Jason Mulligan
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February 11, 2026
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Features
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RICK AMADO
This clean, radically modified, yet subtle ’48 Chevy actually started out its build life as a collection of various parts from numerous trucks. The cab is primarily from a ’48 1 ½-ton flat bed farm truck from the orchards of Fresno, California. But in total three cabs were used, eight doors, three hoods, three grilles, a long bed and a long bed set of running boards. The various parts were needed to complete the long list of body mods and reshaping that would be done at Ironworks Speed & Kustom in Bakersfield, California.
Initial plans were for Frank and Mary Lawrence to piece together a little hot rod cruiser for Mary as a tribute to her father, who owned a ‘48 Chevrolet pickup. Mary and her father shared many memories in the truck going to and from school throughout her childhood. Of course, the mild hot rod tribute build escalated into a full custom Goodguys 2012 Early Truck of the Year winner that left very little untouched. In fact, the only two parts on the entire truck that are still factory are the rear center glass on the back of the cab and the glove box latch. The rest is a handcrafted piece of metal magic that offers tons of radical custom mods done with correct proportions and a clean look in mind.
The build began with hand-crafted metalwork at Ironworks Speed & Kustom, where owner Rodger Lee and the crew didn’t want to simply repair some of the rust and damage on the 60-plus- year-old cab but sought to rework the entire proportions and profile of the classic pickup. The body was stretched on the once tall and stubby profile by incorporating parts and panels from eight different doors in order to lengthen the Chevy’s doors 3 inches. The cab was chopped 1 ½ inches, moving the rear window down in the process, and 1 ¾ inches were carefully sectioned from the length of the cab. Even with all of this metal-work to reshape the cab, the rest of the body panels would see even more mods. Taking a cue from kustom sleds of the past, three hoods were donated to the sectioned and sloped nose. The recognizable grille bars were narrowed 3 inches. Each individual bar was tapered to match the hood line and mount independently to the fenders for a clean, free-flowing look. The front fenders were widened and the wheel openings were recontoured. Turn signals from a 1957 pickup were added below the headlights, and a unique 1969 Karmann Ghia bumper was cut down and extended to flow into the front end and chromed along with all of the remaining plating by Sherms Plating in Sacramento. Finishing off the nose job is a custom billet emblem made to mimic the factory piece but with raised lettering and speed lines. Billet Specialties mirrors were added, the factory door handles were converted to electric in order to pop the doors, and a custom set of billet hood hinges were included.
The rest of the truck saw just as much metal attention. Ironworks started with a long bed that was shortened to meet the extended cab, and then the bed was raised 4 inches for a cleaner profile. The rear fenders were recontoured to match the front set and the running boards were completely reworked to meet the raised bed and bobbed fenders. The rear of the bed was completely smoothed and all of the gaps were tightened before custom latches and Greening Auto Company taillights were installed. A 1971 C-10 step side bumper was used out back after being sectioned and narrowed to fit tightly to the custom roll pan. A raised white oak floor rests in the bed milled from timber by Frank’s brother Arnold. The bed was then tinted and sealed at Quality Refinishing. Gas shocks lift two of the hinged slats to provide access to the battery, gas filler and other accessories. Once all of the handcrafted metalwork was finished, the body was worked to perfection before Palmer’s Paint & Body in Camarillo got their hands on it to drape the truck in a custom mix of BASF Glasurit paint that they’ve dubbed Naughty Spice.
The chassis was boxed in and custom 1 ½-inch, .120-wall tubular cross members were added to support a custom suspension that features adjustable Ride Tech coil-overs. The frame was powder coated. A GM 12-bolt with Currie Enterprises axles and Ford bearing ends (no C-clips needed) with a custom 4-link attached to handle the corners were also installed. A set of Wilwood Pro-Spindle and six-piston and four-piston brakes were installed to the front and rear respectively to stop the 19 x 8 and 19 x 9-inch Schott Mod 5 billet wheels wrapped in Bridgestone 245/45 and 285/45 tires.
Under the one-off hood, sandwiched between a custom smoothed firewall and core support sits a powerful modern engine putting out more than 600 horses. A GM LSX 376 6.2L motor with an LS2 oil pan for clearance outfitted with a Magnuson 2300 TVS supercharger with a 90mm FAST throttle body makes plenty of power. A full Vintage Air Frontrunner kit was also installed with a custom air intake sporting a K&N filter. The coils were relocated to the frame rails and McMillian’s Speed & Fab, using the ISIS system, expertly wired the truck. The engine was dressed up with Billet Specialties valve covers, XRP hoses and custom cloth wiring. The engine is backed by a Hughes Performance 4L60E transmission with a custom driveshaft. A custom exhaust system using a 2 ½-inch X-pipe setup and Magnaflow mufflers was created at Ironworks and coated in Alumacoat. Cooling everything off is an Auto Radiator Co. radiator with a 16-inch SPAL electric fan.
The final aspect of the custom build was the interior. Rodger left the truck in the capable hands of Ron Mangus Interiors in Rialto, California. But first, the Ironworks crew reworked the factory dash to accept a custom billet glove box, ashtray, speaker cover and dash insert that were digitized then milled off factory parts. The door panels and Glide Engineering bench seat were also reworked; Ron Mangus Interiors wrapped the seats and panels in Italian Butterscotch leather with suede inserts. The floor was hit with German square-weave removable carpet inserts to showcase the leather floorboards, while the headliner is a custom single piece of formed leather. A pair of Classic Instrument gauges was installed with a Flaming River steering column topped off with a custom 1954 Chevrolet reproduction steering wheel. Then came the power options that were nearly endless thanks to the ISIS wiring system. Specialty Power Windows were installed and a mild sound system featuring an 8-inch Kicker subwoofer and two-way component speakers controlled via a hidden Alpine head unit. Finally, a custom set of three-point seat belts retracts into the back of the cab for an even cleaner look.
Once the ’48 was nearly finished, the bug to further son-in-law Andy’s own build, a ‘60 Ford F-100, to the level of quality of the ’48 hit the hot rod-loving family. In the meantime, Naughty Spice picked up the prestigious Goodguys Early Truck of the Year award in 2012 and now the pair of classic trucks show side by side. Currently, Ironworks Speed & Kustom has a few other custom trucks and muscle cars in the works. We cannot wait to see what hits the circuit next. ST
FRANK & MARY LAWRENCE
1948 CHEVROLET 3100 W5 PICKUP
BAKERSFIELD, CA
PUSHRODS BAKERSFIELD
ENGINE
SUSPENSION
CHASSIS
BODY
WHEELS
INTERIOR
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