Hill’s Hot Rods’ Hard Rocking, Flame Broiled 1996 Chevy is Absolutely Bitchin’
If you’re a fan of the rock band Van Halen, the age-old conundrum of Dave or Sammy always rears its head. We love both versions of the band, but dig Sammy’s music from his earlier career best, especially when he was with Montrose. The guys over at Hill’s Hot Rods have a soft spot for Sammy too. They’ve built two trucks in homage to the scarlet superstar, a C10 Chevy squarebody truck called “Red Rocker,” and the flame broiled 1996 Chevy CK1500 you see before you, simply dubbed “Sammy.”
Like Buddy Holly, Hill’s Hot Rods hails from Lubbock, Texas. We caught up with shop owner Jason Hill and he told us about the team’s love not only for Sammy Hagar but for all rock music. “We call each other ‘The Crüe’ after the band Mötley Crüe,” Jason says, “and our shop is filled with the backbeat of hammers, air compressors, and classic rock and roll.”
If there were ever a truck that would be perfect for the former Van Halen vocalist, “Sammy” the 1996 Chevy is it. It’s bold, bright, and high energy, which are just a few of the attributes that helped it become a finalist for the BASF Most Bitchin’ award during the Goodguys’ Lone Star Nationals last fall.
The foundation of the build is a custom Acme chassis and air suspension with gigantic 22×8.5- and 24×15-inch Intro wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires, and 13-inch eight-piston disc brakes from Wilwood. Under the hood resides a 6.0-liter LS engine crowned with a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger spinning out 733hp through an Apache-built 4L80 automatic transmission. The mill was cammed and tuned by Lonestar Horsepower, also based in Lubbock.
The 1996 Chevy body was shaved clean, the bed was raised, and a trap door was installed to access the rear suspension. Maxwell Designs and Hill’s Hot Rods came up with the flamed paint scheme and vividly seared it to the sheet metal. With a base coat of PPG Viper Red and several PPG colors to make up the long, flowing gradient flames, you can almost hear crackling from the fiery graphics.
Inside is a very nice, baseball glove-colored update of the spartan factory OBS interior. Yards of creamy Moore and Giles leather were stitched throughout the cabin by JD Glassworks, covering Snowden bucket seats and custom surrounding panels. Vintage Air, Dakota Digital gauges, and a Kicker audio system round out the roster of creature comforts.
“Sammy” the 1996 Chevy truck will be a showcase for Hill’s Hot Rods and a fitting tribute to the Red Rocker. What started out as a basket case truck is now reborn, and with newfound muscle it will join Sammy’s mythical Trans Am down a highway wonderland.
Photos: John Jackson
