Dwayne Wiltshire’s sleek, black custom ‘52 Chevrolet truck was a winner at the World of Wheels, the Winnipeg show on from April 12 – 14. Seeing the work of his own hands, shining with a First Place and an Outstanding Truck award was a significant moment for the Oak Lake builder.
“The World of Wheels, wins are very important for me. There are only two World of Wheels shows in Canada and this in the biggest car show in Manitoba.”
The Chevy 1 1/2-ton customized vehicle required an immense amount of work. working out of his recently established business, Dirty Word Customz, in Oak Lake, Wiltshire spared no details, personally doing all the custom fabrication, the interior and upholstery himself. Painting was by Zombie Body Shop in Selkirk, Man.
“I have 3,000+ hours invested in the build… over 200 hours in the hood it itself.”
The specialized build and service shop was founded in 2018. In Wiltshire’s words, “We have evolved from a small, two car garage, to a 3,000 sq. ft. fully equipped facility, complete with all the tooling necessary for chassis production, custom sheet metal fabrication and car restoration.”
RIDING ON AIR
Building customized vehicles that look awesome and are mechanically sound is the Oak Lake builder’s specialty. “It has many custom up-grades,” says Wiltshire. These include a side flip-up hood.
And under that hood, “a 5.9L Cummins Diesel with aggressive engine modifications built to make over 500 HP.”
Other details include a five-speed standard transmission, a twin disk clutch and a specialized exhaust brake system.
Imagine gliding down the pavement in this black princess on 22-inch highway truck rims, low profile tires, a full air ride suspension, plus passenger air ride seats.
Along with the Outstanding Truck 2019 award there was a $200 prize, presented by the International Show Car Association. The First Place in the Truck Class was judged by local judges. Wiltshire received a trophy for this and for the Outstanding Truck award.
He says, “This is a very large appreciation of my building abilities, at this level of judging, at this level of car show.”
