Chances are that if you've ever been to a truck jamboree or a car show in the Midwest, you've seen some of Dean Rostock's impressive creations. His latest reation, Pacific Blue, an '84 Chevrolet 4x4 shortbed is no exception. What began as a way of having fun with his friends on the weekend has been turned into a very expensive hobby for this enthusiast from St. Joseph, Missouri.
According to Dean, he wanted to create a vehicle that would not only attract attention from other truckers, but from the show judges as well. With a collection of 200 trophies for the rig, we think he succeeded quite well in his objective.
So how does one win 200 trophies? "It's really easy," says Dean, "you just start at the suspension, and it's all uphill from there." Choosing the suspension for Pacific Blue was as simple as installing a 10-inch SuperLift suspension lift, both front and rear, along with a 2-inch body lift. To ensure that he would have a limo-like ride, Dean placed a total of 16 Rancho RS 5000 shocks on the truck.
Of course, turning the huge 39.5x15x15 Super Swamper tires mounted on custom-made 15x14 Bart Wheels is no easy task. With this in mind, Dean quickly swapped the factory gears for a set of 4:56 Richmond Gear units, which is housed behind the chromed differential covers. Speaking of chrome, even the custom-fabricated axle trusses and driveshafts are treated to it.
For more power across the board, Dean replaced the stock 305ci Chevy powerplant with a brand-new stock 350ci four-bolt main V-8. For increased performance and more horsepower, the new engine is complemented by an Edelbrock Performer intake, Cyclone headers, a high-volume oil pump, a dual oil filter system, and an array of Edelbrock chromed engine accessories. The stock automatic 700-R4 transmission was also reworked. To keep the internal fluids at a reasonable temperature, Dean installed a B&M transmission cooler. For sharper shifts, he also used a B&M Shift Improver Kit.
Moving to the inside, Dean called upon Rick's Upholstery in St. Joseph to stitch the crushed blue velour seats, the door inserts, and the custom headliner with a moonroof, as well as install the new blue carpet. As if the truck wasn't entertaining enough, Dean installed a TV and VCR under the hand-crafted billet dashboard and connected it to the awesome Jensen sound system. To protect his ride, he installed a Viper alarm. In charge of relaying the engine's rpm is an Auto Meter tachometer.
With the help of Randy Collins at King Hill Body Shop in St. Joseph, a fresh coat of factory GM Light Blue paint with clearcoat was applied along with a mural by Dennis Shepard. The Smittybilt chromed nerf bar with 10 KC Daylighters, nerf bars, a pushbar, and Lund roll pan were also installed at King Hill Body Shop. For the finishing touch, Dean had blue neon lights installed on the undercarriage of the rig so that it has that U.F.O. look at night. All we can say here at OFF-ROAD is that we hope you have a chance at winning 200 more trophies.