A Mas Grande ’57 Chevy Pickup Straight from Mexico!

New vehicles are cool and all, but their newfangled high-tech electronic components just aren’t for everybody. For those who prefer to stay true to old school, lots of cars and trucks are out there to choose from that still run on analog hard parts, nuts and bolts. 

Pepito HD (that’s the name he gave us!), owner of La Bodega, a custom motorcycle shop in Aguascalientes, Mexico, has a healthy love affair for custom two-wheeled machines but also digs old four-wheeled modes of transportation as well. The challenge of breaking these old, motorized relics down and building them back to perform better than ever is a big part of the attraction for Pepito. Not having a real allegiance toward any one make or model, he has built developed a wide spectrum of expertise for classic rides of all kinds.

Now, some might not peg the central region of Mexico as being a hub for custom vehicles, but Pepito HD has been doing his part in growing the awareness of customized classic cars and trucks down there. Having little money to play with at age 17, Pepito was forced (but actually enjoyed) playing with old VWs and becoming intoxicated on the sweet scent of burning gasoline. The adrenaline kick from the fumes quickly got him hooked as he then stepped up to particular V-8-equipped ’79 Chevy Camaro to further fuel his addiction to speed and power.

Not having a real allegiance toward any one make or model, he has built developed a wide spectrum of expertise for classic rides of all kinds.  

This is the point when Pepito HD realized there was no cure in sight for him, so he further indulged in his interest in finding cool vehicles locally and seeking other nearby shops to help bring them back to life.

A 1957 Chevy What?

Soon, Pepito HD was able to wrangle up a really special truck, something much bigger and different than he had ever worked on before. What he found was a 1957 Chevy. No, it wasn’t a Bel Air—or even a pickup truck. He was lucky enough to pick up something much cooler and often unseen in any condition. Pepito’s latest vehicle was a 1957 Chevy bus, which he thought was great and all, but not really right to drive around town on a regular basis.

Instead of just letting the old people hauler rot away, he had another idea to turn it into something more interesting.

To help with the transformation, Pepito HD reached out to Israel Espinoza of Centavo Kustom Shop, a local one-stop shop that specializes in creating custom vehicles of all types, to assist in a very big way. Actually, the two shops are direct neighbors in the same building complex. Pepito and Israel even share tools—that’s how close they are! The plan was to cut into the bus and make a truck out of it—a truck that was unique in its own right but a truck that still resembled a model most people were familiar with. Ultimately, Pepito wanted his project to hit closer to an Apache model truck—an Apache XL, if you will. His truck is obviously much larger in scale than the regular version, but it could still work—somehow.

Up for the Challenge?

The word challenging is a big understatement to use here, but that’s exactly what this process was. It was a lot of hard work to even get started, but Pepito HD and Israel enjoyed every minute of watching the truck get broken down and slowly evolve into the vision that glowed in both of their minds.

Israel began modifying the chassis to sit low and be compatible with a bed instead of a bus body, but not just any bed would do—it had to fit the dually rear axle the bus was originally equipped with. Custom, hand-built fenders were fabricated to give all four of the custom 24×9 rear wheels a home, and the process of finding and tweaking a bed large enough to fit proved to be a chore as well, but the guys made it happen.

The real tricky part of this entire build was to conduct all of this custom work while successfully blending it all in to look like a factory truck at the end of the day, which is not an easy job to pull off. Due to their location in central Mexico, everything has to be custom and handmade since tools and supplies are either too expensive or just hard to come by.

When the dust settled, Israel’s seeming endless amount of measuring and mockup led to an exterior façade that fits in scale with itself from front to back, side to side. Seeing the truck from afar and then up close is a visual puzzle on the eyes due to the extra proportions this truck is serving. This Chevy pickup looks like it should be this size even though all common sense says there is definitely no way it should be this big.

Power and Comfort

Powering Pepito’s big, bad Chevy pickup is a no-frills LS engine. The guys went for a clean swap with a capable motor that could provide the reliability to fire up every day while still having the ability to get rowdy when the time is appropriate. Linked to the 5.4L mill is a 4L60-E automatic transmission to makes driving the ’57 that much more enjoyable on a daily basis.

Inside the cab, the guys kept the styling cool and classic, just like the rest of the truck. With a freshly reupholstered bench seat, fresh paint on the dash and door panels and refreshed gauges, Pepito’s ’57 is ready to cruise the streets of Mexico in comfort and style.

Ready for More

Even though this project wasn’t exactly easy, it was sure worth all the hard work. To pull the bus to truck conversion off right, Pepito HD and Israel had to think outside the box. The looks of the truck could’ve easily gone sour in the wrong hands, but these guys know exactly what they are doing.

With another completed custom under their belt, the guys are now looking forward to their next project to help further grow the custom culture all throughout Mexico.

TRUCK SPECS

 Owner 

Pepito HD 

• 1957 Chevy 6400 Pickup 
• Aguascalientes, Mexico 
• Chevroleteros 

Engine & Transmission 

• Chevy 5.3L LS V-8
• 4L60 transmission

Chassis & Suspension 

• Shop: Centavo Kustom Shop
• Custom chassis hand built by Israel Espinoza
• Air-ride suspension

Wheels & Tires 

• Custom 24×9 wheels

Exterior & Paint 

• Shop: Centavo Kustom Shop, paint by Israel Ornelas, Aguascalientes, Mexico
• Custom fabricated step side fenders
• Blending of OEM and custom fab work
• Big window conversion

Interior 

• Shop: Centavo Kustom