A Colossal 1958 Apache with LT4 Muscle

In Texas, a custom-built 1958 Apache has to have a certain style. For Cimtex Rods, that meant giving their customer a lifted truck with 37-inch tires – and the whole thing is powered by a Chevrolet Performance LT4 crate engine.*

The shop is based in Jarrell, Texas, and owned by brothers Darrell and Tim Cimbanin. During this spring’s C10 Nationals at Texas Motor Speedway, Cimtex Rods co-owner Darrell Cimbanin explained how he worked in tandem with his staff to complete the build.

“We all coordinated with each other,” Cimbanin said. “They like four-wheel drives. I like them low. They helped me figure out how to do the four-wheel drive and make it look cool.”
 
The truck’s owner is a man named Marvin DuBose from Lampasas in the Lone Star State. Cimtex Rods had done a prior project for him, and his Apache was his truck growing up. His son then drove it in college. DuBose toyed with the idea of having Cimbanin and his team restore the truck, and when he finally decided to do so, he said he wanted “the best of everything” but left the details to the shop. 

As fate would have it, at the time Roadster Shop had just come out with its RS4 lifted truck chassis, which Cimtex paired with the LT4, 37-inch tires and 4.56 gears.

“It just turned into a monster project,” Cimbanin said.

Amazingly, the Apache was at a lower-than-stock ride height when it all began. 

When the owner said he wanted a big engine, Cimbanin immediately turned to the LT4 crate option. The supercharged 6.2L power plant makes 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. It features a cast-aluminum block with six-bolt, cross-bolted main caps, forged internals for enhanced strength, and Rotocast A356T6 aluminum cylinder heads, along with many other performance-oriented components.

“He wanted power and I like the supercharged deal, and this is not the first LT4 we’ve done,” Cimbanin said. “We put one in an Oldsmobile station wagon a couple years ago, when [the LT4] first came out. We were just really impressed with the power, and all you have to do is get in it. It’s ready to go. Those crate engines are great. For guys like me, who build these things, I mean the crate motors and Connect & Cruise package are phenomenal.” 

Indeed, the LT4 in the Apache is part of a Chevrolet Performance Connect & Cruise Crate Powertrain System featuring a SuperMatic 8L90-E eight-speed automatic transmission. The transmission has a 715 lb.-ft. torque-capacity limit to handle the powerful LT4. Each Connect & Cruise package is matched by General Motors engineers for optimal performance and comes with all supporting controllers, a torque converter and installation kits.

Cimbanin lauds the package for its ease of installation and warranty.^†

“You’ve got GM behind you if you have a problem,” he said. “So, it just works out better for customers.”

The Roadster Shop RS4 chassis on which the truck sits comes lifted four inches and includes LT4 motor mounts and a variety of modern suspension components, such as Fox shocks. 

“It fit the body so well,” Cimbanin said. “We didn’t have to do anything but drop it in there.”

The Cimtex Rods team chose an RS4 chassis featuring everything but brakes, opting instead for Wilwood binders with 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers to pair with the 37-inch Nitto tires and FUEL Off-Road wheels.

According to Cimbanin, his team’s goal was to maintain the Apache look, even as it was lifted and got an LT4 heart transplant. Cimtex Rods first took the entire truck apart and powder-coated everything before it was built in its current state. The original body remains, but the bed is new.  

Since the engine and transmission are substantially bigger than what originally came in the truck, the Cimtex crew had to open up the floor and create additional firewall clearance. They also found creative ways to get the headers and new stainless-steel exhaust to clear the transfer case. 

The goldish-tan paint started as a Toyota color, which the Cimtex team modified with pearl and lots of metallic. They also blacked out all the chrome grilles, bumpers and accent pieces to provide a mean, modern look.

The interior features furnished leather with modern upgrades like Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air air-conditioning system, Bluetooth stereo and push-button start. 

Cimtex Rods was incorporated in 2007 but has been in business for 27 years. Darrell Cimbanin is co-owner and president, while his wife Dorothy is the secretary/treasurer. They are originally from just outside of Youngstown, Ohio, but today are located in Jarrell, Texas – approximately halfway between Austin and Waco. 

Both come from a long line of automotive enthusiasts and have several performance vehicles between them. The six-person shop at one time primarily built hot rods, but as trends have evolved, now works on a lot of muscle cars and trucks.

Regardless of build, Cimbanin often suggests his customers utilize crate engines.* 
  
They work well in a modern build like the Apache, where the LT4, a modern chassis and suspension upgrades provide impressive performance and stability. And they do it while increasing the “wow” factor at every show.
 
“We just did a lot of things to make it cool,” Cimbanin said of the truck. “It’s not over the top, but it’s just neat.”

Be sure to keep watching The BLOCK for many more Chevrolet Performance builds from automotive events across the country. 

*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.

^†Chevrolet Performance Crate Engines include a 24-month or 50,000-mile/80,000-kilometer limited warranty, whichever comes first. See your GM dealer for details.