Randy and Cydney Weaver run Weaver Customs in Salt Lake City and have built some amazing muscle cars and trucks for customers as well as themselves. However, this 1953 Chevy, getting broken in on this year’s Power Tour, is a special one. We asked Randy about the build, which we first spotted at the tour’s first stop, in Indianapolis. “My dad bought it for me when I was 14 years old,” Randy explained, “and it was a great running and driving truck.” Back then, the truck was powered by its original 235 straight-six. “But being a dumb kid, you know, I didn’t care about it,” said Randy. He sold it not long after to finance a different project.
Missing the simple and reliable truck, Randy tried and failed to buy it back. Eventually, it fell off his radar. Finally, nearly 30 years later, Randy tracked the truck down, which wasn’t too difficult because it hadn’t changed hands since he’d last sold it. He purchased it, knowing that he wouldn’t be selling it again anytime soon.
While other customer cars took precedent, Randy made time here and there to put some work into restoring the pickup, and then some. He kept the original cab and doors completely intact, just the way it was when his dad gave the truck to him. The rest of the sheetmetal, from the bed and its extended stake pockets to the curvy hood and fenders, is all-new, as is the chassis. Randy built the frame from scratch using a Mustang II suspension in the front with a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear axle with 3.50:1 gears in the back.
Randy has used several diesel powerplants in his builds over the years, including a Cummins 6BT in an E-body ‘Cuda. A Duramax seemed fitting for this Chevy, so Randy called on Industrial Injection, also in Salt Lake City, for a rebuilt LB7 V-8 and Allison five-speed automatic. Its current “mild” tune produces more than 600 hp and still lets the Weavers cruise on the highway, effortlessly returning more than 20 mpg. It’s finished in Cerakote, and it has been dressed up a bit—the valve covers that resemble those from a 426 Hemi had onlookers at the Power Tour puzzled. We asked Randy how the Duramax’s weight compared to a big-block Chevy. “The motors are heavy, but. . . they’re fun.” The engine may pack an extra hundred pounds or so compared to an iron big-block, although Randy was able to mount it behind the centerline of the front axle, keeping the weight nicely balanced.
The interior still has the familiar shapes of a Chevy Advance Design pickup, although there are plenty of modern touches that help the miles go by. For example, it now has air conditioning from Restomod Air, and Hydes Leather is responsible for the upholstery. The red leather features some flecks of black, and Randy was able to match the carpet perfectly.
Wrapping things up on the build just a few days ago meant shaking things down on the Power Tour. “It’s just nice to be out and driving it again,” said Randy. “When I first got it back from the interior shop on Thursday, I drove it to the shop. I hadn’t driven it since I was 14!”
After all four drives on the Power Tour, the Weavers will have almost as many miles on the reborn version as Randy put on it when he was a kid. One thing’s for certain, Randy won’t make the same mistake twice—he knows that not everyone is lucky enough to be able to reclaim their first car.
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