Father’s Day is coming up fast and while there are a lot of options on what you could go out and get him, if your dad is a gearhead, you might want to take a look at Eastwood’s Father’s Day Gift Guide. This year Eastwood’s Father’s Day Gift guide will be featuring over 90 items from tools to restoration paints. Items range in price from $25 to $100.

Floridians rejoice! You did it. The bill to eliminate the Ethanol requirement in fuel was passed by Florida Governor Rick Scott. The law was signed into legislation to repeal the requirement that all gas in the state contain a percentage of ethanol. This is much better for cars because the corrosive effects of ethanol over time are damaging to engine components. Life span of vehicles that do not take ethanol fuel can be dramatically reduced. We want to thank you all for your participation in helping this go through.

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.

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.

Anyone who’s been reading my ramblings for any length of time has to have realized that I’ve got a real soft spot in my heart for the do-it-yourselfer. I truly am partial to homebuilt trucks and the folks who work so diligently building ’em in garages, barns, and driveways nationwide. And like any DIY’er worth his or her salt, I’m a sucker for tools of any kind. It was with this in mind that I hurriedly opened a recent email that read “Tools, definition and use of” in the subject line. The email of which I speak was sent to me from a fellow classic trucker by the name of Steve Topi and I enjoyed it so much that I just had to share. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. And with a tip of our hat to Steve, here goes:

Riz, In regard to your November editorial (Driver’s Seat, CT, Nov. 2012) … maybe we’re related. At the very least, we share the same affliction. Just one project? How narrow minded! Completed, maybe someday, but I doubt it. I’m a sucker for Craigslist. I check it constantly. If someone posts an ad for something 1972 or older, I’m drawn to it immediately. If the ad says bring a trailer, I’m on the phone for directions, right away.

If I had a buck for every time somebody told me that I had the best job in the world I’d more than likely be able to hire someone to finish my pickup project. Seriously though, as much as I whine about it I have to admit you folks are correct, I do have a great career. Sure, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that meeting deadlines, or at least attempting to, has worn on me as time has passed (I’ve been trying to stay a step ahead of the Page Police for 17 years so far). I sometimes equate it to writing a term paper for the rest of your life – believe me, producing a magazine every 28 days or so can be less than pleasant at times. That said though, I wouldn’t trade the job for nearly anything.

Hi Jim, I want to know if you or any of your co-workers can give me some information about how to best put rack-and-pinion steering on a straight axle truck. I have a 1955 dodge C3 ½ ton. You know the saying “steers like a truck?” I’m not interested in a whole new front suspension, nor can I afford it. Any info you could throw my way would be much appreciated, maybe some of your readers could address this for me.

Over the last few months I’ve received emails from a couple of novice classic truck hobbyists who both have had minor “issues” with some aftermarket parts they’d recently purchased for their project trucks. I was more than happy to address their concerns directly in my replies and in doing so it reminded me of a similar occurrence that I addressed some time ago in a Postage Paid. Now, since we are lucky enough to be adding newcomers to the hobby each day I decided to rerun that vintage exchange one more time to benefit anyone else who’s facing or has faced a similar predicament. So, with apologies to all that recall the original, here it is again.

Riz! I’ve got a ’57 Chevrolet Stepside standard cab ½ ton. I really want to put an aftermarket front stub and IFS in it when funds allow, but before that, I need to prep the chassis. I plan on powdercoating the frame. After I sandblast it, what do I need to coat the frame with before the powdercoating?

Jim, I’ve been reading, and collecting, CLASSIC TRUCKS magazine since September 2003. That’s when I bought my 1956 Ford F-100 Express (a.k.a. ½-ton longbox). I had quite a few earlier issues and one of those featured a sketch of an F-1 HRT that provided the direction for my build, albeit with a few tweaks of my own. Over the years, the feature trucks and many of the excellent tech articles, either provided the inspiration or the solution to my many dilemmas at times. And a few of the vendors that I’ve used who advertised in your magazine were quite helpful too.

The other day I found myself wandering between the driveway and garage eyeballing my collection of “in the works” projects. Aside from making mental notes as to what each one required for completion, I was trying to figure out how in the world I could find a way to sneak the makings of a fresh classic truck project into the mix.

The official press release announcing the Chip Foose and WD-40 Company's renewed partnership, and also plans to build a custom 1953 Ford F-100 and 2012 Ford F-350, among other things. Read the full press release below...

Dear Jim, All my life I had an interest in cars and trucks, and learned what I could from my dad when he fixed my car. Your second-language list was so helpful to me – I knew about half of them. Then, I moved on to the article about Creamsicle, which is described as having a “hammered stance.” Now, I don’t claim to be an expert here, but wouldn’t this beautiful truck be “slammed” according to your definitions? If I’m wrong, delete my email. If I’m right, I’ll be looking to see this correction in the next issue. Love your magazine, have a ’40 Chevy truck for our next project.

The classic truck hobby is a fantastic pastime as I’m sure you’ll all agree. There are a lot of factors that make it so, too. To begin with, there are all the neat-looking early truck designs to whet our appetites for restoration or even rodstoration. Then, there are the selections of years and makes to choose from – even though it’s the Chevys and Fords that attract the largest following so far. That said, we’re finally beginning to see some really neat classic pickups from some of the, for the lack of a better term, less-popular nameplates. For instance, the yellow Dodge that was a drop-in image on the cover of a recent issue – now that was one heck of a cool classic that ought to set the wheels turnin’ in the heads of those contemplating future classic pickup projects – at least it did for me…

Hi Riz, I started my subscription a few years ago and like what you are doing. I got started in the old truck/car stuff about 20 years ago and might be able to shed some light on aftermarket parts. I am a retired mechanical engineer from Chrysler. I started out doing die design and went into press room engineering where I was working with all sorts of press room equipment. I have done a lot of work with dies and related equipment. I have built seven cars/trucks over the years and have one in the works right now. I built a ’37 Plymouth pickup resto rod, which I still have, and the body in the works is a ’49 GMC panel truck. I have purchased aftermarket parts from a lot of different manufacturers and there is a big difference in quality. To explain the big problem with the aftermarket stuff (primarily stampings) I have to get into a little detail on the way the factory parts are made.