Having a low vehicle is a simple styling choice for some people. For others, it goes far beyond that. Building low vehicles is both an art and a science for Jacob Stone, and the guys at Stone Custom Fab in Fresno, California.
Recently, on a typically hot summer afternoon in the San Joaquin Valley, I got a text from Jacob telling me he was holding a small open house and BBQ at the shop to welcome some friends who were making a road trip from LA to the Pacific Northwest for a car show.
Shortly after, I found myself rolling up to the Stone Fab HQ with the smell of carne asada in the air and the sight of slammed pickup trucks filling the shop's parking lot.
There is always something cool going on inside the shop at Stone Fab, and today was no different. There were several projects in various states of completion, from near-finished builds to bare chassis that were showing off the guys' fabrication talents.
The shop's specialty is pickups, and that includes everything from specially fabricated, CAD-designed suspension and chassis components to ground-up custom builds for SEMA and other big events.
But while trucks — particularly of the GM variety — are the specialty, there were plenty of other vehicles in the shop besides pickups, including a couple of big-finned Caddy projects in the works.
In another corner of the shop sat this wicked '61 Chevy Bubble Top with a very mean looking stance.
To match the big brakes, custom chassis parts and other modern equipment, the old Chevy has also has an LS swap to bring its performance up to 21st century standards.
Or, if that wasn't different enough, how about this wicked cool Volkswagen Bus? This one has already appeared at the SEMA Show and is currently in the midst of a refresh.
Out in the parking lot there was even more cool stuff to see, including a few builds showing Stone Fab's impressive talent in tucking gigantic wheel and tire setups into body-dropped pickups.
You know you're dealing with a talented builder when the chassis and suspension fabrication is just as pleasing to look at as the bodies themselves.
We also caught this tough looking square body GMC build. It still has a long way to go but is already shaping up to be quite impressive once it's finished.
Not all the trucks were about being low and slow. Joining the party was this mild looking, tastefully done Silverado with a pretty big surprise beneath the hood.
That's a fully built LS setup with a Whipple supercharger that's good for over 550 horsepower to the rear wheels. It also makes the truck capable of some absolutely gnarly burnouts. Or so I've heard...
We also caught a glimpse of one the latest additions to the Stone Fab fleet — the new work truck awaiting some "work."
A few years back Jacob used this bagged and body-dropped Silverado as the shop's work truck, complete with steel wheels and a rack that was used to haul chassis parts all over town.
The old work truck was beloved by all who saw it and was one the vehicles that helped put Jacob and his shop on the map. We have no doubt the Work Truck 2.0 will be just as cool and are looking forward to seeing more in the future.
With plenty of miles still to go for the long distance caravan, things wrapped up after sundown with everyone's belly's full of BBQ meat and lots of inspiration from seeing all of the shop's toys.
Stone Fab might be known for world class show-winning builds, but this day wasn't about winning awards; it was about relaxing, having fun and welcoming visitors from out of town with some old fashioned hospitality.
No matter your vehicular tastes, the simple satisfaction of hanging out and talking shop on a hot summer day is universal. And this small, but enjoyable gathering was the perfect way to spend an evening here in the heart of California.