Back in the 1940s, when Detroit minds penned the first Advance Design pickup, do you think there was even a remote possibility they imagined some would eventually end up looking like this '53 three-window? Not too likely, but it'd be real interesting to hear what they'd have to say given the opportunity to comment. Heck, back in the 1980s, who would have thought we'd have production cars like Chrysler Crossfires or the new Beetles?

Regardless of what anybody did or didn't think would happen, some people just aren't content with certain things "as is," and in this instance, Salinas, California's Juan Avalos had a different vision in mind for his truck, a little something we like to call a custom makeover. Visually, his '53 is slippery smooth, something the satin silver finish greatly emphasizes. Thanks to Kustom Fabrication's Max Farrell, not only the exterior was reworked, but the chassis as well, giving the truck a low and sleek profile.

For starters, the top was dropped 3 inches, which required quartering the roof and using a donor skin. Avoiding the "mail slot" look, the rear window was only chopped an inch, but it was lowered proportionately. Rather than shaving it off completely, the driprails were removed, and in their place 3/16 cold-roll was welded and blended to the cab, which makes for a cleaner look. Beyond that, the bed was given a once- or twice-over for aesthetics' sake as well as functionality-the rear stake pockets now flow into a molded splash pan which, in turn, flows into the bumper. The rear fenders were moved up just a tad, requiring the side aprons to be modified accordingly. And among other things, the hood was nosed and the stock headlights frenched.