When an artist wants to express himself in the medium of metal, he often chooses the malleable properties of copper or bronze to shape a sculpture. Wayne Moore selected steel-in the form of a '48 Chevy pickup-to create his rolling artwork. Then he covered it with copper and bronze hues to achieve an artistic effect.
Of course, Wayne is a modest guy who would probably deny the label of "artist." But it's hard to ignore the pleasing lines of this curvaceous Chevy, and Wayne is the primary person responsible for their current configuration. On top of that, his inspiration was the foundation of many artistic endeavors: love.
"My wife Barbara wanted me to build her a pickup," Wayne says. "I found this truck in Oxford, Ohio, on our way to a car show in Indiana." The three-year labor of love began shortly after driving the pickup home to Kentucky. Like any artisan, Wayne had a vision for the vessel. "I wanted to make a lot of changes," he says, "yet I didn't want it to be too radical. I still wanted it to look like a truck. I wanted the custom work to be more subtle."
Subtle or not, the pickup's sheetmetal has seen its share of alteration. The top of the cab is chopped 4 inches, the windshield laid back 1 3/4 inches, and the doors now open suicide style. The bed is from a '54 Chevy and has been shortened 5 inches and smoothed off with a welded tailgate, rolled pan, and recessed license housing. The front of the bed is curved both directions (side to side and top to bottom) to match the contours of the cab. A smooth tonnueau cover keeps the RB's oak bed wood clean.
The nose of the pickup retains its distinctive Chevy grille, with frenched headlights, and a shaved bumper (sporting Bowtie-shaped signal lights) lending a cleaner appearance. The hood has also been filled and shaved, and Wayne built his own reverse-opening hinge setup. Everyone seems to have their own description for the Tom Morgan-sprayed colors (copper, root beer, tangerine, etc.), but the official PPG monikers are Orange Glow and Cinnamon Candy. The green, aqua, and purple striping is the handiwork of an artist named Dauber.
Smooth styling is nothing if you can't take it on the road, so the Chevy's chassis is outfitted with all the requisite street rod goods-Mustang II IFS, four-bar rear suspension, ECI disc brakes, and a stainless 16-gallon fuel tank. Billet Specialties Octane wheels complement both the chassis and the exterior, and get rolling with the power of a small-block Chevy sporting supplies from the likes of Lunati, Edelbrock, and Accel. A healthy dose of chrome and polish makes the mouse motor easy on the eyes.
You'll find plenty of crafty custom work in the confines of the cab, too. First there's the smooth custom dash filled with Auto Meter gauges, a Kenwood stereo, and vents for the Vintage Air system. Then there's the comfy bucket seats flanking a console, all from a '92 Cadillac SLS. Papyrus-colored UltraLeather covers all the soft surfaces, while the floor is fitted with matching wool carpet.
Placed in talented hands, copper and bronze can take on beautiful shapes. Apparently, so can steel when you put it in Wayne's grasp. Not everyone will consider this Chevy art, but it's hard to deny the craftsmanship and style it exhibits. Add to that the fact that Barbara loves the truck and you'll see that this is a piece of work that succeeds on multiple levels.