Right from birth I'm a lifelong Californian, so getting on plane at LAX and then landing at JFK, picking up a rental car, and then driving to Syracuse, New York, for the Syracuse Nationals was a real contrast compared to the West Coast scene I grew up with – a really neat contrast I might add.

Here it is, just like we promised. This second installment of Mike's LS swap picks up right where we left off last month with the location and mounting of the fuse panel and fuel pump relay and onward through the balance of this informative engine swap.

We meet lots of interesting people on the road and we find that major automotive events around the country are a great source for feature articles. When we spotted this unusual watermelon truck at a show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, it immediately got our attention. When we met the owners, it didn't take us long to realize that we had found a bona fide automotive power couple.

It's rare if ever that we showcase 4WD vehicles in CLASSIC TRUCKS; we normally save 'em for one of our off-road sister titles. That said, this one proved to be an exception to the rule. Kris Bramel, Ed's better half, sent us a few photos and a bit of info on her husband's awesome '57 GMC 4WD Panel. Ed's GMC just knocked my socks off and I just had to share it with you all.

After finishing up a few high-end fiberglass street rods, Rick Boothe wanted to change his diet of fiberglass and resin. If you have even been around or worked with fiberglass then you know how bad it smells. Not to mention cutting or grinding the darn stuff and letting the itching begin.

Being a highly skilled machinist as well as an accomplished fabricator, it's no wonder that when Scott Gifford put his talents to work building an early Ford pickup it'd end up being one of the coolest classic Fords out there. Scott's soft spot for the '68 F-100 was the result of growing up as a frequent passenger in his dad's pickup. Years later, Scott decided he'd like to have an old Ford just like his dad's. Well, not quite like his dad's ... but almost. Scott's version of the venerable F-100 is a heck of a lot more powerful, a lot better handling, and surely better looking.

Johnny's dad John Sr. purchased this C10 brand new from a dealership in Pickens, South Carolina. The pickup was driven off the lot for a measly $3,975 according to the original bill of sale and used as a farm truck. Farm life was typical of any truck around South Carolina because trucks were advertised as such and not intended to do much else. On the other hand, this was the time things were changing in pickups, like independent front suspension, power steering, disc brakes, and other such car-like features that made trucks like the C10 easier to drive.

Fitting sheetmetal is one of my least favorite things to do on any vehicle. Do it wrong and the ugly mess of bad bodylines turns people away from what otherwise might be a really nice truck. I've been to plenty of shows where doors, fenders, and the hood fitment are perfect. When I say perfect, you can take a ruler and measure all the gaps and it would match from top to bottom and left to right. But for the sake of my sanity I will try to point out some things that help me get a better fit.

As an editorial staff member, part of our job is to travel to events and find cool trucks to photograph. Sometimes we have the luxury driving our own vehicles, but a lot of times we fly to the events. This usually means I'm stuck with a rental car that is no bigger than something a group of clowns would drive. On occasion we are lucky enough to rent cars that have things like navigation and high-end sound systems, but what struck me as really cool was that some of them come with a touch-start ignition. While touch-start is nothing new in the today's latest car market, it is however, relatively innovative in the hot rod market.

LS to TH350 Street Smart System

The 1947-1987 Chevy & GMC Truck Show & Shine is known for fun, food, live music and sweet rides. This year at the 15th Annual 1947-1987 Chevy & GMC Truck Show & Shine, the show will revisit the Canyon R.V. Park in Anaheim, California on June 30th, 2013. All Chevrolet & GMC models from 1947-1987 will be accepted into the show and you can register Here.

While having a nice weekend ride is good, it’s always nice to wake up in the morning and have your good ol’ reliable daily driver at your side to get you from point A to B. Folks who have newer cars would have been able to appreciate Colorado’s new legislation that was approved by the appropriations committee and moved to the senate floor, however, bill S.B. 257 in Colorado failed in the House after the legislature adjourned for the year.

OPTIMA Batteries will be teaming up with Golden State Foods and partnering with ChumpCar race participants to give children the bike building experience of a lifetime. On May 26, 2013, Build-A-Bike will be taking place at the Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Eastwood Company just celebrated 35 years of high performance DIY-auto restoration! Eastwood was started in 1978 and pioneered the DIY-auto restoration world, which allowed home-builders the accessibility they needed to get tools and chemicals.

