First published in the September 2026 issue of Street Machine

JESSE MUNDEN
1957 CHEVROLET PICK-UP

“I purchased my 1957 Chevrolet longbed pick-up in late 2024, just as I turned 18. It had been a dream of mine to build a big American truck, so as soon as I got it home, I started to tear into it. It was in a restoration-ready condition and had all the typical rust these trucks have.

“So far, I’ve replaced the floors, cab corners, steps, doors, fenders and many more parts; luckily, you can buy aftermarket versions of most of these, and what I couldn’t buy I’ve been restoring.

“Those aftermarket panels need extensive work to fit correctly, but I’m in the panel beating trade, so I’ll make it work.

“The drivetrain is a 350 small-block Chev backed by a TH350 transmission. My plan is to eventually put it on airbag suspension so it can lay frame, so I’m looking to do a full chassis replacement with a Roadster Shop SPEC chassis that I bought from United Customs in Queensland, equipped with disc brakes all ’round, rack-and-pinion front end, a 9in diff with four-link rear end, and of course airbags.

“Inside, it’ll have Vintage Air air conditioning, a Dakota Digital instrument cluster, and a custom bench seat. I will be making a wooden tilt floor for the longbed for access to the tank and compressor set-up for the airbags.

“There’s obviously plenty of work to do, but for my first project, I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m hoping it’ll be done by the time I turn 22; in the meantime, I’m documenting the build on my Instagram @jesse_munden66.”

Got a sweet ride that’s currently in the build and want to share it with our readers? Email photos of it (2MB+ each) along with some details on the build to inthebuild@streetmachine.com.au