Summit Racing: Deboss Garage Apache Stroker 1955 Chevy Pickup Parts

Stroke of Genius

Rich Bosch of Deboss Garage is a genius when it comes to turning piles of parts into cool vehicles. His latest creation is a 1955 Chevy Apache pickup. Rich found the truck through his buddy Mike Burroughs from StanceWorks. He built a 415 cubic inch LS engine in a friend’s engine shop in Ontario and shipped it to California, made three trips to Cali to build the Apache in a driveway courtesy of Johnny and Manuel at Dirt Cinema, then drove it 4,000 miles back home. You can see the epic tale from start to finish on the Deboss Garage YouTube channel.

Summit Racing put together Deboss Garage Apache Stroker 1955 Chevy Pickup Parts Combos that can help you build a ’55 Chevy truck similar to Rich’s. We do suggest watching the build videos so you can get a good idea of what is involved in a project like this as there is a good bit of fabrication involved.

Long Block Parts Combo

The 415 is based on an aluminum block from a 6.2L L92 with a SCAT rotating assembly. Our combo includes a SCAT Modern Muscle rotating assembly with a four-inch stroke, 4340 forged steel crank; 6.125-inch forged 4340 steel H-beam connecting rods; forged flat top pistons with two valve reliefs; a ring set; and bearings. The crank comes assembled with a 58-tooth reluctor wheel.

The camshaft is a custom-ground COMP Cams hydraulic roller that specs out at 238°/254° duration @ .050-inch lift and .634/.622 inch of valve lift with. 115° of lobe separation. Our combo also includes COMP High Energy roller lifters and a COMP double roller timing set with a nine-keyway crank sprocket.

The cylinder heads are AFR Mongoose LS3s with CNC-machined 260cc intake runners, 95cc exhaust runners, and 69cc combustion chambers with 2.165/1.600 inch valves. The PAC Racing 1.270-inch valve springs are rated to .650 inch of valve lift. The heads are fitted with COMP Cams Max-Lift BSR shaft rocker arms that allow the use of more aggressive, higher lift cams while keeping valvetrain motion under control.

Oiling is handled by a Melling high-volume/standard pressure oil pump and a factory ‘batwing’ oil pan for a C5 Corvette. Our combo includes an ACDelco replacement pan plus a COMP Cams Magnum pushrods, a Fel-Pro head gasket set, ARP Pro Series head studs, and a Summit Racing™ Bracket Racer SFI Harmonic Damper.

Air and Fuel Parts Combo

The induction system features a Holley LS mid-rise intake manifold with a Holley Sniper 92mm throttle body. The manifold is fitted with Holley fuel rails housing ACCEL 80 lb.-hr. fuel injectors. Deboss Garage used a Flowmaster Delta Force universal cold air intake kit to build an intake that pulls air from the driver side front fender area.

The Apache’s fuel system is based around a Holley HP Billet electric fuel pump rated at 105 GPH of fuel flow. Deboss Garage used HP Billet fuel filters before and after the pump to keep the gasoline gunk-free. A return-style Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator keeps fuel pressure in line.

Deboss Garage fitted an under-bed fuel tank in the Apache. Our combo includes a Classic Performance 20-gallon under-bed steel fuel tank set up for a flush-mount filler.

Deboss Garage used a Holley Terminator X engine management system to control the 415. The self-learning system features boost and nitrous controls, a one-bar MAP sensor, wideband oxygen sensor, and all necessary wiring harnesses.

Engine Accessories Parts Combo

Deboss Garage built an accessory drive for the 415 using a factory LS water pump, a Holley GM Type 2 power steering pump and pulley, and a Holley alternator bracket. The bracket positioned the alternator low enough to require engine mount modifications to clear the pitman arm on the steering box. Our combo includes the Holley bracket and power steering parts plus a standard-volume Holley water pump and 150 amp alternator.

The headers are full-length Hooker Super Competitions for a 1971-74 Camaro with an LS swap. Deboss Garage built a three-inch dual exhaust system with turbo-style mufflers and an X-pipe fabricated from two 90° bends. Our combo includes a Summit Racing™ Universal Rod Builders Exhaust Kit with 409 stainless steel tubing. We did not include mufflers, but these Summit Racing™ 409 Stainless Steel Mufflers are similar to the ones Deboss Garage used.

