The Story

This 1954 Dodge C1 pickup is the result of a five-year build by lifelong fabricator Harold Kelvington. The truck's origin story is pure California: a friend owned the Summit Inn at the top of Cajon Pass when someone towed this first Dodge into the parking lot with a chain and abandoned it. The inn owner put it in his boneyard where it sat for 28 years. Harold showed interest, so the owner gave it to Harold's wife, who gave it to Harold for his birthday in 2010. It was really rough. Harold later purchased a second, more complete truck in Yucaipa and used that as the donor body, keeping only the frame from the first truck since he already had a month's work into it.

Harold set out to create the truck he always wanted—one that preserved the personality of a 1954 Dodge while driving and handling like a modern American performance car. Harold built and raced Corvettes for many years and he used that expertise to build this incredible pro-touring machine. Every inch of this truck was built or restored by hand: fabrication, metalwork, chassis engineering, stainless hardware, suspension rebuild, powder-coating, wiring, and exhaust fabrication. Specialist work included paint and body by Bill Maxim in Apple Valley, machine work and long block assembly by The Speed Shop in Lomita, transmission rebuild by A-Tech Transmissions in Hesperia, and upholstery by Tom Sewell in Hesperia.

The Purpleheart Brazilian hardwood bed is a symbolic tribute to Purple Heart recipients and the fallen drivers of Nevada's Silver State Classic. Harold's own stainless-and-brass inlay work for that race inspired the bed materials and finishing theme. The truck wears personalized California black plates showing “VETS TY” as a tribute and thank you to the US Veterans who have served in our military. The interior door panels have the various branches of the military embroidered on them.

After completing the truck in 2014, Harold drove it sparingly. Now retired from hands-on fabrication, he is ready for the right new steward to enjoy the truck. Harold has approximately 95% of all receipts, hundreds of them, and extensive photo documentation covering frame fabrication, suspension rebuild, powder coating, engine build, exhaust fabrication, bed construction, and final assembly.

The truck holds a clean California title in the seller’s name. There is a reserve that must be met in order for it to sell.

How it Was Built

Chassis & Frame: Harold began the project by building a custom rotisserie to hold the frame. The frame from the first truck was fully boxed and the structural points were reinforced. Before final welding, the chassis was placed on an alignment rack and verified again after completion. The frame was tunneled on both sides to allow proper rack-and-pinion clearance, and the front crossmember was engineered to slide out and in for serviceability. The rack and pinion was rebuilt by Turn One in Indiana and again by a steering shop in Ontario. The steering column and steering wheel are from the 1986 Corvette. He laid out 69 individual Corvette suspension pieces on an eight-foot table, rebuilt every bushing, bearing, steering component, and brake calipers with new pistons and pucks, then powder-coated everything before final assembly. He fitted complete front and rear suspension from a 1986 Corvette with 3.07 differential. The full chassis, drivetrain, engine, transmission, frame, and all Corvette suspension and brake components are powder-coated. Nothing on this truck is simply painted except the body. The entire truck is assembled with stainless steel bolts, individually polished by Harold. Structural locations use approximately $1,000 worth of ARP bolts.

Drivetrain: The engine is a 383 stroker small-block Chevy built from a 4-bolt-main truck block with forged internals: forged steel crank, forged rods, and forged aluminum pistons. The top end features a Comp Cams hydraulic roller cam with roller rockers and Chevrolet Bow Tie Phase VI heads. The “street-strip” roller cam features valve lift of .538 Intake and .510 Exhaust with duration @ .050 of 224 Intake and 230 Exhaust on a 112 lobe separation (cam card pictured). Fuel delivery comes from a 1990 Corvette Tuned Port Injection system with a 1,000 CFM throttle body. The estimated output is 450 horsepower. Machine work and long block assembly were completed by Bob at The Speed Shop in Lomita. The transmission was rebuilt by A-Tech Transmissions in Hesperia with nothing spared in the rebuild. The 4L80E is controlled by a Compushift II with a 2000-rpm lock-up torque converter. A Derale 40-row Hyper-Cool Extreme remote transmission cooler with -10AN fittings keeps fluid temperatures in check. The engine block and transmission case were sandblasted before powder coating. Harold built the fully polished stainless exhaust with polished stainless headers and dual polished Sebring mufflers. The Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine system drives the accessories. Power goes to the factory posi rear end from the 1986 Corvette, which was rebuilt by a Chevrolet certified mechanic with all new bearings.

Brakes & Wheels: The braking system uses a brand new vacuum booster brake assist unit with rebuilt Corvette calipers at all four corners and stainless steel brake lines and fittings throughout. The wheels are chromed 2006 Corvette Z06s wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports: 275/35-18 front and 325/30-19 rear, the latter measuring 13 inches wide. The truck feels well planted.

Body & Paint: Paint and bodywork were completed by Bill Maxim in Apple Valley using old-school hammer and dolly metalwork with no bondo. The jet black finish uses multiple coats with no clear coat, purpose-built for depth and polishability. All chrome is copper-nickel-chrome, the high-end show process. The rear bumper is NOS military from the original box with Army Green finish. Harold won it on eBay in the last 30 seconds of bidding for $401, with the chrome plating adding another $500 for a total investment of $901. It is installed upside down to allow for the quad exhaust tips. The firewall was reinforced internally with welded steel plate to support the hood hinges. All glass is new except the pilot-house corner glass, which is original.

Interior & Electronics: The seats are from the second-row of a 2013 Toyota Odyssey, mounted on custom brackets hand-fabricated by Harold. New upholstery work was completed by Tom Sewell's Upholstery. Climate control comes from an Old Air Hurricane 2000/2100 A/C system. Stewart Warner Wings Series instrumentation includes a 160-mph speedometer, tachometer, volts, fuel, water, oil pressure and oil temp. The truck is fully re-wired with a Ron Francis 24/7 harness and Telorvek II TPI FI System. Electronics are neatly mounted behind the driver's seat. Power windows are installed and functioning. A JVC head unit is installed on the passenger side of the dash with two speakers installed in the rear corners.

Bed: The 7.5-foot bed is hand-built from Purpleheart Brazilian hardwood sourced through a specialty supplier in Rialto. Custom metal channels and perimeter edging frame the wood. The material was chosen for its stunning grain, unique color, and extreme durability. The wood is finished with oil only, requiring no ongoing varnish maintenance. The wheel tubs have been modified to fit the Corvette wheels.

What to Expect

This is a complete, functional, road-ready truck with no mechanical punch list. It drives like a more modern Corvette with tight steering, stable chassis, and instant throttle response. The truck handles far beyond a typical classic and delivers modern drivability with period character. It is ready for your next pro-touring event.

The black no-clear paint surface shows light linear marks on the hood and fenders and scratches typical of this finish type, all appearing light and buffable. The wood bed has some lighter spots that should even out with an oil treatment. The inside of the bed has some scratches on the sides from parade activities. The electric windows function well with some slight rattle sounds.