Steve Lamb is an active hobbyist who owns Chevrolet and Dodge dealerships in Crystal River and Inverness, Florida. In addition to selling cars and trucks during the day, he enjoys spending his spare time with his extensive automobile collection, housed in a large display building next to one of his showrooms. Tom Anderson teamed up with Steve several years ago, relocating from Kansas City where he had his own custom motorcycle shop. Tom is an equally active enthusiast, holding the distinction of having raced in the Daytona 500 twice and being a current member of the Hamsters, the motorcycle club of Arlen Ness. It was obvious that Tom was the right man to work on the next vehicle in Steve's collection, a '54 Chevy half-ton, five-window. The rusty old truck was found in a field but Steve knew that Tom and the dealership team of fabricators and painters could bring the tired Chevy back to life.

As part of a detailed plan, chassis mods began with fabricator, Kirk Hum adding a new tube chassis and a Heidts front end. Ladder bars from Applied Racing Technologies hold the 12-bolt rear, fitted with 4.56 gears and Strange axles. Disk brakes and coil overs upgrade the handling while the Air Ride Technologies air suspension system puts the truck's altitude under the driver's control. All of the suspension mods were directed toward the awesome new power plant, the next item on their agenda.

The engine compartment was carefully detailed with a smooth firewall and fender wells to showcase the authoritative 454 crate motor from GM. Running a polished Weiand 671 supercharger, the engine was bored .60 over, fitted with 8:5:1 pistons, Crane cam, Stage II Chevrolet aluminum heads, HEI ignition, and a beautiful set of custom exhaust headers that flow into a pair of Thrush mufflers. A Griffin radiator and 16 inch electric fan keep everything cool. In order to handle the more than 600 horsepower, the truck uses a beefed 700R4 transmission and custom drive shaft. BOZE 22 X10 inch wheels in the rear and 20 X 8.5 inch versions up front emphasize the aggressive nature of the truck while the Toyo rubber, 40 series in the rear and 45 series up front, gets the power to the ground.

During the discussion on how to modify the all-steel body, many alternatives were considered but the decision was made not to chop the top. Since Lamb is fairly tall, it would make the truck uncomfortable to drive. The next best thing was to make it appear longer, lower, and wider so the team removed all four fenders and cut them, widening the fronts by four inches and the rears by six inches. In order to span the new eight-inch wider gap up front, three separate grilles were used, cutting two and fitting the pieces into the third. The grille bars were welded together, smoothed, and painted to match the exterior. The same process was employed with the bumper, using three to make one full width unit, hiding the weld lines behind new bumper guards. Running boards were extended using a second flared section welded to the first, with NASCAR-style, stainless exhaust tips exiting in front of the rear wheels. Tom found a set of Prowler tail lights at the Chrysler dealership and decided they would be the perfect choice for the widened truck. Fabricator, Kirk Hum reshaped the lenses, heating and bending them until they conformed to the new fenders.

The pickup bed itself was not widened although the tailgate was welded shut and 2" tubing welded to the bed sides for a rounded edge. The rear pan was rolled to create a pleasing contour and the license plate was rolled to match. A flush mounted fiberglass tonneau cover perpetuates the smooth flowing lines. Inside the bed, the new wood floor was raised six inches to accommodate all the hidden components involved in the operation of the truck like the evaporator for the air-conditioner, booster for the power brakes, twin electric fuel pumps for the engine, twin air compressors for the suspension, and the linear actuator that remotely opens the tonneau cover. A custom aluminum fuel cell resides under the bed and all the controls for the Air Ride air suspension are inside the bed, located in a custom-built aluminum box with Plexiglas lid. Keith Brown took care of smoothing all the metalwork on the body.

The two-tone interior begins with a set of Teas-Design seats in beige leather with everything else created to match. A Grant steering wheel on a Flaming River column and a Dakota Digital gauge package keep the driver and truck in close contact. Creating sounds when the 454 is quiet, the Pioneer head unit is mounted in a new overhead console and the stereo speakers are located behind the seats and in the kick panels. The original vented side windows were eliminated in favor of a single, electrically-powered pane of glass and the Vintage Air ensures comfortable cruising even in Florida's sultry weather. The Chevrolet emblems in the head liner and behind the seats underscore the truck's roots. Keith Brown and Lou Huntington sprayed the 2002 Corvette Red in the company paint booth.

Although it took more than two years from start to finish, the completed truck is not only fun to drive but has also taken a well-deserved place of honor in Lamb's collection. Look for it to become a regular on the Southeast Show Circuit.