This hot rod hauler pulls off an unconventional look
Need to haul some high-test fuel to top off your fleet of dry lakes racers? We’ve found the truck for you. MotoeXotica is selling a hot-rodded ’51 Chevy 6400 tanker, and while we can’t say we’d enjoy hauling a heavy, flammable load in a truck that’s old enough to collect Social Security, we do admit that it looks pretty cool for such an over-the-top build. Let’s just leave that tank empty, shall we?
The truck is low, with a raked stance that comes from a dropped front axle that was moved forward, which necessitated removing the fenders. There’s plenty of sidewall, with wide whitewall tires on five-lug wheels up front. While contemporary heavy-duty trucks would typically have eight- or 10-lug wheels up front, five-lug wheels were factory on ’50s Chevy 6400 models. The rear axle, with its tandem rear wheels, does have 10 lugs, which would come in handy if that massive tank on the back was topped off.
The entire build has been convincingly aged with faux patina, and it would fit right in at a vintage car show like Viva Las Vegas. The mods aren’t too kitschy, although the Shotgun Bill scoop partially sticking out of the hood and the Tommy Gun mud flaps are pushing it. Inside, the truck has decent upholstery and some head shielding, but otherwise it’s well worn. There are three pedals and a T-handled floor shifter, but the description notes a three-speed auto, so perhaps that left pedal is just a relic.
Opening the hood reveals that this dualie is powered by a 283-cubic-inch small-block Chevy V-8 that looks appropriately aged but not grungy, and it wears white long tube headers that are easy to see, even with the hood closed, considering there are no fenders. The engine is topped by a tunnel ram and a pair of Holley carbs, not the dual-plane intake that favors low-rpm torque, which you’d expect in a typical heavy hauler. But this truck is far from typical.
We’ve got to admit, the build is well done, and apart from the Pitman arm that is shockingly low—which could give bumpsteer a whole new meaning if it gets hung up on a speedbump—we think this would make for a fun car show cruiser and conversation starter.
