This Resto Rod Pickup is Built to Sting the Competition

It used to be that a custom vehicle was one that just looked good. It had the paint, interior and other things that a custom needed to look the part. Sure, it may have had a set of headers and a four-barrel carburetor, but if money was to be spent, it was spent on spicing up the look.

Now to be considered worthy of a win, it needs to be able to perform on the track as well. Take this beautiful ’57 Chevrolet pickup. It has a killer paint job over a body that has been subtly modified, but one that has also been straightened and massaged to perfection. There isn’t a wave or blemish to be found and that’s how it’s supposed to be. Owner Bill Dowling wanted a truck that could deliver the hardware when he entered shows and that means visually it had to be stunning both inside and out. And it is. But it’s much more than just pretty.

RRC Fabrication & Speed in Upland, California, is a shop that while able to produce show winners based on their looks, also has a serious racing background. RRC owner Bill Richman has been building winners of the modified short track sort since he began turning wrenches, so when he was tasked with this Chevy, he talked Dowling into making it something special.

Richman began this complex build with a simple phone call to the crew at Total Cost Involved. TCI builds everything from stand- alone suspension pieces to entire frames that are ready to go. That’s what Richman and Dowling wanted for their project: an entire frame. Gone is the stock, riveted-together frame with suspension that was dated a year after it was built, and in its place is a welded steel unit that not only gives the Chevy a much more stable platform, it handles better to boot.

The TCI unit features a Mustang II front end, and those along with a set of TCI 2-inch dropped spindles assist in getting the truck low at ride height. GM- based disc brakes with slotted and drilled rotors on all four corners provide sure stopping power and replacement parts that are easy to acquire, while a pair of TCI anti- sway bars provides stabilization through the fastest corners. The TCI 4-link rear suspension holds aloft a Ford 9-inch rearend that has been narrowed 1-inch and fitted with a posi unit and 3.70 gears. Because the truck was built as a show contender, it had to have the drop factor, so the decision was made to use air rather than springs for the suspension. RRC used a system from Air Ride Technologies, which included airbags and control monitor along with the required pump and tank.

Rather than simply use the supplied hoses however, RRC fabbed up some stainless steel hardline to connect the points. It may be overkill, but RRC wanted it to match the stainless lines it made for the braking system. The result is ultra clean to say the least. Adding to the clean is the 17 x 9-inch, five- spoke Coys wheels that have been equipped with Capital Sport tires (Front: 225-50-17, Rear: 235-55-17).

“IF AND WHEN I DO BUILD ANOTHER ONE, I WILL GO WITH RRC FAB & SPEED AGAIN.”

The combination of a highperformance frame, suspension system and brakes makes this a meets the eye. Of course, that isn’t to say that what does meet the eye isn’t pleasing, too. To say that the condition of the vehicle at purchase was poor is an understatement. Incomplete would probably be a better word, but RRC worked with what they had and the result couldn’t have made Dowling happier. He wanted a super clean, resto- based ride and he got one. RRC removed the door handles and added one-piece windows (tinted green, of course) and added a third brake light along the top of the cab, but that was really all to the body mods; unless of course you don’t count removing years of bends and creases from the sheet metal. They also flushed the firewall and made a custom aluminum enclosure to hide all of the wiring and A/C lines.

With those small yet custom touches done, it was time for the PPG Green and Lite Green paint to be applied. Once the color was down, a gray separation stripe was added before the entire truck was cleared with multiple coats. When the truck was reassembled, a few lighting tricks were added. A set of cool Tri-Bar headlights point the way, while super bright LED lights were installed into the rear housings. Who says safety can’t look good?

In days gone by, the interior of a truck was a hard place for hard men. Thankfully, customizers have taken the best ideas of interior comfort and added them to resto rods and this Chevy is no exception. RRC modified a set of bucket seats from a Toyota Tacoma (they removed the headrests) and then stitched them up with a combination of gray outers with light suede inners. There’s even a nice green ostrich leather accent on them. This color combination is used throughout the door panels, headliner and carpeting and works great with the green exterior.

The steel dash was painted green and enhanced with a full Dakota Digital analog gauge cluster. Other tricks include mounting the controls for the Air Ride Technologies system where the radio used to be and adding the vents for the Classic Auto Air air-conditioning system. The stereo is an Alpine AM/FM/CD that uses remote control to work and even comes with Bluetooth capabilities. Topping off the interior is a CFR Performance steering wheel.

A vintage ’69 Chevrolet 350 engine has been bored 10-over and balanced in preparation for a host of high-performance pieces. A GM steel crank connects to stock rods, albeit with ARP rod bolts, while the TRW pistons and rings combine with rebuilt camel hump heads to provide a 9.3:1 compression ratio. A CFR aluminum pulley system makes sure that everything is aligned properly and the Melling double-roller timing chain ensures the engine has a long life. A Comp Cams Thumpr camshaft can pass a lot of fuel, so a 600-cfm Edelbrock carburetor and Edelbrock intake manifold makes sure that the engine gets fed plenty of it. Plenty of air is assured thanks to the RPC 15-inch oval air cleaner, while the RPC chrome valve covers just look cool. A GM HEI ignition system provides hot spark, while the spent exhaust is funneled from dual 2.5-inch headers into a single 3.5-inch muffler.

The engine build, done by Star Performance (which is actually a subsidiary of RRC Fab and Speed), resulted in a respectable 420 rwhp. Getting that power to the rearend is done by a Turbo 350 that has been overhauled by Chino Hills Transmission. It features a 1,800- rpm stall converter from a mid ’80s Corvette and is cooled with a Derale trans cooler. Connecting the final dot is the custom driveshaft that was done by JE Reel out of Pomona, California.

“It was my first build,” said owner Bill Dowling, “and it was a doozy.” It took 14 months to build the Chevy, but he is very happy with the results, “getting an award at the first show makes it all worth it.” He goes on to say that “if and when I do build another one, I will go with RRC Fab & Speed again.”

The result is that taken as a whole, this is a truck with everything it needs to compete and win against the best out there. With its powerful engine, high-end frame and brakes, it’s a contender at an autocross track and simply taking a look will convince even the toughest judges that it deserves to take home major show-n-shine trophies. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Bill Dowling
1957 Chevrolet Pickup
Upland, CA Cal Rods

ENGINE

• Shops: RRC Fabrication & Speed/Star Performance/Chino Hills Transmission
• 1969 Chevrolet 350 SBC V-8
• ARP fasteners
• TRW pistons
• CFR aluminum pulleys
• Comp Cams Thumpr camshaft
• Edelbrock intake manifold
• Edelbrock 600-cfm carburator
• RPC air cleaner and valve covers
• Turbo 350 transmission

SUSPENSION

• Shop: RRC Fabrication & Speed
• TCI chassis
• Mustang-II front suspension
• TCI 2-inch dropped spindles
• GM disc brakes
• 4-link
• Ford 9-inch rearend with 70 gears
• RideTech Shockwaves

WHEELS & TIRES

• 17×9-inch Coys Wheels
• 225/50 & 235/55R17 Capitol Sport tires

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: RRC Fabrication & Speed
• Shaved door handles
• One-piece windows
• Flushed firewall
• Hidden wiring
• PPG Green and Lite Green paint
• Tri-Bar headlights
• LED taillights

INTERIOR

• Shop: RRC Fabrication & Speed
• Toyota Tacoma seats
• Gray suede and leather
• Classic Auto Air A/C
• CFR Performance billet steering wheel
• Alpine sound system

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