Rutterz Rodz Builds the 1979 Chevy Crew Cab Short-Bed that GM Should Have Built
At casual glance, most people mistake Rodney Harris’s 1979 Chevy crew cab short-bed pickup as a well-done old truck with a perfect stance, sweet paint, and really nice interior. As they look closer, it becomes abundantly clear that there is much more to this truck. In fact, did GM even offer a crew cab short bed?
The answer is no. But Rodney and Rutterz Rodz built one!
It all started with a ¾-ton crew cab long bed that was delivered to Mike Rutter and his team at Rutterz Rodz and promptly stripped to the frame. The Rutterz crew installed a GSI Fab front crossmember and coil-over system, and then cut down the rear of the frame to accept the short box and C-notched it to achieve the right stance. Wilwood disc brakes slow the roll of the Billet Specialties Bonneville wheels wrapped in Diamondback radials with custom orange stripes.
Body mods were to appear minimal, but there’s a lot more going on than most people realize. The original body seams were filled and gaps were tightened. The bumpers were moved in slightly, custom headlight bezels were created, and one-off emblems were designed and custom machined (note the Crew Chief 3+3 emblems). Rutterz even painted the truck in factory blue and silver two-tone colors using Axalta materials and finished the exterior with OE-style trim work. Nicer than any other 1-ton 1979 Chevy Crew Cab that rolled off the assembly line (or any C10 for that matter!).
Peeking inside you would swear the interior is largely stock save for the comfy Moore and Giles upholstery by Built by Ricky with classic plaid insets, but here too is a lot of modern trickery. Many parts were 3D printed, machined, and designed to appear stock yet provide improved integration and style. The Classic Instruments gauges, modified factory GM stereo by R&B Vintage Audio, one-off emblems, dash bezels, and one-piece carpet feel GM, yet are all updated.
To keep with the “refined stock” mantra, Mike Rutter had a plan for the Chevrolet Performance LS376/525 engine. First, they stripped the coil packs and plastic intake from the engine, replacing them with a cast aluminum carburetor-style intake set up for port fuel injection from Lokar LS Classic.
Instead of a carb, there’s a throttle body under the vintage air cleaner and as for that distributor, it’s a fake housing that the plug wires are routed through. LS Classic also made the big block valve covers and adapters. No chrome, no wiring, just a well-detailed engine compartment – packing 525 horsepower (more than any OEM big block from the ’79 truck lineup).
This 1979 Chevy Crew Cab Chief 3+3 projects its signature squarebody heritage while blending in plenty of modern amenities, style, and performance. Not bad for a truck GM never built!
Photos by John Jackson, Todd Ryden
