1954 Chevrolet Truck - In The Genes

The love of classic trucks has been instilled in us in many different ways. For some it was an appreciation that grew over years; for others, it was a matter of what was affordable at the time a project was being sought out. A few though just grew up with old (maybe not so old at the time) trucks around, which have engrained themselves into their psyche. In most cases, it was due to growing up in a family that depended on trucks to earn a living, whether on a farm or making deliveries. This was the case for Boyd Hasik who grew up on a dairy farm in Nebraska working with his grandfather. While on the farm, Boyd drove several old Chevy pickups and learned to drive in a '47 panel while delivering milk.

Years later, when the time came to slow down and retire, Boyd decided to find and restore an early-'50s pickup. After a bit of searching, he managed to locate a '54 Chevy five-window. The pickup had spent most of its early years on a farm in Santa Barbara before being sold and put to work at a Shell gas station where it was painted Shell yellow. After a few years of gas station duties, it was sold and brought back to a farm. This is where Boyd found it--becoming its fourth owner. He immediately began gathering info to help in its restoration. His first restoration mistake happened as soon as he subscribed to CLASSIC TRUCKS magazine. He was suddenly much more fascinated with hot rodded trucks, and the bone stock plan was quickly out the door.

Over the next few years Boyd found himself searching swap meets all over the state looking for parts and meeting a lot of people that shared his new passion for old trucks. As it turned out, this was his most enjoyable part of the build. Boyd dove into the buildup and tore the truck apart, finding more rust than he expected. He sent some of the sheetmetal pieces to a sandblaster to be stripped but quickly found out that sandblasting, if not done right, can be very destructive on vintage parts. His hood returned warped beyond repair, so he was off again looking for replacement parts. He soon ran into Kenny Welch who runs Kenny's Rod Shop, and the two quickly hit it off. It wasn't long before Boyd decided to turn the '54 over to Kenny.

Kenny's shop worked on the chassis and the mechanicals while the crew at Fin's Customs and Classics beat the metal back into shape and replaced the rusted-out sections. The resulting build is a perfect mix of the original styling and updated mechanics.

Kenny's likes to build 'em...        read full caption Kenny's likes to build 'em simple and reliable, as evident in the '54's engine compartment. The stock ZZ4 crate engine was dressed up in red to match the body; the only chrome comes from the Bill's Hot Rod Company accessory brackets. The firewall was smoothed with new panels from Bitchin Products.

Barry Ward at Ward Auto Interiors...        read full caption Barry Ward at Ward Auto Interiors tweaked the stock bench and then covered it and the rest of the interior surfaces with Mercedes Palomino leather for a bit of luxury feel. Dakota Digital gauges set in billet housings fill the stock openings. An ididit tilt column was added for comfort but painted to help blend into its subtle surroundings.

The bed received its fair...        read full caption The bed received its fair share of custom work as well. The wood floor has been replaced with smooth steel, and the wheel tubs were integrated into the bedsides to make room for the tall 20-inch rolling stock. Figuring that its hauling days were over, Boyd had the tailgate welded closed and smoothed into the bedsides.