(Photos by Greg Rourke) – Ok, so as of late I have been pretty harsh about body kits and that type of stuff. Probably too harsh, but that’s over now. Greg Rourke sent in a couple of photos be blasted at a swap meet a few years back that show a pair of 1988-1998 era GM trucks with fiberglass body kits on the front ends that make them appear to be early or mid-1960s trucks. Rather than go off on yet another ill-advised rant, I want to spin the tables and put this one out there for the BangShift readership to decide. Are these things cool or creepy?
One thing that I will agree with Greg on is whomever designed these pieces did a very good job with respect to fit and finish. The melding of the noses into the late model bodies is pretty seamless. That doesn’t mean I am getting on board with the look, but I’ll gladly compliment quality pieces when I see them.
So now it is your time to spill the beans. Are these cool or creepy? Would you be seen driving a truck with a retro nose on it? Know who made these? What should be done differently? All questions that need to be answered!
SCROLL DOWN AND TELL US IF THESE TRUCKS ARE COOL OR CREEPY…AND WHY!
I didn’t mind the modern stepside bed on the old truck all that much, although I kept looking at it going huh? If I had this junk laying around, too much time, and too much beer, I might do this.
I got 3 words for that – FUH-GUH-LEE
THOSE are hideous. I like the idea of a classic body on a modern truck chassis, but that’s not what THOSE are.
I don’t dig the dually but that Blazer is super nice.
The dually is just awful.. I can’t even be bothered to elaborate further. But the Blazer/Tahoe reminds me of a pre-op tranny.. all curvy and feminine up top, and flat and boyish down below. Not necessarily my taste.
Not into the duallie, although I think it’s pretty cool how they used the old rear fenders as the duallie fenders! I do want to know where I can get the nose on the Tahoe for mine! That painted-on side trim needs to be the real thing, too!
http://www.innovationretrokits.com/otherkits.html
They’re OK. THey look better that the stock front ends. Not sure I’d pop for one of them. I’d rather drive a real ’50’s or ’60’s Chevy. Probably wouldn’t cost as much as the kit to get a real one.
Yank the new sheet metal off, and add the vintage cab,nose and bed to it. Not difficult, We’ve done many of these.
It’s just like any other accumulation of “parts” that makes hot rods an art. Blazer looks good in simplistic form, Duallie running boards and fender lips don’t. Now lets talk about the kits that slap a 50 merc doghouse on a late model Thunderbird. In response Frank, every day that old metal rusts, just finding cabs and beds is getting harder and harder.
A bit harsh? Maaaaaybe. It’s okay, my Cantara says it forgives you. Mostly.
As for these, it’s odd to see them styled in the front. What’s more common is more modern step beds on older trucks. There’s a lifted 69 era Chev truck down the road here with a mid 90’s step bed on it painted to match. Overall I think the truck actually looks really good with the more smooth later styling.
Judging by my car’s body kit and these trucks maybe it’s just a chevy thing to nail very juxtaposed things together.
I love the United States – our cute women in short skirts, our walks on the moon, our melting pot of European and African cultures, Johnny Cash, jazz … but people who feel the need to wave the flag in my face really bug me. Maybe I’m just a fan of being subtle? Seeing the flag paint job on this ill advised body kit is the marriage of two things that might seem like a good idea to the mullet crowd. The Jimmy is far less awkward however.
I guess the folks that brought us the Rolls Royce grill on a VW bug needed a new item for the 2013 catalog.
‘MERICA!
both are awful, the lines do not flow….unbalanced…looks like something my kid drew…right up there with the Corvettes and T-bird mix ups…no, stop it…do it again and I am getting a rolled up newspaper….
Drop an old body on a new frame and running gear, tons more class and appeal IMO.
My old man wanted to tell the internet that he thinks those are freakin’ neat. I agree, and that era chevy truck is pretty much worthless for resale, while being a good truck so they’re a great choice for that.
The Tahoe look’s good ,But that pickup is not my choice . Maybe it’s that paint job that makes it look so ugly ,maybe in hot rod black it maybe ok?
Instead of putting fiberglass noses of classic Chevy trucks,on later models,put the money and time into the real thing.As a Mopar guy,even I appreciate the lines of a classic Chevy truck.
I have a great soft spot for this body style. I learned to drive in a ’66 Chevy panel truck with no side windows, 4 on the floor with granny first gear. If you can drive that in all traffic conditions, you can drive anything.
If that vintage of Chevy pickup (bodies) wasn’t crap from the get go. BTW I hate the modern bed on classic metal. Get a real vintage box that fiberglass 90’s stepside needs to do to the crusher.
they are okay, maybe for lack of another car to drive in, i would ride in it. as for the one with the American flag paint on, it’s a no! no! maybe another car.
the last one looks nice but all others are ewwwwww.