Not Quite as Easy as 1-2-3

NOT EVERYONE IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL TRUCK STILL, BUT THOSE WHO DO HAVE A SPECIAL BOND WITH THEIR NOSTALGIC RIDES. Those formative years are filled with newfound freedom, friendship and in many cases an eagerness to start wrenching. Alas, most of us eventually move on to the next shiny thing that attracts our attention without realizing until years later that we shouldn’t have lost that lovin’ feelin’. Sorry, we just saw “Top Gun” on Netflix.

Matt Jackson of Kingsburg, California, is one of those guys who still has his first truck, a ’55 Chevy. From the get-go, he wanted to customize it, and even had it ’bagged early on. The problem was even though the truck looked nice, the work underneath wasn’t the greatest. The air ride setup was crude, and it wasn’t very reliable.

The truck remained as it was for a while before Matt eventually decided to give it a makeover, but this time he wanted to do things quite a bit differently. For one, he wanted to do away with the air ride. We get it, sometimes you just need a change. Matt wanted to take his truck a lot further than before, and that meant practically everything else about it would have to change as well.

Since Matt is all about setting goals, he decided that he wanted to introduce his finished masterpiece to the world at a big show. He didn’t have his eyes on just any show, however, he wanted to debut his truck among the giants at the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS). With such a legendary event as his target, Matt knew his truck could be nothing less than perfect. To that end, he had nothing to worry about, since one of his best friends is Russell Zulim, one of the owners of Double Z Hot Rods. With a one-year timeline to work with, however, Double Z had to move quickly to make it happen.

Even with this truncated schedule in front of them, no expense was spared on Matt’s build. In the interest of time, but without sacrificing quality, they ordered an Art Morrison chassis, which took care of the frame, suspension and accommodations for the forthcoming drivetrain in one shot.

The engine of choice was an LS3 out of a 2014 Corvette, with a beefy 6L80E bolted on right behind it for reliable shifting, and a custom Ford 9-inch rearend was added for durability. With the Art Morrison 4-link rear suspension, coil-overs with JRI shocks all around and 20-inch Mobsteel wheels with Goodyear tires, Matt’s truck was set up to handle as much as it was to haul ass.

Once that sweet piece of chassis was buttoned up and ready to rock, Russell, Kellen, Tony and Jimmy from Double Z moved on to prepping the cab and bed to wow the crowds in Pomona. One of the most stunning yet understated parts of the truck is the custom grille, which is reminiscent of that on a tri-five Bel-Air. The rest of the front end was also modded subtly with tucked bumpers and Euro-style headlights.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE TRUCK PULLED A LOT OF ATTENTION ALL WEEKEND LONG, AND IT EVEN EARNED A SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN THE VERY COMPETITIVE SEMICUSTOM TRUCK CLASS.”

As you can see, there were lots of other changes made, but even so, the truck is classy. A custom firewall and radiator cover were incorporated into the engine bay and the tailgate was rebuilt with 2013 Silverado hardware. The bed floor was bejeweled with a Bedwood Parts dark walnut kit with aluminum strips, and each plank was cleared five times for a deep shine.

When the cab and bed were finally ready, Jimmy Teague (who operates as Jimmy T Paint within the walls of Double Z Hot Rods) laid down the beautiful BASF UNO HD paint in custom mixes of blue and white. He then shot loads of Glasurit clear to bury the color and achieve a wet shine.

With the exterior work complete, Carlos and his team from Wall & Eades in Fresno, California, began the work of transforming the interior of the truck, using a custom console built by Kellen as a focal point. Plenty of leather covers the cab from top to bottom, with matched Cerullo seats giving Matt and his copilot a comfortable place to enjoy the road. As the crowning touch, a 15- inch 1956 Bel-Air-style steering wheel was bolted onto the tilt column.

Making it down to the Grand National Roadster Show was a tight race, but with the crew at Double Z Hot Rods, Jimmy T Paint, Wall & Eades and some ultra-last-minute help from Andy and his gang at Takao Metal Works on the exhaust and fuel system, the truck debuted without a hitch at Double Z’s GNRS booth.

As you can imagine, the truck pulled a lot of attention all weekend long, and it even earned a second-place finish in the very competitive Semi-Custom Truck class. Yeah, that’s how crazy GNRS is, Matt’s truck was considered mild. Nevertheless, Matt can now enjoy his ’55 on the streets of Kingsburg, and we’re sure it’ll make its way down south again very soon.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Matt Jackson
1955 Chevy Task Force
Kingsburg, CA

ENGINE

• 2014 Chevy LS3 engine
• Hooker headers
• Custom exhaust by Takao Metal Works using Magnaflow mufflers
• Street & Performance wiring
• Vintage Air serpentine belt system
• Customized and painted engine cover
• 6L80E automatic transmission
• Custom fuel tank

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Work performed by Double Z Hot Rods/Takao Metal Works
• Art Morrison chassis
• Ford 9-inch rearend with Strange axles
• Art Morrison 4-link
• Coil-overs with JRI shocks
• Wilwood brakes all around

WHEELS & TIRES

• 20×8 and 20×9 Mobsteel steelie wheels
• 235/40R20 and 245/45R20 Goodyear tires

PAINT & BODY

• Work performed by Double Z Hot Rods and Jimmy T Paint
• Custom-shaped grille
• Custom firewall and wheel wells
• Custom radiator cover
• Tucked bumpers
• Tailgate modified with 2013 Silverado innards
• Smoothed doorjambs and dashboard
• Bedwood Parts bed floor kit
• BASF paint in custom blue and white
• Glasurit clearcoat

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Work performed by Wall & Eades Auto Upholstery and Kellen Isaac
• Custom door panels and rear cab panel in brown leather
• Cerullo seats
• Dynamat sound deadener
• Custom brown carpet
• Custom center console
• Classic Instruments gauges
• Vintage Air AC kit
• Tilt steering column
• 15-inch 1956 Bel-Air-style steering wheel
• Kenwood head unit and speakers

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Thanks to Double Z Hot Rods: Russell, Greg, Jimmy, Kellen, Tony and Danny. I’d also like to thank Carlos and crew at Wall & Eades, Andy and crew at Takao Metal Works and Art Morrison Enterprises.”

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