The Losh Family’s Triumphant Return

Mike Losh shocked us all when he built his ’67 C-10 and debuted it at SEMA a little while back. What took us all by surprise was the attention to detail that Mike lavished on the truck. It wasn’t just a completely finished, pavement-pounding ride, it also had a vintage theme that ran from top to bottom. Like truck builds are for so many others, the C-10 was a labor of love. The truck started as a mild project that snowballed, eventually taking nine years to complete, hence the name Cloud 9.

The truck was a huge success and it did well promoting Mike’s new venture making fiberglass inner fenders with clearance for airbagged 1967-72 C-10s. Cloud 9 combined with the Slosh Tubz product has definitely been a game changer in the scene. Mike was on a roll, and he knew he had to do something else to continue to support his business.

MIKE STARTED BY BORROWING SHOP SPACE AT STREET DRIVEN CUSTOMS IN BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS AND TORE THE TRUCK DOWN TO BARE BONES.”

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As the buzz grew about Slosh Tubz, Mike decided to expand the product line to cover 1973-87 C-10s. His mind was set to invest in the next best thing, and he started developing a plan to find a good starting vehicle. His wife Sarah suggested an SUV of the same body style, instead of another truck with limited seating.

Wasting no time, Mike called up good friend Tuffy Barnes, who happens to be a repo man about finding SUVs of desired eras. Two days after returning from SEMA with Cloud 9, Mike and Sarah were the new owners of this ’87 GMC Jimmy 4×4, Square Peg.

Mike’s actually been building vehicles for the majority of his life. He and his grandfather James Harrison wrenched together when Mike was young. With years of experience under his belt and one top-notch truck finished, Mike was ready to dig into the classic SUV.

Mike started by borrowing shop space at Street Driven Customs in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he tore the truck down to bare bones. With the factory frame stripped of the original suspension, a Scott’s Hotrods Super Slam independent front was put in place to convert the truck to two-wheel drive. This new IFS system not only updated the chassis, but it also allowed for the use of Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags to set the truck directly on the pavement. The front was upgraded with Scott’s Hotrods torsion-style sway bar and Classic Performance Parts SOS 73-87 dropped spindles and big brake kit.

Starting fresh in the rear, a new frame from the firewall back was made out of 2×4-inch steel. Letting the rear of the Jimmy sit down is a Scott’s Hotrods Super Slam parallel 4-link with pan hard bar used in combination with Ridetech F9100 airbags. To help tuck in the rear wheels, the rearend was narrowed a total of 5 inches before receiving an Auburn Gear posi, 4.11:1 gears and Moser axles. The entire suspension was upgraded with Energy Suspension bushings and QA1 Street Star billet adjustable shocks. The entire chassis was smoothed and painted by Gary Angel of Street Driven Customs, while an AccuAir air management system was added to control height adjustments.

Powering the Jimmy is a 5.3L Chevy LS engine that has a Camaro intake and oil pan. It was modernized with an MSD LS Atomic Injection system but has a retro look with the custom coil covers. With help from Gary Angel, these were made by taking two valve covers from ’50s inline- six engines and sectioning them down to fit. The engine was also upgraded with an Eddie Motorsports S-Drive serpentine system for form and function. Clean air comes in from a K&N filter and spent gases exit through a Hooker ceramic titanium-coated exhaust manifold connected to a custom Flowmaster exhaust built by Mike and Gary that uses two HP2 mufflers. Keeping the engine cool is a custom-made aluminum radiator with dual electric fans from Flex-a-lite. Behind the power plant is a 4l60E transmission that has a Painless Performance Products Perfect Torc transmission controller. A CPP slip-joint two-piece driveshaft links the transmission to the rearend.

Like with Cloud 9, Square Peg’s body was taken back to look like the vehicle just rolled off the factory lot. With help from LMC Truck, many of the glass pieces were replaced, along with the side trim and tailgate band. Then the body was painted by Kyle Gambrel of Laid Back Recreations in ’60s Volkswagen Turquoise created with BASF paint and chosen by Sarah. To finish it off, a set of bumpers, miscellaneous glass, latches and other pieces were obtained through Classic Parts of America. Finishing the look on the outside is a set of one-off 22-inch Budnik wheels designed to look like a “square peg.” Then they were wrapped in Atturo AZ800 tires.

When it came time to attack the interior, Mike knew he had to do something special because this SUV has more inside space than a truck of the same body style. Starting up front, Mike and Chip Fredrick fit a 1962 C-10 dash that was widened 3 inches and extended down by 4 inches. The dash was shaved a bit and a Dakota Digital VHX gauge cluster and AC controls that dictate the Vintage Air Magnum AC unit were added. Underneath is an ididit tilt steering column with firewall mount and Budnik billet steering wheel. Stitch Rod and Trim then stepped in to finish the interior, including a custom center console that houses the AccuAir controller and the controller for the hidden Kicker audio system.

Continuing on to the seating arrangements, Mike decided to implement a set of bucket seats from a 2009 Honda Accord. Beside them is a pair of heavily modified Rod Doors door panels. The custom-made rear seats were built into the raised rear floor structure. Under the Bed Wood and Parts canary wood false floor lies a Kinetik battery, two Kicker 10-inch subwoofers, air tanks and AccuAir VU-4 valve body for the air ride suspension. After the interior was configured, Laid Back Recreations applied Lizard Skin spray-on insulation, and then some Stinger Roadkill sound deadener was applied. Stitch Rod and Trim covered everything in tan leather with a few strategically placed plaid inserts.

