension engine mounts, and ARP stainless hardware. A custom air cleaner cover was designed and built by Craig Chaffers of CMC Designs, and airbrushed by Bob Iverson with the F-100 script and a few classic lines. Now that the underpinnings and powersource were complete, and the truck's foundation was finished, attention was turned toward cleaning up the body, implementing some new mods, and laying down some color over the vintage iron.
Mike's son Craig just so happens to be pretty crafty with a welder, and as the owner of CMC Designs, he used a bit of his shop space to smooth the metal scenery on dear old dad's pickup. Craig shaved all the trim, the badging, the door handles, the gas filler neck, the rain gutters, and the driprails. The side vents were eliminated, and the hood was pie-cut 1-inch and converted to a reverse-tilt unit. Up front, a '53 Ford grille was installed along with a front roll pan, while CW Moss headlights provided ample illumination for Mike and his wife Linda when they roll to the local cruise nights. A completely new bed was fabricated to replace the battered factory box and was fitted with a new bed floor. The original taillights were ditched in favor of flamed cutout light openings, lit up by Precision Rodware LEDs mounted in a molded Sir Micheals roll pan. The tailgate was flattened and smoothed, and the latches were moved to the inside for a cleaner look. Once the metal mods were complete, Jerry Johns of CMC Designs block-sanded the truck to prep it for the pros at L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California, to apply the color.
Once the truck was in the care of the professional painters at L&G, a unique blend of PPG Chrome Yellow was mixed up and teamed with custom-mixed PPG Pearl Orange to create the stunning exterior. The upper portion of the truck was coated in Pearl Orange, and the bright and juicy hue drips some artfully executed flames into the yellow in the door region. The hot licks were striped in green for depth and definition by Bob Iverson of Bob Iverson Pinstriping in Fountain Valley, California. To give the paint the perfect deep shine, Jeff Jeppesen at Classy Cars in Huntington Beach, California, color-sanded and buffed the truck from roll pan to roll pan, and roof to rocker, before it was delivered to Stitchcraft Custom Interiors, also in Huntington Beach, for inner-realm threadwork.
Famous for creating world-class interiors with elegance and top-notch style, Steve "Revo" Reeves came through once again and gave the cab of Sensational Slant Cab the hook up. Beginning with a seat frame from Glide Engineering, sandstone leather and suede from Katzkin was used, with Rod Doors interior panels for a touch of class. A Budnik split-grip steering wheel topped the ididit column, and English wool carpet covered the floorboards. The dash was filled, smoothed, and painted by Craig at CMC Designs, while Lokar inside door latches and SoCal Speed Shop knobs and switches rounded out the inside spice. Custom speaker boxes built by Tom Lingenfield were hidden behind the seat and covered in a matching fabric style. An Eclipse CD8601 CD head unit in the dash delivers jams to an Audiobahn amplifier, which powers a pair of 10-inch Audiobahn subwoofers. Audiobahn two-way component separates in the kick panels filled in the silence between the bass. Craig Chaffers of CMC Designs installed all of the quality audio components.
Gazing at the images of this amazing Effie, it was hard to believe it was ever a beat-down workhorse doing duty in a Southern California nursery. We were thankful that Mike found the truck and rescued it from a life of hard work and deterioration, and that he and his son Craig could build it together. This classic Blue Oval hauler featured timeless hot-rod styling, and we bet Mike feels like a kid again every time he climbs behind the wheel and spins the ignition.