Sometimes, you don’t know what you want until you find it. Sound like psycho babble? Maybe but for Derrick Peterson of Red Deer, AB, it’s true. He and his wife thought they wanted a 1965-67 Chevy Nova  and were looking for one when they found this 1967 Chevy shortbox, fleetside pickup in the lot of a local auction house.                                    
     “We previously owned a 1970 Chevy long box and always have loved the short boxes from 1967-72,” says Peterson. “We immediately phoned the owner and made a deal on the spot.”
What the Peterson’s purchased was no clapped out project. This ’67 Chevy was a Tennessee vehicle restomoded in 2007. “Every nut and bolt on this truck is new,” says Peterson. It was as you see it in the pictures that accompany this article, save for one upgrade: A kicking 1200 watt stereo system designed and installed by DR Customs of Red Deer, AB. The system includes a double amp and sub setup behind the seat. Rear speakers are hidden in cab corners and a 7” touch screen flip-out Pioneer deck is the control centre.
      As for the rest of the truck, the modifications begin with the suspension, which, after some chassis modifications, includes lowered (2”) coils and Classic Industries 2.5” drop spindles up front with rebuilt control arms and 12” disc brakes. To complete the truck’s killer rake, rear coils are lowered 5”. The 10-bolt rear end is stuffed with a posi and 3:73 gears with the drums replaced by 12” disc brakes. The rear frame was C-notched to accommodate the 5” inch lowered coils. Classic Industries also supplied the pickup’s front and rear sway bars. This chassis rolls on black American Racing  Torque Thurst II wheels, 18x8 front and massive 20x10s out back. Tires are Toyo Proxes all around.
      The original builders chose a GM Fast Burn 385 crate engine, which displaces 350ci and comes with, among pieces,  Fast Burn aluminum heads, dual plane aluminum intake and hydraulic roller camshaft. A Quick Fuel 750 cfm carb was added to the mix as well as some ceramic coated, long tube Hooker headers. A Billet Specialties Tru Trac Serpentine belt system was also installed.
      Rolland Thomason of Kentucky gets credit for the paint and body work, which ended with Thomason coating the prepped and prettied ’67 in House of Kolor’s Orion Silver. The truck’s exterior is stock, save for the cowl induction hood and tri-bar headlights.
      Interior designer Paul Atkins created and installed the show stopping interior. He used the bench seat from a 1988 Chevy truck and then reshaped and reupholstered it in black leather. The door panels are also leather, with some Clayton Machine Works handles and trim. An Ididit column is topped by a Billet Specialities steering wheel.  A Vintage Air Sure Fit A/C /heat unit was neatly tucked beneath the pickup’s dash.
     The truck is slick but subtle and it was built to use. While the entire truck is built to show quality, the box bed was sprayed with Line-X to make sure it was durable and useful.
“We drive it every sunny date we have,” says Peterson. “We’ve driven the truck to Lethbridge, Radium Hot Springs and it purrs like a kitten at 70 mph without any issues .”
“It’s a ton of fun and we plan on many more outings with it.”