The trucks covered in this magazine are often modified in subtle ways that can escape our immediate attention. One popular modification to the abundant late-'40s and early-'50s Chevy and GMC pickups is to clean up the grille and bumper with a minor change that requires exposing the bottom grille bar behind the bumper. This modification does not change the looks greatly but does make the grille appear more delicate and less beefy.
The builders at Posies Hot Rod shop in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, have such a project '54 Chevy truck in-house owned by long-time truck enthusiast Bob Fitch. Bob's truck is coming along with a number of custom modifications that will not destroy the original character of the truck, but just make it look a bit neater and lower to the ground.
We elected to cut the top line (above the 2-inch tape) with tin snips or metal shears. The shears will cut a straight line better than the saber saw. The masking tape is covering the portion of metal that will be eliminated from the fender.
For those of you who would like to know what's involved in making this change, check out the well-documented process (shown here) of shortening the front fenders. Other modifications are planned for the future. The Posies crew will raise the running boards to eliminate the space below the cab doors above the running boards. They are also adding a side marker that works as a turn indicator. Follow along as the crew at Posies crafts another custom Chevy truck.
