1954 Chevy Pickup Build Page

1954 Chevy Pickup Build Journey

A ground-up restomod blending patina perfection with modern power, built by Street Machine Garage on the Gold Coast. This one-of-a-kind build fuses classic Chevy styling with an LS2 heartbeat, custom chassis, air suspension, and hand-crafted details throughout—engineered to turn heads and built to be driven.

The Starting Point – A barn find straight from the Scrapheap

This 1954 Chevy Pickup rolled into Street Machine Garage as a bare-bones rust bucket — no seats, barely holding together, and decades of wear and tear baked into its panels. But underneath all the flaking paint and surface rust, we saw potential. What followed was a complete ground-up transformation to turn this neglected classic into a head-turning, modern-powered masterpiece.

Stage 1 – Dismantle, Chassis Fabrication & LS2 V8 Engine Fitment

The first step was a full strip-down to expose the bare bones of the build. From there, the team fabricated an entirely new chassis, tailored to suit the modern restomod vision for this classic truck.

With the foundation in place, we wasted no time dropping in an LS2 V8 engine sourced from a HSV, setting the tone for the high-performance direction this build was heading. The engine was test-fitted along with custom bead rolled inner guards and firewall in place.

Stage 2 – Fabrication & Rust Repair Begins

Like most projects of this era, we kicked things off with a solid dose of rust repair and fabrication. The ’54 Chevy Pickup cab was stripped back to bare metal so we could get a clear look at what needed attention.

Rot was cut out and replaced with fresh steel, while the body was prepared for a future right-hand drive conversion. A key focus was maintaining the truck’s character while giving it a new lease on life.

Stage 3 – RHD Conversion & Fabrication

Once the cab was solid, attention turned to reconfiguring the dash and steering for Australia’s roads. The left-hand drive dashboard was stripped, reshaped, and converted to suit a right-hand drive layout. We fabricated a new steering column mount and mocked up gauge placement to retain that vintage aesthetic with modern function.

Stage 4 – Patina Paint Trials & Basecoat

Before committing to the final finish, we tested out several layers of patina paint on an old door—comparing matte and satin to get the right look. The goal? Nail that aged-but-tough finish while still delivering a showroom-quality result.

The full truck body went into primer and basecoat, layering four custom tones that would become the foundation for the patina. With the panels far from factory straight, the plan was always to let the imperfections help tell the story.

While the body was getting painted, the full chassis was prepped, painted, and assembled in a clean satin black. The stage was now set for assembly.

Stage 5 – Patina Sanding & Texturing

Weeks of layer-building and sanding revealed the final patina finish—and the results were worth every hour.

A mix of bare steel, rust tones, and perfectly exposed highlights gave the illusion of a naturally aged pickup that had been through decades of sun and grit.

Stage 6 - Colour-Matched Hardware & Wheels

Next up: custom colour-matched suspension arms, air tanks, Wilwood brake calipers, and even the wheels. The rose gold/copper accents were chosen to tie the whole theme together—and they pop against the patina body and black chassis.

Stage 7 - Assembly + Engine Tuning

With the LS2 settled in, we moved into the detailed fabrication work—brake lines, fuel lines, mounts and hardware. The front end was dialled in, the airbag suspension plumbed up, and we were officially on the home stretch.

Underneath, the exhaust system was fabricated from scratch with an X-pipe layout, full custom pipework, and a matte black Cerakote finish for longevity and that tuff stealth look.

Stage 8: Interior Assembly & Completion

Inside the cab, custom fabrication continued with the reworked RHD dash taking shape, steering fitted, and pedal boxes located. The colour scheme was already starting to come to life. A pearl-finished steering wheel was installed, along with custom copper-accented gauges to complement the exterior trim. With fresh trim, dash paint, and final detailing, the cab was coming together beautifully.

A custom rear tray was fitted with weathered hard wood from a 100 year old jetty & final fit-up of the 20-inch wheels on the freshly tuned airbag suspension gave the truck its ultra-low stance.

The Grand Reveal

In October 2024, the ’54 Chevy Pickup made its public debut at Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Show while turning heads all weekend. With a crowd around it and proud new owner soaking up the reactions, the build was officially revealed. Built to cruise, show, and spark conversation, this was one Chevy no one would forget.