Once completed, this Jimmy made big waves in the truck scene and has furthered the popularity of Slosh Tubz. The Losh family has definitely established themselves as more than able to create jaw-dropping rides. Word is that they’ve already started on their next big project, and we’re sure that it’s on its way to being another hit. Until then, we’ll just have to settle for gawking at this stunning Jimmy. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Sarah Losh
1987 GMC Jimmy
Siloam Springs, AR

ENGINE

• 5.3L Chevy LS engine
• Camaro intake and oil pan
• MSD LS Atomic injection
• Eddie Motorsports S-Drive system
• Hooker Headers ceramic titanium-coated exhaust manifolds
• Flowmaster stainless exhaust with HP2 mufflers all built by Gary Angel of Street Driven Customs
• Lokar Midnight Series dipsticks and throttle cables
• Custom “GMC” coil covers by Mike Losh and Gary Angel
• Engine paint, assembly, detail work by Gary and Tom Angel
• Flex-a-lite custom-built aluminum radiator and dual fans
• K&N air filter
• Royal Purple oil and fluids
• Fesler Built engine bolts and detail pieces
• Stainless fuel cell supplied by Arte Busche Designs and built by Spencer Johnson
• Tanks, fuel pump and sending unit
• 4l60E transmission painted and detailed by Gary Angel
• Painless Performance Products Perfect Torc transmission controller and 18-circuit wiring harness installed by Brock Payton, Tom and Gary Angel and Stephen Wright
• Specialty Power Windows remote-mount windshield wiper kit and power window wiring
• Miscellaneous wiring accessories and junction blocks from com and Stinger
• Classic Performance Products two-piece driveshaft
• Chevy 12-bolt rearend narrowed a total of 5 inches by Charles Mayhew of Mayhew Race Cars
• Moser axles and 4.11:1 gears
• Auburn posi differential

SUSPENSION

• Scott’s Hotrods Super Slam IFS welded in the completely smoothed/boxed and modified front stock frame horns
• Scott’s Hotrods front torsion-style sway bar
• Classic Performance Products power rack-and- pinion, SOS dropped spindles and big brake kit with cross-drilled and slotted rotors on all four corners
• Scott’s Hotrods under dash brake booster
• Firewall back custom 4×2 frame built by Mike Losh and Chip Fredrick
• Scotts Hotrods Super Slam rear 4-link with pan hard bar and modified ’bag mounts
• QA1 billet adjustable Street Star shocks
• Energy Suspension bushings all the way around
• Complete Chassis bodywork and paint by Gary Angel of Street Driven Customs
• AccuAir air management system
• Lowrider Depot twin aluminum 5-gallon tanks
• Viair dual 480 compressors

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×8.5 and 22×10 Budnik one-off custom billet 22-inch wheels designed to look like a “square peg” by Alan and Sheila Budnik
• 255/30R22 and 285/35R22 Atturo AZ800 tires

BODY & PAINT

• 1978 Chevrolet Blazer front clip with replacement grille from Classic Parts of America
• BASF paint to resemble ’60s VW Turquoise, Glasurit primer and clear products
• Bodywork, paint, wet sanding and buffing by Kyle of Laid Back Recreations
• Delta Lights HID headlights
• Dakota Digital LED taillights
• LMC Truck parts, glass, power window motors, tailgate band and miscellaneous bright work
• Classic Parts of America bumpers, glass, side moldings, latches and miscellaneous pieces
• Precision Restoration supplied all rubber parts including windshield gaskets, door rubbers, bumpers and top gaskets
• Slosh Tubz custom inner fenders in engine compartment
• Bead-rolled firewall, under-hood panel, side panels, core support and radiator shroud panels by Gary Angel of Street Driven Customs
• Sisco Scissors aluminum hood hinges by Sisco’s Fabrication
• CoverKing matching plaid car cover

INTERIOR

• Shop: Stitch Rod and Trim owned by Chuck Bench
• 1962 Chevy truck dash by Mike Losh and Chip Fredrick
• Custom center console
• 2009 Accord coupe front bucket seats modified with Katzkin leather covers with plaid inserts
• Rod Doors door panels highly modified by Chuck Bench
• Dakota Digital VHX gauges and AC control unit
• Ididit chrome tilt column and firewall mount
• Budnik Stratos steering wheel with custom- stitched grip by Chuck Bench
• ACC gross point carpet installed by James Carter of Bitchin Stitchin
• Clayton Machine Works gas pedal, brake pedal and AC vents
• Vintage Air Magnum AC unit
• Bed Wood and Parts, custom rear subfloor with canary wood and beautiful inlays
• Wood finished, wet sanded and buffed to perfection by Gary Angel of Street Driven Customs
• Lizard skin from Street Driven Customs applied by Laid Back Recreations
• Stinger Roadkill sound deadener
• Kicker PXiRCX iPod remote control unit used in lieu of head unit, IX 500.4 amp, IX 500.2 amp, crossover, 6-inch component speakers and 10- inch subs
• Custom boxes built and system installed by Brock Payton
• Kinetik HC1800 BLU

Special Thanks From Owner: Chip Fredrick for letting me use his shop for six months and helping me with all of the chassis and floor pan modifications; Gary and Tom Angel of Street Driven Customs for countless hours of labor and shop use; Kyle of Laid Back Recreations for 2 ½ months of sleepless nights busting out the paint and bodywork; Brock Payton and Stephen Wright for tons of wiring/problem- solving work, Chuck Benck for coming up with some amazing interior ideas and just knocking it out of the park; Keg Media for killing yet another rendering and helping me along the way; Tuffy Barnes for finding me the Jimmy to start the whole build; Jason’s Pro Detail for all of his help along the way; John Althaus of Painless Performance Products for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to set up in the middle of Hot Rod Alley at SEMA 2013 representing the best wiring products on the planet and Street Trucks Magazine for giving me the “foot in the door” with Cloud 9 and helping kick start this great journey for the Mike and Sarah Losh family.

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