1954 Chevrolet Truck - Born in '54

Reason is a good thing, especially when it comes to truck projects. The guy that tells you "just because" when asked why he built his pickup, well, his heart just isn't into it--that or he's just got more money than he knows what to do with. No, it's the guy that has a solid reason for either building the particular truck he did or building with a certain style that deserves some special credit. Whether it's a recreation of a past love, a dedication to a lost dear one, or, in the case of Tracy, California's Terry Alexander, a way to get his teenaged son involved in the hobby.

"Born in '54" (or BRN N 54, as his license plate states) is a reference to the birth year of both the pickup and its owner. "The idea got going when my oldest son was turning 15 and we started going to car and truck shows," recalls Terry. "I ran into a half-dismantled '54 Chevy (in nearby Martinez, CA)." After he and his son finished tearing the pickup apart and having it sandblasted, they were left with something that resembled Swiss cheese more than a pile of sheetmetal. Terry recounts, "There ended up being another '54 in my town that had a good body. So we took a chance on that vehicle, with the intention of combining the best of both trucks." Even after this, it required several visits to the swap meet and plenty of thumbing through catalogs before Terry was confident he could assemble a solid daily driver...well, until his son ended up with a custom '82 Blazer project. That's when he met Troy Gaskins, whom, along with his father Bob (a graphic artist), kicked project Born in '54 into high gear.

Troy aided in getting Terry's mess sorted out (getting rid of the many "new" parts recently purchased), and after getting the chassis partially assembled, Dave Philpott was enlisted for further completion. Again, many of Terry's intentions and ideas were thrown out the window (such as the already-installed Mustang II frontend) in favor of scratch-built items or altogether different ideas. "Whatever parts I had for Dave, he said, 'that's okay, I'll see what you have and probably fab my own pieces!' Dave knew the direction and had good planning for this project, so I definitely agreed with his changes," Terry poined out (when asked just how much of a perfectionist Philpott really was). "His ideas for building the frame, suspension, inner fenders, hiding the A/C plumbing, building the door/kick panels, overhead console, installing all the switches, and wiring the console really showed his professionalism," said Terry.

What that all translates into is a custom-built chassis (four-linked 10-bolt Posi/Fatman IFS, both with ShockWaves, Wilwood disc brakes, 18- and 20-inch Coddingtons) with an '01 Gen. IV Chevy 454 mated to a '75 Turbo 400. On top of that you'll find Troy's contributions--a fully massaged assembly of sheetmetal expertly fit onto the chassis. Some of the various modifications include a dropped and sectioned hood with deleted cowl, shaved driprails, handmade running boards, and a smoothed-out cab beltline. The grille, though, was designed by Terry himself. Gaskins coated everything in PPG's Burnt Orange metallic, sans graphics, as the owner feels the pickup is "too nice for graphics!"

"When the project was nearing completion, the final interior design was done by whom I felt was one of the best--Howdy." The individual Terry is referring to is renowned Bay Area trimmer Howdy Ledbetter. Credited from some of the finest hot rod interiors you're likely to ever see, Howdy treated the '54 with all the respect it deserved. Complementing the custom-made dash, center console, and paneling, the cab was treated with light tan leather exclusively (of course, the flooring was covered in Mercedes wool carpet, but we regress). With a full array of modern amenities, such as Vintage Air climate control, Dakota Digital instrumentation, and a Panasonic/ Alpine sound system, you know this truck is built to drive despite its show-like appearance.

As you may have assumed from the story, Terry's eldest son did not play as big a part in the '54's construction due to his later-model projection acquisition, but both sons (Tyler and Andrew) lent a hand in designing the stereo and DVD system. A little goes a long way, and you can bet they're enjoying the finished product just as much as pops is!