Project Old School, Part VII

By the time you read this, Project Old School will have successfully been driven to truck shows and rod runs all over the Southland. But it wasn't always that way. This installment focuses on the suspension buildup that took place over the very same 72-hour period that the last installment did. Now, while I'm sure this is not the best way to build a truck, sometimes the only way to get something done is to set a deadline and stick with it, even if that means eight hours of sleep over four days. The goal was to roll out of the shop Thursday afternoon on the road to Paso Robles with Custom Rodder Editor Rob Fortier.

An airbag system was part of the plan for Old School from the very beginning. Before I even had the truck, I came across a kit that I was intrigued with, due in part to the cool C-notch that comes with the kit which has the upper 'bag mount integrated into it. I also liked the fact that it was pretty much a bolt-in affair that gets the truck pretty damn close to the ground.

The Easy Street suspension system from Air Lift Co. fits all '63-72 Chevy and GMC trucks equipped with trailing arms and fit the bill for this truck perfectly. It comes complete with the 'bags and 'bag mounts, an adjustable Panhard bar, shocks, and all necessary hardware. Air Lift highly recommends that you use a dropped spindle with their kit; so we ordered up a set from Classic Performance Products. CPP then reminded us of their special that is currently running in this magazine (go figure), which includes dropped spindles, front disc brake kit, ball joints, tie-rod ends, bearings, and all the hardware.

Knowing the time crunch I was in, Jim and the CPP crew were even kind enough to assemble the disc kit. So when it came time for installation, I simply bolted in the spindle and attached the brake hose. While at CPP, I also picked up new trailing arm bushings and their shock relocator kit. This kit is cool not only because it does its job extending the shock travel on lowered trucks, but it also replaced the stock brackets. This meant that none of the old crusty parts or hardware had to be reused: a win-win situation.

When we started, the frame, axle, and trailing arms had yet to be touched. This meant nearly 40 years of sludge had to be cleaned off for a fresh coat of paint in record time--leaving one extremely filthy magazine editor, but also a clean, black hammer tone finish on the frame.

The truck made it to Paso, even though it was a day and a half later than planned (leaving Rob and his '55 to brave Hwy. 101 alone). I found a parking spot outside one of the watering holes that surrounds the park, went inside, sat with a cold one, and spent the remainder of the day watching people check out the truck. For the first time, it feels like the last year and a half of work is starting to pay off. Follow along as Chris and Brad of Totally Polished help me transform Old School's suspension.