We made our presence known...
We made our presence known with a couple of our project vehicles. Jim Aust spent a couple days getting the Circus Wagon road-worthy by fixing some things that he tolerates on his daily commute, but he was not sure how they would fare crossing the desert. The one thing he didnt get around to was installing some air conditioning, but after some 118-degree Arizona heat, he has vowed to take care of that.
Our Dodge Dakota Quad Cab...
Our Dodge Dakota Quad Cab was treated to some new wheels and skins for the trip. We felt that a set of higher profile tires would take some of the bumps better. Center Line fixed us up with some of its new Horizon wheels (18x9.5 rear and 17x7 front) and Yokohama supplied some AVS ST treads in sizes 265/60R18 and 255/50R17. The new wheel and tire package looked awesome, rode great, and gave the truck a completely new and aggressive look. The best part was the Dakota had A/C (it pays to be an editor).
With the line between station...
With the line between station wagon and SUV becoming more and more unclear all the time, should we consider this slammed 1959 Chevy wagon an early SUV? Would you like to see features on some hot wagons?
Getting behind the wheel and...
Getting behind the wheel and out on the road is what the Power Tour is all about.
A mixture of old and new....
A mixture of old and new. The 1958 Stepside plays on the latest trend with big chromed wheels and a super stance.
The Suburban relies on some...
The Suburban relies on some retro airbrushed trim to set it apart from all the other slammed black Subs.
The biggest casualty of the...
The biggest casualty of the tour was the Hot Rod Hemi. The 528ci Elephant lost oil pressure on its way to Phoenix, leaving Hot Rods publisher Brad Gerber and Events Director Joe Sebergandio thumbing it beside the road.
At the conclusion of each...
At the conclusion of each days driving a cruise night takes place where several manufacturers set up their trailers and tables to show off their latest products.
Each stop was a show among...
Each stop was a show among itself with a couple hundred cool cars converging on a single station.
After reviewing many of the stories we have compiled for this months issue, we came to the conclusion that a large percentage of them had to do with getting out and using your truck. We do our part to promote building useful trucks by inviting our readers to participate in our Sport Truck Challenge, which you can read about in this issue ( "Bragging Rights," page 24). Our sister, or mother publication (depending on how you look at it), Hot Rod, has also come up with an event to do away with trailer queens. Its called the Power Tour and it is a fun-filled action-packed 10-day driving spectacle that travels from the West Coast to the East Coast. After each day of driving participants are treated to a cruise night sponsored by one of the industries leading manufacturers. Each year the Tour gets larger and the vehicles that take the drive get nicer. It doesnt matter what kind of iron youre intolate-model, street rods, 1950s customs, or truckstheyre all there. And if it sounds like something you might want to join, stay tuned because well have more info to come about our involvement for next year.