Heavy Metal

September 6, 2024

This 1950 Chevy 3100 Step Side is generational. As a kid, Maxwell DeLorm spent countless hours in his grandfather’s barn, sitting in the driver’s seat, pretending to drive this truck. In 2013, dream became reality when he purchased the truck from his gradfather and spent the next several years thinking and planning on how to make the truck perfect.

During the pandemic, Max put in way more than his fair share of time, hardwork and sacrifice as a traveling nurse and this earned him the budget to spend whatever it took to have this truck built right.

To build it right, Max trusted Austin Patterson (aka Dwight) of Dwight’s Speed Shop to single handedly take the truck from start to finish. Austin may be quiet and humble about his work but Max sure as hell won’t be. “Dwight” knocked this one out of the park.

The build has heavy European influnces including the Ferrari DNO wheels that were made into a 3 piece wheel by Rotiform, and the buck diamond stitch leather influenced by a Porsche Carrera.

The interior was done by B62 upholstery out of Arizona and includes white stitching to compliment the Carrera buck leather diamonds on the bench seat, the door cards, and the headliner. Also included in the interior are Dakota RTX guages, Restomod Air-NUK Quantum Pods with aluminum rings for the heat and A/C controls, Restomod Air-Diablo Smooth Vortex aluminum dash vents and a period correct styled Classic Car Stereo with Bluetooth and Sirius XM radio. All the speakers and subs have been hidden to keep the interior classy and vintage.

Under the hood, this Chevrolet is powered by a 5.7L LS engine with a Holley Terminator X. The engine was built with a BTR stage 3 cam and sucks air through a 92mm throttle body and a Holley Hi Ram intake. The transmission is a manual T56 with an LS7 clutch and it all puts the power to the road with a shortened Ford 8.8 with 3.73 gears.

The suspension features an Airlift Performance 3p Dual Compressor Air Management system, Mustang II front suspension with tubular control arms and a custom rear step C notch with triangulated 4 link. The brakes are Wilwood front and rear with drilled and slotted rotors.

You wouldn’t believe it’s not butter, but the patina on this truck is actually painted and what a fantastic job they did with it. Haters can hate, fo-tina is cool too, when it is done right. The bed also features a hydraulic lifted bed to hide away all the goodies underneath. The Rotiform wheels are wrapped in Diamond Back Classic Performance white wall tires. Front wheels and tires are 20x8 with a 4.75” back space and 245/40/20’s and the rears are 20x11 with 4.5” back space and 315/35/20 tires. The entire exterior is completed with a CQuarts Professional Ceramic Coating.

“My friends, the ones from back in the day, no years of contact but always the real ones, stepped up to get this build across the finish line. "Boosted Creations NY" tuned the truck, while "The Auto Specialist" dialed a beautiful audio system that matches the interior of the truck, yet keeping it period-correct. "Arete Auto Salon" went through every bolt and thread of cloth and ceramic coated this patina'd truck, causing an uproar online. "Cloud9ab" set us up with the Rotiform wheels, and "Salvage 2 Savage" saved me from vintage air and dialed in a perfect custom Restomod air setup for the Miami heat.” Says Max.