Some of my fondest memories as a young kid would be the Sunday trips in his big-block-powered '67 truck. We would go visit his gearhead buddies, check out their projects, and do a little bench racing.

Like most carmakers established in the early years of the 20th century, it didn't take long for Chevrolet to start producing trucks. The bowtie company introduced the 490 one-ton hauler in 1918, only ...