The use of alternative fuel – like Ethanol - is on the rise and gaining popularity. However, if you’re current project is not equipped to handle this unconventional fuel, overtime; the fuel can corrode metals, plastics and even rubber fuel lines. Fuel systems and even internal components need to be upgraded in order to handle the different fuel efficiently. Currently, Florida is allowing an Ethanol-blend of fuel (9-10 percent) at a majority of pumps. To ease pain at the pumps, SEMA has announced its support of a new bill (H.B. 4001), which will help eliminate Ethanol and other alternatives from its pumped-fuel.

Driver's Seat

Jim, I have been reading all your articles looking for a solution to a problem I have encountered in the restoration of my 1952 Chevy pickup. Unfortunately I can't find any articles pertaining to the issue I am having. I have installed a Mustang II front suspension and am putting a 350 with 700-R4 automatic trans. Front suspension and transmission crossmember came from TCI. My problem is that to get the transmission up to the frame and engine high enough to get 3 degrees I keep hitting on the bottom of the firewall. I called TCI and they said it should work. My question is where on the frame should I weld the mounts to make this work or is there a different crossbar for trans that would lower the trans? I will cut the firewall around bellhousing if that is what needs to be done.

01. Holley Performance Products Billet Fuel Rails for LS Engines

Q. I’ve been a subscriber to CLASSIC TRUCKS for six years, after my mother-in-law bought me a subscription for Christmas. I have a 1954 Chevy 3100 that I have grafted a C4 Corvette suspension onto, with a 5.7 TPI/700-R4 combo, and I’m ready to start on the body restoration. The cab has typical rust in the toeboards, forward body mounts, inner and outer cowl, down into the lower door hinge area, and the floorboard is good to about 10 inches in front of the bench seat. The cab will be sandblasted, so I can verify what metal is good. The chassis can be used to support the cab, since I know it is square, and it’s been boxed and has custom crossmembers installed, or I can place it on a plywood dolly that I have constructed so I can sit in a chair and work these areas without crouching.

Attention California readers! The California Senate has amended S.B 459 to allow financial assistance from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) for low-income motor vehicle owners to retire their vehicles. The Bureau currently gives $1,500 and this would be an addition. BAR must also establish a one-year pilot program to provide financial assistance to low-income motor vehicle owners for the retirement of gross-polluting vehicles, but will not allow BAR from collecting proof that these vehicles were registered within the last two years prior to acceptance into the program. If this goes through, hobbyists may be denied the availability of vintage cars and parts for restoration. A hearing will take place at the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. We strongly request your support in opposition to S.B. 459 by contacting members of the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee.

Maryland bills to create vintage production licenses have moved to the Governor. H.B. 977/S.B. 39 requires that the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to provide for one year, a specially designed vintage reproduction registration plate to qualifying vehicle owners was approved by the Maryland Senate and House. In order for one to be eligible, the vehicle must be Class A, Class E, Class L, Class M, and Class N. The license plate will resemble the 1910 Maryland plate that has black lettering and a yellow background. Both bills have been sent to the governor for his signature and enactment into law. Please, we urge you to get in contact with Governor Martin O’Malley for support of H.B. 977 and S.B. 39.

If you live in North Carolina, you’ve probably been made aware of Legislation (S.B. 344) or the North Carolina Bill to Speed Titling Process for Out-of-State Older Vehicles. This bill will allow for the immediate issuance of titles to owners of out-of-state motor vehicles that are 35-years old or older. If an inspection and verification of the vehicle is required by the DMV, an inspector will exam the vehicle and the vehicle will be issued to the owner 10 days after inspection. If an inspection is not conducted by the DMV within 10 days, the title will be issued when those 10 days are up. Please contact members of the Senate Commerce Committee and request support for S.B. 344. If you want to voice your support, the hearing will convene on April 9, at 11:00am at the following address:

It’s really been that long? Save the dates of January 24-26, 2014. The Grand National Roadster Show at the Fairplex in Pomona, California is celebrating 100 years of Bonneville speed. This is an event that will go down in the history books and you’re not going to want to miss it. The event is going to showcase some of the coolest hot rods on the planet, including 100 of the greatest land speed record cars and motorcycles of the past 100 years. Owners of the vehicles will get to enjoy a special gathering on Thursday, to view the exhibition before it’s opened up to the public.

1965 GMC C10

Automotive restyling was at its peak in the '50s and '60s since custom builders had some of the most iconic body designs to choose from, supported by an endless array of cool bits lurking in the parts bins at your local dealer. It was a time where if you could imagine it, you could create it and with names like Barris, Winfield, Starbird, and Valley Customs leading the way it was obvious there would be plenty of rolling sculptures to see.