Throughout the years of rod and custom truck building, we have gained an understanding that function is the most vital component of the construction equation. Sure, it's cool to build a tricked-out truck that is on the cutting edge of technology, but in doing so, that fine edge can become subject to failure.
When building a custom daily driver, it must still be cool and clean, but most of all, it must be reliable. Yesterday's trucks have the fortune of being resurrected above and beyond their original means. All of today's aftermarket technology, such as advanced electronic ignition, brakes, engine, transmission, and audio components, strive for improvement, reliability, and performance, with safety and dependability as a guarantee.
For an example of building a '55 Chevy Stepside into a reliable daily cruiser with some old-school/new-school interfacing, check out the sweet, double-nickel Chevy of Dan Doke from Cerritos, California. He has been an avid builder of custom rods, cars, and trucks for nearly 60 years and is still going strong. Dan is the owner of ATS Design, which manufactures OEM-style aero kits, molded running boards, front valances, air dams, grille shells, and SUV rear spoilers, among many other styling products. After Dan's first round of building his '55, he wasn't satisfied with it, so he contacted his good friend, Bill Holland at BRC Fabrication in Brea, California. The two sat down and discussed what Dan wanted to achieve, which was a great-looking, low-maintenance, well-handling, reliable daily driver.
Dan delivered his '55 to the crew at BRC Fab, where the cab, fenders, hood, and bed were removed from the frame. The remainder of the carcass was stripped down to the bare framerails. The stock leaf spring straight-axle front suspension was removed. The front framerails were cut off just before the firewall. An early model Camaro front clip was fitted, aligned, squared to the stock Camaro ride height, then welded into position, followed by boxing in the framerails. The factory Camaro upper and lower control arms and spindles were completely rebuilt with new bushings and ball joints, wheel bearings, and new tie-rod ends. A set of shorter American coil springs was installed with a pair of nitrogen-charged KYB shocks. This combination dropped the nose in the weeds. To help eliminate body roll and to flatten out the corners, a pair of beefy 1.75 sway bars were bolted up in the front and rear. Wilwood disc brakes produce ample stopping power up front. The rearend was pulled from a '69 Chevelle. The crew at Steve Wittings Differentials in Southgate, California, narrowed the axles and axle tubes 5 inches, then they stuffed the diff with 3.73:1 gears and a posi unit. The triangulated linkage with Panhard bar rear suspension was designed and fabricated by BRC Fabrication, accompanied by American coil springs and a KYB nitrogen-charged shock setup, with standard drum brakes. The truck rolls on a set of polished American Torq-Thrust II spools, 17x7-inch front and 17x11-inch rear, wrapped by BFGoodrich P235/45R17 front and P275/60R17 rear rubber.