Dennis Johnson's 1954 Chevy

04 November 2005
#1277

From Dennis:

             I guess I would need to start by saying "I didn't do this!" And, actually, I don't know who did. But, a friend of mine traded something for it (alright, who ran off with the dead cat!), and I'm not sure who got the best of the deal.

            Next, I assume it's a '54, by the door handles, though the box is not.

            What makes this truck so valuable are the "custom touches" applied by the phantom owner. It has a Firebird subframe, with some nice rust-through of the original frame (right by the spring perches ... I hope that's not a Ford word). I call it "Flexiframe," what a nice word!

            But, it's the bodywork that sets this truck apart from (virtually?) all others. It's chopped, which you've no doubt noticed, but more in front than back. And, you can't really see it but the sunroof ALMOST matches the contour of the roof. And, of course, it's got a tilt front, pie cut no less, and sliced through the fenders.

            Yeah, the tilt sat upside down on the ground for a while but those holes in the fenders and hood can be filled with a little (?) bondo. And, did we mention that all this custom work was done with an arc welder? Well, and you thought you couldn't do custom work with an arc welder. Well, you can't! Not warp free anyway.

            But, in all seriousness (and I can almost be that), if you wanted a pickup like this, you would do well to buy this thing and study it. Then, I would replicate what this man (woman?) has done, just not with an arc welder. The look is there and somewhat menacing.

            Oh, and the original axle has got to go ... or it'll go when you sideslip the clutch on the 502. Which, after all, is your prerogative (yes, that's a word). When it's your truck you can do what you want with it.

Dennis Johnson
Beresford, SD