It's usually hard enough to have one sick ride, but having two matching hot rods screams badass! Jesse Sawyer of Milwaukee lives and breathes for his toys and with what he has created, who could blame him? In one corner, we find Jesse tucked behind the steering wheel of a 'bagged '67 Chevy C10, and in the other, Jesse sits atop his Porkchop Custom Cycles chopper. Baller City for sure.
Jesse tells us it wasn't all peaches and cream during the buildup of his truck. A few speed bumps reared their ugly heads and nearly brought Jesse's plans to a grinding halt. To begin with, the shop that built the stainless-steel brake and transmission lines forgot to put the truck in Park, and the truck rolled off the lift, destroying the front end and requiring all new metal and paint. After the frame was completed and painted, one of Jesse's family members pointed out the frame was bent, requiring Jesse to get another frame and start all over again. Adding salt to Jesse's already deepening wounds, about a mile from NOPI Nationals in Atlanta, the 350 small-block powering the cruiser gave up the ghost. At this point, most enthusiasts would turn to sewing as a new hobby, but Jesse persevered.
Jesse's '67 C10 is sitting on a stock frame with a smattering of aftermarket suspension. Early Classic drop spindles and disc brakes ride up and down on Air Ride Technologies 'bags and shocks in front, while the rear suspension sees duty from the OE trailing arms fitted with Air Ride Technologies equipment as well. The fully detailed undercarriage stays free of debris thanks to Air Ride's Ride Pro system featuring 3/8-inch lines and valves, one 3-gallon tank, and one 2-gallon tank. It took Jesse three attempts to get it all in the way he saw fit. His rolling ware of choice are 22-inch Elite Indis at all four rolling points with Pirelli 265/35R22 Scorpions doing traction control.
Under the hood of Jesse's Hulk-green cruiser is an incredibly detailed engine compartment. Foremost on the list is the 0.30-over '77 350 loaded with go-fast goodies from Edelbrock, including the cam and intake. The motor, built by Authenic Auto, is nicely chromed to contrast the lime-green engine compartment. The Edelbrock valve covers and air cleaner, the alternator, all the engine brackets, the battery tray, and the radiator hoses are all covered in the shiny stuff. What isn't chromed is either painted to match or is polished aluminum. Lighting the ignition is an MSD distributor pushing voltage through 8mm Taylor wires. Dispensing with the used internal fires are Dynomax ceramic-coated headers and a complete 2.5-inch Flowmaster exhaust. Horsepower is a healthy 325 at the wheels. The mild 350 turns a built B&M Turbo 350 transmission and a driveshaft that, at 2.5 inches shorter, makes the 3.73 Posi rearend go 'round and 'round.
If you think the exterior of Jesse's truck is nothing to sneeze at, then soak this up: Every panel on this C10 is either factory original or N.O.S. (new old stock) in perfect condition. No Bondo or re-pops on this truck rod. The only aftermarket equipment on the body of the '67 are the gas filler - still in the original location - and the Sir Michael's roll pan out back. Kandyland Auto in Milwaukee is responsible for the arrow-smooth body and the DuPont lime-green coloring on the metal surfaces. H4 halogen-style clear-lens headlights were sourced from Street Beatz, and the taillights are OE '32 Ford Model A units. Triple-plated chrome adorns the OE grille trim and bed side steps. Keeping the chrome-versus-green theme going, the '67's front bumper was sent to California for a dip in the chrome tanks at Bumper Boys.
Inside the Chevy, the green hue is no less abundant. Covering the floor is ACC carpet in Lime Lite green. On the as-delivered bench seat, you'll find vinyl and cloth stitched together in contrasting green hues to match the door panels, headliner, and dashpad. A LeCarra steering wheel is nostalgically styled and is also - green. Jax's Seat Cover in Milwaukee is the interior supplier of choice for Jesse's all-green extravaganza. As a matter of fact, the only thing you'll find in Jesse's rig that isn't green or chrome is the custom-made gauge panel and glovebox door. Those two items are actually made from 3/4-inch Oak and stuffed under major coats of clear for protection. Jesse keeps tabs on engine vitals with Auto Meter gauges.
For entertainment, the C10's standard cab has a few things to make driving pleasurable, but there is a twist that few would notice: At first glance, a casual onlooker would see the factory-like head unit in the original uncut dash location and not think anything of it. That particular head unit is actually a Custom Auto Sound head and it works - absolutely nothing. It was placed there to give an old-school feel to Jesse's interior. The real head is hiding behind the glovebox panel with the air control switches and gauges. A Pioneer DEH P840MP gets the musical signals and passes them off to two Rockford Fosgate amps - a Punch 225X4 and a Punch 800. Under the seat is a Kandyland Auto-built box holding two 8-inch JL Audio subs, while mids and highs come from Pioneer 6-inch three-ways mounted in the kick panels and Pioneer 5.5-inch two-ways set into the dash. Minus the subwoofer box, the audio install is all Jesse, as is most of this truck.
With this truck completed, Jesse says he already has a new feature for us in the works. With the attention to detail and the steadfast work habits of this man, we can't wait to see what he has in store for us next. Jesse would like to thank his friends in the Unique Classic Car Club, Kandyland Auto Body, Jax's Seat Covers, Extreme Muffler and Brakes, Authenic Auto Body, and on top of it all his fiance, Natasha, for putting up with the long nights and time spent in the garage - like we can't relate.
Doin' The Pork Chop
You'd have to be blind to not notice Jesse's matching chopper in the photos. Jesse commissioned Porkchop Custom Cycles to build his two-wheel toy. Porkchop began the build with a Dakota Thunder frame measuring in with a 4-inch backbone stretch and 6-inch downtube extension. The neck of the frame is set at 40 degrees, but with the American Suspension frontend, the trees add six more degrees for a total fork rake of 46 degrees. A 107-inch S&S polished mill stuffs the opening in the frame and feeds power back to the Delkron-cased tranny with a 3-inch BDL open primary. Shifting through all five gears is by way of Rev Tech gears. The body on Jesse's chopper is a mish-mash of big-name suppliers. The gas tank is from Independent, the front fender is a Fat Katz piece, and the rear is from Milwaukee Iron. DuPont's fine-lime hue is covered stem to stern by Kandyland. Jesse chose 21-inch front and 18-inch rear Reeper rims and had Metzeler tires supply him with a 90/90H21 front and 240/40R18 rear. Finishing touches include pieces from Arlen Ness, Billy Lane, Harley Davidson, Pro One, and Paul Yaffe.
Not only did Jesse put everything he had in his truck, he also made an incredible attempt at completing a motorcycle that will turn heads on its own and complete his vision of a show-stopping combo. With the building of Jesse's new truck, he tells us the bike is headed back into the garage for a redo to match the next vision. Ride on Jesse, 'cause you're dew-in it.