Great 8 - "Heirloom" '49 Pickup

The Great 8, that auspicious list that represents a highly select group of rides that showcase the ultimate in craftsmanship, creativity, styling, raised the bar to the stratosphere this year. The rides on the list were mind blowers. We saw that stunning Model A from CAL Automotive yesterday and today’s ride is equally as extraordinary. Up next is one of three pickup trucks that sat on this year’s Great 8. Not in the 55 years of the Don Ridler Memorial award has a truck driven away with the top prize but representing nearly half of the field this year that “no truck” streak just might be over soon. (You can say you heard it here first!)

Believe it or not, this is the second go round at the Ridler for Robby and Hazel Collins – with this truck! Heartbreakingly they made to trek to the Cobo Center last year but the truck was damaged during transport and the debut for “Heirloom” was pushed to 2017. Happily the inaugural showing of “Heirloom” came off safely and without incident. Owned and built by Robby Collvin, “Heirloom” is a full custom ’49 Chevy pickup. Every inch of this truck is tricked out. The chassis for this ride comes from a C5 Corvette. The wider chassis acomodates all the body mods done to this ride. It’s been chopped, sectioned and widened, as in the cab was split into four pieces and widened five inches overall, widened. The interior replete with rawhide leather buckets, a custom dash wrapped in even more leather accents the exterior and ties the look of the entire truck together. The bed is custom, both inside and out. The woodwork is pure art. The bumpers, the tailgate, the roof, the glass, again you guessed it – custom. The bed sides were fashioned from a ’55 Cadillac Eldorado and those right on Caddy taillights – perfection. A Magnuson supercharged LS was the choice to give this trucking treasure it’s get up and go. The entire build was flawless. Robby, his talent, craftsmanship and creativity earned a well deserved spot on the Great 8 with “Heirloom”, truly a truck for the ages.

Have a look for yourself at this second time charmer. An “Heirloom” for sure.