After viewing some early renderings of the soon to be released (at that time) SSR, Chris Courtney had visions of bridging the generation gap his own way. With a Chevy S-10 on his hands and dreams of a topless classic truck in his head, this truck's owner saw potential. The potential to create his masterpiece stemmed from a nose kit he saw in a magazine that advertised a conversion turning S-10s into Rodsters. With a truck purchased for the paltry sum of $500, Chris and the S-10 were headed for greatness even if they didn't see it coming. Some years later, Chris now has a shelf full of show trophies. He did it almost entirely by hand, and for far less money than most.
Under the beater Chevy truck Chris purchased, he started by removing the entire front clip and all its accompanying hardware. The frame horns were modified per the kit's instructions to make way for the classic front end to come. Belltech items were installed to give the truck a hot-rod stance, with the final measurements coming in at a 3-inch front and 5-inch rear suspension drop. Fifteen-inch American Racing Hopsters wheels were shod with classic BFGoodrich rubber, adding to the unique aged persona Chris was aiming for. Tire sizes come back at 195/60R15 front and 265/50R15 rear.
Part of the reason the Bow Tie was so darn inexpensive when purchased was that it didn't have an engine. That was remedied by dropping a 350ci V-8 small-block between the S-10s rails. The engine was modified with a Crane cam, a polished Edelbrock intake manifold, and a Holley Avenger carburetor topped by a Holley PowerCharger air cleaner. A chrome alternator keeps the fires lit, and a Mallory HEI distributor lights the cylinders. Ceramic-coated Hedman headers move waste through twin Flowmaster mufflers being routed through a quad-tip exhaust out the back of the topless pickup. Power from the small-block engine mates to a Turbo 350 transmission with quick shifting action provided by a B&M shifter.
 The conversion nose of this...  The conversion nose of this truck can be found at www.rodster.com. |  With no roof, the all-metal...  With no roof, the all-metal tonneau cover really became the focal point on top Covered in vinyl and with speedster-style bumps, it makes things look fantastic from up high. |  |