Perseverance & Friendship Built this 1948 Chevy

By Jerry Perez - February 1, 2017

Armed with a Sketch and Some Help from a Famous Racer, One Auto Mechanic Set Out to Create His Ultimate Dream Ride

When Chevy enthusiast Dermie Close bought his first pickup truck during his senior year of high school, he had no idea it would be the beginning of a life-long passion. The $500 1950 Chevy would become not only his daily driver but the truck that would eventually take him to Arizona to chase after his dream job. There, he would eventually graduate as an auto mechanic from the Arizona Automotive Institute, and begin his professional career. Close’s is a fascinating story of a gearhead and his passion for trophy rides that was recently spotlighted by Hot Rod.

Dermie’s passion for hot rods wasn’t a natural one. It came later on in life as he modified and painted the original 1950 Chevy after it blew its transmission while going down the road. It was then that Dermie decided to install a small block V8 with an automatic transmission, and dab into the world of hot rods. In addition, he painted the truck a custom color, and ultimately fell in love with the thing. That’s where the itch of project trucks truly began.

Years went by, Close got married, had kids and continued on with life just the way most of us do. The custom truck that won his heart had also captivated someone else’s, so he sold it. He eventually utilized that money not for not another project truck, but to get ahead in his personal life and career. And so he did, but not without one last cheat purchase. He bought a rusted out 1951 3/4-ton truck, and a 1948 Chevy pickup from a boneyard for a couple of hundred bucks. His dream was to merge both trucks, and make a one-of-a-kind hot rod.

The Time Had Come

In Hot Rod‘s feature profile, Close mentions that he didn’t pick up a single tool until “after building two custom homes for my family and raising two amazing boys.” After that, it was on!

Destiny had a funny way of helping him complete his dream truck, which included two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. moving into Close’s neighborhood. The famous racer became a friend of his and a fan of the project, so Unser Jr. decided to pitch in. The mortal and the racing god attended SEMA together, where they sought out sponsors to help realize Dermie’s four-wheeled dream come true.

Armed with only a sketch of the truck and Al Unser Jr. by his side, they gathered all the brakes, ac units, tires, interiors and other components to pull off a first-class truck. All donated. Sure, most of itis due to Unser Jr.’s fame, but also due to their combined passion for trucks.

Friendship and perseverance, that’s what built this awesome 1948 Chevy you see here.