A Frostbite four-row aluminum radiator with two 14-inch electric fans and shroud keep the 415 cool. The fan and shroud kit is designed to fit the radiator snugly to direct airflow into the radiator core for maximum cooling efficiency.

Rounding out the combo are MSD Street Fire coils, ACCEL Extreme 9000 wires with ceramic spark plug boots, and Holley valve covers with a black crinkle finish.

Mounts and Transmission Parts Combo

Deboss Garage installed the LS using Holley clamshell engine mounts with polyurethane inserts and a pair of Hooker Blackheart LS swap mounts. Rich modified the Blackheart mounts to move the engine closer to the firewall for more oil pan and alternator clearance.

The transmission is a Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed transmission with a QuickTime bellhousing, an ACT Heavy-Duty clutch kit, and a Holley hydraulic throwout bearing with a Wilwood clutch slave master cylinder. The ACT clutch has 20 to 50 percent more clamping load than an OEM clutch, significantly increasing torque capacity.

Suspension and Rear Axle Parts Combo

Rich’s buddies at StanceWorks grafted a 1971 Camaro front subframe to the Apache and upgraded the suspension with QA1 GM 2.0 Street upper and lower control arms, Pro coilover double-adjustable shocks, and a stiffer sway bar.

The rear frame was C-notched and the stock leaf spring suspension was replaced with a Heidts Classic Truck four-link kit; QA1 Proma Star double-adjustable coilover shocks with 250 lbs./in. springs; and a QA1 sway bar for a 1965-72 Ford F-Series pickup. Deboss Garage built custom mounts for a panhard bar from one of QA1’s Ford F100 suspension kits. That part is not available separately, so we included a Heidts panhard bar designed for use with their four-link kit.

The rear axle is a Ford 9-inch rear axle from a 1965 Ford F100 with a 28-spline differential and 4.11 gears. Deboss reused the gears and did a 31-spline conversion using an Eaton Trutrac differential, Allstar Performance cut-to-fit axle shafts, and Timken side bearings to fit the differential in the 28-spline carrier housing.

Our combo includes a Currie Enterprises third member with 4.11 gears, a 31-spline Twin-Trac differential, and the Allstar Performance axle shafts. An axle housing from a 1965-72 Ford F100 is the same width as the one Deboss Garage used, and has the correct ‘big bearing’ (3.150-inch) flange pattern.

Tires, Wheels, and Brakes Parts Combo

Deboss Garage shoed the Apache with 20-inch Rocket Racing Boost Hyper Shot wheels wrapped in Toyo Proxes Sport A/S tires. The wheels are no longer available, so we included a set of Ridler 69 Series Gloss Gray wheels that have a similar vibe.

The brakes are Baer Brakes Baer Claw Pro+ discs front and rear. They feature 14-inch diameter slotted and cross-drilled rotors, six-piston forged billet aluminum calipers, pads, stainless hose, and hardware. The front brake kit also includes a pair of stock-height spindles with billet aluminum hub/bearing assemblies installed. The rear brakes have backing plates that act as caliper mounts and house one-piece parking brake shoe assemblies.

Deboss Garage modified an aftermarket brake pedal assembly to fit a master cylinder/brake booster assembly. Our combo includes a Classic Performance master/booster kit for 1955-59 GM trucks with four-wheel disc brakes that uses the stock brake pedal assembly.

Completer Parts Combo

Deboss Garage installed a Borgeson Street and Performance Series power steering box with a 12.7:1 steering ratio. It’s attached to a Summit Racing™ Floor Shift Steering Column topped with a Scott Drake Corso Feroce wood grip steering wheel.

The Apache’s inoperable gauge cluster was replaced with a Classic Instruments Tach-Force cluster. A drop-in replacement for the factory cluster, the Tach-Force has a white face with a combination speedometer/tachometer, water temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter, and fuel level gauges.

You need comfy seats when you’re on a 4,000-mile-long trip. Deboss Garage installed a pair of Procar Rally Series 1000 seats on custom-made, four-inch tall risers. They also installed a Silver Sport STX shifter that places the lever in the forward-most position on the Tremec T-56 six-speed transmission.

Rounding out the combo is a Painless Performance 21-circuit wiring harness, Holley RetroBright LED conversion headlights, and an OER windshield to replace the cracked and scratched original.