There's no doubt that Americans are fascinated with size. Always have been. From settling the expansive Great Plains and crossing the Rocky Mountains to building 12-lane freeways and cloud-kissing skyscrapers, we're a nation that has thrived on wide-open spaces, big ideas, and the notion that too much is never enough. You want fries with that triple-decker cheeseburger? Of course, and why don't you super-size them while you're at it!
It seems that body shop owner Dusty Cox is a firm believer in the bigger is better philosophy, too. Maybe it's because he's from Oklahoma, a state with more than its share of open spaces. Or perhaps it's just conventional hot rodding wisdom. Regardless, Dusty thought big when he set out to build this '72 Chevy pickup.
After years as a shop truck, Dusty found the confines of the Chevy's stock cab a little, well, confining. Besides, he was never very fond of the longbed look. So he opted to remedy both shortcomings by extending the cab 12-inches, lopping 4-inches off the rear of the frame and installing a '67 short/wide bed. It's a simple concept but, as you can guess, required a lot more work than you'd think. An extra cab and a couple of extra door skins were needed for the conversion, with Dusty's fabrication and bodywork skills making up the rest of the equation. A testament to Dusty's workmanship is the fact that the truck looks like something that could (or should) have rolled off the Chevrolet assembly line. The cab not only has proper proportions, but the quarter windows look appropriate, too. Finished with a few additional body mods (shaved trim, custom grille, frenched antenna, etc.) and PPG Cool Blue paint, the Chevy is trick enough to wow truck fans and subtle enough to keep novices wondering whether the stretched cab is stock or not.
Pop the hood and it's easy to see that the Chevy is far from stock-the General never delivered a truck with an engine compartment this clean. Smoothed off and painted to match the body, the engine bay is home to a 350 V-8 fed by a Street & Performance Tuned Port Injection setup. A Comp Cams camshaft and Hedman headers give it a little extra kick, while a Turbo 350 automatic and 2.42:1 rear gear make for easy highway cruising.
A truck this slick just begs for a slinky stance, and Dusty wanted to see how low he could go without relying on air springs or hydraulics. So he sent the stock frontend to the scrap heap and installed a Mustang II suspension using a Fatman crossmember, Outlaw Performance tubular control arms, Aldan coilovers, and TCI dropped spindles. The 9-inch Ford rearend rides on Early Classic springs and has plenty of additional clearance thanks to a C-notched frame. Dusty figures that bigger is better for wheels, too, so the Chevy rolls on 18- and 20-inch Budnik Fontanas wrapped in Dunlop rubber.
With all that extra space in the cabin, Dusty and his wife Denise can really stretch out on the Nissan seats and get comfortable on long drives. Gray tweed upholstery, a '93 Chevy pickup console, and tunes from Kenwood merely add to the comfy cruising environment. The dash remains mostly stock, save for the relocated radio and aftermarket A/C vents. A tilt column and Billet Specialties wheel complete the package.
Believe it or not, Dusty's Chevy has been on the road for almost 10 years now, although it has seen several incarnations during that time. The updates continue to this day, as Dusty tells us that a new fuel injection setup and more engine detailing are in the works. Apparently he figures that there's no need making the truck any bigger, but he can always make it better.