The exterior modifications were the major contributions to the overall change of the SSR. The '03 SSR factory galvanized steel body components: front fenders, hood, bed, rear fenders, and tailgate, were all replaced. Sean used `53 Chevrolet pickup OEM steel replacement parts including hood, front and rear fenders, running boards, headlights, taillights, grille, tailgate, bumpers, and door handles for this project. The hood was cut and sectioned, then hinged using the factory SSR hinges. To achieve tight fitment of the front and rear fenders they needed to be trimmed. The SSR original cab was left intact, with no modifications. A custom wooden white oak, Mar-K bed floor was laid and separated by stainless steel stringers and secured with stainless carriage bolts. After all of the body mods were completed by the crew at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff, they laid down a couple of coats of PPG K36 primer. Next, they block-sanded the new retro skin to a flawless complexion. The SSR was then wiped down with a tack rag and given two passes with PPG Ocean Green basecoat then buried with four coats of clear to achieve its depth and glistening finish. Why was the choice of color Ocean Green? Because it was a '53 Chevy pickup factory color. The SSR's comfortable factory interior and concert hall audio were left stock.
Thanks to the visionary minds and fabricating skills of the crew at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff, Brian's SSR was transformed into a true realistic retro rod. It's too bad Chevrolet didn't have this same vision. For an up-close and personal video featurette and behind-the-scenes clips of this awesome retro ride, check out truckinweb.com