[Gallery] Jeff Depew’s 1957 Chevy Pickup

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The Chevrolet Task Force series ran from late 1955 through 1959. Previously known as the Advance Design series, it was introduced immediately after WWII. It was billed then as a larger, stronger and sleeker design before the all new Second Series (or stepside series) with a new "wrap-around" windshield and upgraded 12 volt electrical system came along.


Jeff Depew, a former Mr. Florida and Mr. DelMarVa (to name a few of his impressive titles), is the proud owner of this '57. He found it on Craigslist and  located in Alabama (2016). It was in pretty rough shape, so much so that he had to trailer her home. He thought it would take a task force of people to get her up and running again too!


You might say Jeff was a late bloomer to all us hot rodders. He had a full career and many years ( 39) in the wholesale business, including sales, new construction, warehousing and as a self- employed kitchen and bath business owner. Like so many of us, he always had an interest in Hot Rods but never the time or money to seriously build something special until later in life.


Jeff was mentoring a young man in his church named Michael Callin, who was like a son to him (Jeff has two daughters). Jeff was a groomsman in his wedding and a pallbearer in his funeral as Michael was killed in the line of duty in 2006. Michael had taught Jeff all about bodywork as his uncle (Tim Dees) owned a body shop in East Orlando called Quality Autoworks. Jeff met Tim at Michael's funeral, and they have been close friends ever since.  Tim continued to teach Jeff paint and body work where Michael left off. 


This truck is therefore dedicated to Michael, and the sticker on the back window reminds him every day of this young man and dedicated Orange County Sheriff's Deputy killed in the line of duty, but never forgotten.


Fast forward to 2016 and Jeff was about to get to work on this cool stepside pickup. Jeff did all the work on this truck, and was quick to point out that he also learned much from watching YouTube videos! The truck is an all steel 57 Chevy 3100 series Stepside 1/2 ton Shortbed. Jeff added an S-10 blazer front clip (so he could enjoy power steering and brakes!) to get things started. Next up was a .40 over 350 with a TH400 3 speed auto trans that again, Jeff built. The transmission has a 2500 TCI stahl converter transferring the horsepower thru an aluminum balanced driveshaft to the Dana 44 rear end out of a Jeep Wrangler with 3:07 gears.


The engine has a bunch of goodies and go-fast goods like a Thumper Cam, Competition Aluminum heads, Roller rockers, Eldebrock dual plane manifold, Eldebrock AVS2 650 carb, MSD Ignition, Holley Electric fuel pump, and a mechanical racing fan. Jeff chuckles when he also says that he made a neat fan shroud out of his wife's cookie sheet pan! Hooker headers vent all the gasses out through custom two and a half inch dual exhausts with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers and, best of all - electronic cut outs (which he uses quite regularly, he says with a big grin!).


The interior is a modified Durango back seat cut down into buckets in grey vinyl. Gauges are Bosch throughout, including the tach. The tunes are Kenwood with 4 - 6x9 3-way Pioneer speakers and 12-inch subwoofers boosted by a Kenwood receiver and Sony Explode amplifier. A stock early Camaro tilt steering column and wheel steers her down the highway easily, thanks to the power steering assist. It also rides on air shocks by Monroe, stopping pretty nicely with the front disc/rear drum set up. It rolls on a gorgeous set of Boyd Coddington Junkyard Dogs in a Gunmetal Grey finish. It's shod with 20's all around by Nitto (245/45R/20's front, 275/45R/20's rear).


Jeff next turned his attention to the body work. It's been shaved, both door handles removed (remote door poppers) and smoothed the hood, while also frenching in those cool rear Cadillac-like LED tail lights! Custom one piece side windows were another addition, and he added a handmade, beautiful one-piece flush mount rear bed cover with an electric lift gate. A billet grill with bumpers smoothed and sectioned gives it a great smooth look. Last was the custom brushed aluminum bullet antenna that just finishes it off nicely! The paint is a Matrix paint, called Daytona Grey Pearl by Audi. He laid down 4 coats of clear over a 3-coat base and it does really sparkle in the sun!


This beauty was the result of a lot of hard work by a self-taught enthusiast who poured the same amount of energy and devotion into his ride as he did into his body-building titles. Jeff Depew is the perfect builder and owner of this true Task Force "Muscle" project. It's one that turned out pretty cool too!

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