PO Box 2453

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729


CAL-RODS FEBRUARY 2017 FEATURED CAR

written by Ron Merry

THE FREIGHT TRAIN - Owners: Greg & Kiki Hahs

The “Freight Train”     Click link to hear song. 

1946 2½ TON CHEVY HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL TRUCK 

COLOR: “RED BARON” by STAR SIDE DESIGN

ENGINE:  1968 426 HEMI with a MOONEYHAM SUPERCHARGER, MOUNTED BEHIND THE CAB

TRANS:  700-R4                     

REAR END:  JAGUAR V12 LIMITED SLIP

WHEELS:   REAR WHEELS WELD 28” CUSTOM RIMS WITH SPINNERS & STEEL - BELTED HOOSIER 32” WIDE TIRES. FRONT WHEELS ALCOA WITH STANDARD TRUCK TIRES.

STEERING:  CUSTOM COLUMN AND 1958 IMPALA SS.  STEERING WHEEL – INTERESTING NOTE; TO TIE THE NEW ANGLED COLUMN TO THE NEW FRONT SUSPENSION, GREG BUILT A CHAIN DRIVE SETUP (JUST ONE OF MANY UNIQUE CUSTOM TOUCHES ON THE VECHILE).

FRAME:  ORIGINAL FRAME WITH A 1998 2½ TON FRONT SUSPENSION WITH HYDRO BOOST BRAKES.  FRAME AND SUSPENSION ALL POWDER COATED.

This month’s featured “car” is actually a 1946 2½ ton Chevy heavy duty commercial truck owned by Greg and Kiki Hahs.  The truck was doing tough duty as a grain hauler on a dairy farm in Chino Hills for most of its life.

In 2001, Greg saw the truck sitting on a farm in plain sight from the street.  He approached the owner and asked if he would sell the truck.  Without too much haggling, he purchased it for $1,000.  After getting the truck to his home in Upland, he spent the next 12 years (plus or minus) designing and building the truck himself (with help from friends).  For those of you haven’t seen the truck, it is hard to imagine this very unique and beautiful truck started out as such an ugly duckling work horse of a vehicle.  Greg’s imagination, engineering expertise and attention to detail is very evident in all aspects of the completed project.

The cab and fenders are painted and everything else is powder coated.  The finished truck retained the original fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 88 gallons.  At 10 MPG, the truck has a significant range.

I am sure if this truck was ever pressed back into service on the farm, it couldn’t carry as much grain, but it could get there a lot quicker and look a lot better doing it.

Since the truck was completed, it has won awards at nearly every show he has taken it to.  It was awarded Best Truck at the Grand National Roadster Show and Best of Show at the USO Show and was chosen to carry the Grand Marshal in the Upland Christmas parade.

Greg has another project that he is thinking about so whatever it is, it’s sure to be a show winner.

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