Originally posted on GarageBoyzMagazine.com Issue # 9
kultureblog.com
Readers of GarageBoyz Magazine may recognize this truck,as it is the very first winner of the GBM Kustom Car Award. I spotted it early in the Sheehy Ford Spring Show and Shine Car Show and instantly it became the barometer of what I would be looking for in a winner.
Nothing in my eyes came close to knocking it off the lofty perch that it was placed upon. By the end of the show, I could not wait to meet the owner and talk with him about his truck and present the award to this well deserving Nostalgia pick-up.
The owner Craig King told me that he was just looking to build a cool driver to compliment his other Hot Rod a 1931 Ford Deluxe Phaeton. He did not want to do just another Rat Rod, but still wanted a gritty, useable driver. After spotting the cab of this truck hanging around LB's street Rods for months. He and the gang decided to build a few Rods. This truck "King Salvage" was one of the three that came out of this build.
He certainly accomplished what he set out to do. Whether its going from one show to another or just to take the kids out for ice cream, the 35 pickup Nostalgia pick-up is a true driver, and Craig is loving every mile of it.
KultureBlog.com
Craig King's Nostalgia Pickup "King Salvage" perfectly captures the look of an old hot rod pickup that you would find hauling parts between the speed shops and junk yards back in the old days of custom Hot Rods. Though there really in no King Salvage yard in Clarksburg, the fictitious name belongs to a very real truck.
The 1935 pickup was build by built by LB's Street Rods in Powellville, MD . Craig also put in a bunch of wrench time along side his father-in-law Bruce Palmer and friend Robert Birch. A great deal of custom work and fitment went into the building the truck. As how many customs have been built in the past, a great deal of the parts come from donor cars, to do duty once again on the open road.
Out front, the grill is off a 34 Ford, the hood is from a 34 Vicky Stockcar, the headlights from a 1931 Model A which were modified with a Snyders kit to house the turn signals within the headlight. The bed is from a 54 Chevy,and it all sits on a modern frame from a 2001 Chevy S-10. The Chevy frame was to narrow in the rear for big wheels, so in its place is a rear assembly from a 69 Camaro. To give it the low down aggressive stance the truck is chopped 2 3/4 inches and channeled 6 inches.
The motor which is the the heart of any build, is a crate 350 mated to a 3-speed 350 trans. It was no easy task finally getting to the point of using the 350. The original motor was a 305 that turned out to be a junker, so back to the drawing board they went and in went a 327. Harmony only lasted 6-8 months with this motor, so finally after a good bit of custom work to make it all fit right, the 350 went in and stayed in.
The truck is pulled together nicely with the wide white walls and fat tires. This also was a trial an error situation as the truck initially wore much thinner tires, but it did not give it the look Craig was going for.
Some of the finishing touches are true custom artistry. The bed cover is true Americana and fits perfectly, because it was custom made. It was made on a CNC machine on 1/8 inch steelwith a plywood underlayment. The lettering and pinstriping that ties it all together was done by local artist & pinstriper Bobby Messick.
Craig's 35 is genuinely built from the heart and is just a small part of the hot rod lineage that runs down from his mother's side of the family. He has been sure to include his family in the small touches, like the phone number on the truck was his father number in NJ for 65 years. His garage and recroom are a tribute to his love of cars and family. He includes his young children into his passion, so that they will grow up around it and gain an appreciation for the kulture.
King Salvage may not being delivering junk yard parts any time soon, but was it does deliver is American Hot Rodding at it's best, and it truly deserves every trophy and prize it wins along the way.
BUILD PIC GALLERY...pictures supplied by Craig King
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