From Dad’s Driver to a Slammed, Powerful, Custom Pickup
Angel Palacio’s ’56 Chevy pickup bears little resemblance to the truck that first joined his family 25 years ago. It was formerly his father’s driver, and Angel remembers rides to the store in the vintage hauler. It now fulfills Angel’s vision of a cool custom cruiser – a slammed, powerful, and sleek black beauty.
From the 780-horsepower LS V8 to the deep gloss paint and the red leather interior, the truck is the result of Angel’s plan and the work of the team at Hot Rod Service Company in Campbell, California. Very little of the truck survived untouched, and thoughtful modifications are found throughout.
The transformation began with a TCI chassis fitted with Ridetech suspension components, Wilwood 14-inch disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering with electric assist, and 20-inch Forgeline wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber. The LS engine features a candy red Whipple supercharger, Holley ignition components, and LSX valve covers. Stainless Works headers channel exhaust waste through 3-inch pipes and Borla mufflers. The 6L90E automatic transmission is controlled by a Lokar shifter in the console, with a paddle-shift option on the steering wheel.
In addition to deleting emblems and other factory trim, the extensive body modifications include one obvious change: the ’56 hood was replaced with a ’57 version that mimics the iconic twin blisters on ’57 Chevy cars. The modified grille was coated in gloss black paint and augmented with a custom front valance molded into the fenders and fitted with a custom air splitter. Front turn signals were relocated in the aftermarket headlights.
Other modifications included removing the factory drip rails and windshield wipers, deleting the exterior door handles and wing vents, and adding aftermarket side mirrors. The factory fuel tank was relocated between the rear frame rails and is now fed by a fuel filler in the custom wood bed floor, which fits between custom widened wheel tubs. The bed is finished off with a reworked tailgate, a race-style spoiler, and a custom diffuser framed by exhaust outlets. Vertical LED taillights were incorporated into the bed on either side of the tailgate.
The predominately red leather interior features black elements to coordinate with the exterior. The smoothed dash was modified to house a Holley digital gauge insert, while an under-dash panel houses outlets for the Vintage Air system and connects to a custom console the flows between the bucket seats. The door panels are hand-formed, and aftermarket handles replace original pieces. Other black accents include the steering wheel, tilt column, and the custom pedals.
The red leather inside the cab provides a bold contrast to the body, which wears a deep, dark finish that Angel says is called Pitch Black. That’s an appropriate name, don’t you think?
Photos: Terry Lysak
