There's nothing better than getting to see a unique project from behind the veiled curtain of the buildup. Unlike spoiling the plot, revealing some of the intricacies involved oftentimes piques interest in seeing the finished product, not to mention pointing out little tricks and whatnot that sometimes go unnoticed when all's said and done. As promised last month, here's a little sample tasting of a project now underway in the great Pacific Northwest-Auburn, Washington, that is.
Jon Byers and the crew at Byers Custom & Restoration are nearing completion of the shop's own set of wheels, a custom '55 Chevy Suburban-or "Surf-Burban" as we like to call it. Just in case you didn't catch the preview in the June issue with the Eric Brockmeyer rendering, we took the pleasure of running it once again. And as it stands now, the only real deviance from that original artwork is the elimination of the lower branch of flames (only the beltline stretch will remain), giving the truck a sleeker look overall. You'll all have to wait till later this summer to find out for real-stay tuned!
For more info in the meantime, you can visit online at www.byerscustoms.com to see what else the guys are customizin' and restorin'.
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They say "Image is Everything." In this case, chassis is everything! Obtaining a ride quality that is equivalent to a new Vette, as well as the lowest possible stance, isn't the easiest thing to do--that is, unless you contact Art Morrison Enterprises. After acquiring their Profile Air Spring Plus perimeter frames, Byers had Wicked Fabrication (also in Auburn, WA) put it all together. |
A healthy kick was necessary out back to allow the four-linked 9-inch to settle down nicely when the air is released. With Morrison, seamless bends like this are no problem, which makes its framerails even more desirable. | 
Hanging out behind the rear, Wicked hung the sleeve-type Firestone airbags along with an adjustable antisway bar in tow. That device, on top of the third member, is actually the Watts Linkage, which was relocated due to airbag clearance issues. But from the looks of it, it will perform just as good, if not better, keeping the rear centered. | 
Moving forward, we see the artistic stainless steel plumbing work. Made For You frame tabs and through-the-rail access ports make for a super-clean look. |