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They say find something you’re good at and stick with it. Some folks have a knack for woodworking or interior design; Blake Stoner on the other hand has a knack for old, scruffy pickups. Over the last couple of years, a string of trend-setting, pavement-scraping GM pickups have rolled out of Stoner Speed Shop in Hudson, Iowa – so many that people all over the country are starting to notice. Self-described as “just a kid,” we’ve gotten to know the Blakester pretty well, first as an Instagram sensation and more recently as a bona-fide truck builder who knows his strengths.

This white fleetside earned the name Slameo for obvious reasons; it’s a ’58 Chevy Cameo and lays flat on the ground. The original body was in pretty good shape, wearing a hard-earned patina from years of truck stuff. The chassis was in equally good shape, though it received more than its share of attention. A Mustang II front suspension was grafted to the front frame rails while a healthy step notch in back allows the frame to set down over the Quick Performance rear end when the Air Lift bags are deflated. Big ol’ pizza pan discs brakes from Wilwood do their thing behind custom Detroit Steel wheels. These smoothies reek of vintage charm but the large diameter fills the wheel wells. OEM center caps have been fitted to the wheels which were wrapped with Diamond Back redline tires, making a double-take the norm.

Blake’s forte is putting LS engines with modern transmissions in his trucks, but the Slameo took a slightly different path. No 5.3L plucked from a totaled Tahoe here, rather an LT4 crate engine from Jeg’s High Performance is linked to a 4L80E four speed auto from Gearstar. For us knuckle-draggers, the LT4 is based on the newest LT1 found in 2014 Corvettes. The new LT1 of course is the advancement of the venerable LS series that everyone loves. LT4 specs include a 1.7L Eaton R1740 TVS supercharger set to make nine pounds of boost. The rest of the spec sheet looks like that of an ‘80s Pro Stock engine; cross bolted mains, forged rotating assembly, roller cam and huge valves. It all stacks up to a redline of 6,600RPM and 650hp. The Gearstar slushbox is anything but that, prepared to withstand 800hp with a plenty loose converter that retains lock-up capabilities.

The dash and firewall were painted and detailed with pinstripes and a custom Stoner Speed Shop billet badge to add visual interest, assuming your eyes get past that intercooler. The dashboard was cleaned up and fitted with a direct-fit HDX instrument system in a stock chrome bezel. HDX is the latest from Dakota Digital, and allows young Blake to set his favorite illumination colors at will. Maybe the instruments are blue today and red tomorrow, to match the blood red Boss custom interior, carpet, custom center console and Con2R steering wheel. Sitting in the truck is like being in a full show car, while the outside still screams “farm truck.”

Slameo was one of two trucks Stoner Speed Shop brought to the SEMA show in 2017, the other being a dirty ’49 Chevy which you’ll likely see on these pages in a future issue. We think Blake is on to something here; a winning combination of old pickup, modern driveline and a luxurious interior. But just because he’s got a formula that works, don’t think he’s coasting in neutral. This kid works hard and isn’t afraid of a challenge; maybe someday we’ll show you the Coyote-powered and bagged ’58 T-Bird.

December 2017

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