California’s Icon was one of the first outfits to carve out the niche market for high-end restomod trucks and 4x4s. The company has offered a wide range of offerings based on the Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Bronco, and Chevy Advance Design pickup, along with plenty of one-off builds. Whether fully finished to better-than-new paint and bodywork, or left with their hard-earned patina as part of its “Derelict” line, the builds have traditionally relied on custom-built chassis. Now, Icon is charting a new path for a different kind of restomod truck build.
How about a vintage-appearing truck with an a fully modern chassis and running gear underneath? Several companies already offer Pro Touring chassis options for muscle cars, and they now also sell RWD and 4×4 chassis for classic trucks and SUVs. Prices for those new frames and suspension are commensurate with the amount of R&D and fabrication that goes into them. We’ve been impressed with the refinement and performance of such high-end aftermarket solutions, but Icon’s newest build—a 1972 Chevy C20—goes beyond anything we’ve witnessed before.
The weathered pickup you see here hides the complete frame, suspension, drivetrain, and brakes from a current-generation Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4. We spoke with Icon’s founder, Jonathan Ward, to learn what this “new” truck was all about. And, of course, try the rig out for ourselves.
Our first impression was that, from the outside, everything looked period-appropriate for a vintage pickup. “The crazy thing is,” Ward explained, “the American pickup truck from the mid ‘60s, till now, they’re the same basic footprint.”
Ward concedes that a bespoke aftermarket chassis can offer a lot of performance, but it’s tough to beat the overall package that a modern truck brings to the table, considering how much OEM engineering time and talent went into developing it. There’s also the fact that factory body-on-frame construction makes the body swap a relatively easy operation. “The American truck is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of that [architecture],” said Ward.
This first-of-its-kind build from Icon is equipped with Chevy’s 5.3-liter V-8 that produces 355 hp: plenty of motivation for a lightweight truck. Ward reports that the pickup is now a couple of hundred pounds lighter than when Icon started the job. A big chunk of that weight-saving comes from the powertrain, as the aluminum block and heads shed weight while the six-speed automatic adds a bit compared to either an SM465 or Turbo 400. (The weight balance is also better.) Interestingly, while this truck is badged as a 3/4-ton C20 and is riding on a 1/2-ton 4×4 chassis, its GVWR is still around 7000 pounds, which is appropriate for a 3/4-ton of this vintage.
Virtually any crate engine a buyer might select for a restomod would require a whole host of ancillary components, from the accessories to the exhaust system. Each one of those components would need to be carefully selected for fit and function. Using the factory Silverado drivetrain and chassis, down to the exhaust system, eliminates a lot of those variables. “This thing gets over 21—almost 22—miles per gallon,” said Ward, noting that the mileage he’s tracked included off-road, in city traffic, and on the highway. It also uses the Silverado’s cooling system, which fits nicely with the 1972 radiator core support.
An added benefit of Icon’s new approach is that the donor vehicle keeps all of its electronic systems intact; the customer can visit any Chevy dealership for diagnostics. “Nothing gets interrupted,” explains Ward, “It takes all the factory updates.”
Plenty of new vehicles would send error codes if they detect the wrong tire diameter, but pickups are built in multiple configurations, with different wheel and tire sizes. All of that flexibility makes them the perfect platform for customizing a modern truck to fit under vintage sheet metal. The frames are already designed to accommodate different wheelbases; Icon can cut out the weld that joins the front and rear halves of the frame, sleeve one half into the other to shorten it, and weld the frame back together.
“We’re not trying to make it something that it’s not,” said Ward. “We’re really focused on serviceability, drivability, functionality, and under-the-radar on the aesthetic,” Ward emphasizes that it can go anywhere you’d take a modern truck, and pretty soon you’ll forget that there’s a modern powertrain and chassis underneath you.
Icon could work with a wrecked new donor truck, but it would probably only make sense if the damage was cosmetic. So far, it’s been easier to buy completely new trucks in the exact configuration they’re after. “We stick with LT or WT Silverados,” said Ward, “because if you get past those packages, it’s trying to be a Tesla, and you’ve got a big-ass screen,” said Ward. The like-new bed, cab, and body panels can be sold to a dismantler to recoup some of the cost, but a base V-8 Silverado is a pretty good bargain and can be had for about the price of a custom aftermarket chassis by itself.
Icon started this project before the COVID pandemic, but a wave of orders for its existing products took priority. All told, there’s about 18 months of development work on this platform. Ward brought in a specialist to go through the Silverado’s CAN bus to get the electronics sorted out, and then drove the truck for more than 1000 miles before the swap to the 1972 body even started.
Rather than trick the computer with resistors or emulators, Icon’s developers went through the donor truck’s intricate wiring and programming and made sure that everything would function as it would if the truck were still carrying around its modern bed and cab. ABS and stability control still work as they should, and so does the seven-inch Apple CarPlay-compatible dash screen. Just like a modern vehicle, the radio shuts off not when the engine is turned off, but when the door is opened. “I see great potential with this approach, and this platform,” said Ward.
Icon already has a ’68 Chevy shortbed in the works, as well as customers interested in similar builds using 1967-1972 Suburban SUV bodies.
We took the C20 out for a drive on a loop that included some city driving, winding canyon roads, and a short stint on the highway, and can attest that plenty of the character of the 1972 truck remains as the modern conveniences blend in. The new Silverado’s electronic power steering has a solid feel, although the slightly larger vintage steering wheel—mounted on a vintage-looking tilt column—means that there’s more leverage to be had. That makes steering just a bit lighter, but not vague like the over-boosted hydraulic systems that were typical in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The powertrain works flawlessly, with smooth shifts and easy acceleration.
In addition to the wind noise at highway speed, which is inherent in the truck’s design, the seating position never lets you forget that you’re driving a vintage truck. “On the next one, I’m redesigning this seat,” said Ward. The seat bottom will be the same, but the seat back is getting a denser closed-cell foam to slim it down while maintaining the comfort. That will allow the driver to slide back a bit more than the current seat’s near-factory position, but there’s still not going to be the kind of legroom found in a modern full-size pickup. A lack of a giant center console helps make up for the shorter accommodations, allowing taller drivers to spread out a bit.
The other major difference, one that we were not as quick to pick up on, is the engine sound. Despite its stout 355-hp output, the 5.3-liter is remarkably quiet with its factory exhaust. Idling at around 500 rpm, it’s virtually silent at rest, which is not what you’d expect from a well-worn pickup.
With the concept proven out on the first couple of models, Ward hopes to expand Icon’s offerings. The company’s work on GM truck platforms means it can build RWD or 4×4 models with various powerplants, whether it’s a 1/2-ton or 3/4-ton, gas or diesel. Ward lists off even more possibilities, “You want a supercharger? You want a lift kit? You want to drop kit? You want a rowdy exhaust?. . “ Thanks to the massive world of the aftermarket, there’s virtually no limit. This Chevy platform was just the first. Icon also hopes to expand to Ram and Ford platforms, so Blue Oval and Mopar fans might not have to wait too long before they have similar choices in restomods.
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