Sometimes I sit back and just stare at my truck and wonder, "Why?"  Now I know why I cut the crap out of it and why I've gone to the extremes that I have to make everything as nice as possible.  But after working on my truck for about 10 years now, having seriously been modifying it for the last three years, and being constantly disappointed every show season because I am yet again left without a ride, I have to wonder if it's really worth the trouble and heartbreak.

Perhaps my first mistake was starting with a Chevy S10.  Granted, the real reason I am building this particular truck is because it chose me per-se.  For my 16th birthday, I received a set of keys from my parents, the plastic worn on the handle making the small GM symbol barely recognizable.  Racing upstairs into the garage, I found an 1987 Chevy s10, complete with faded, grey paint and a cracked, multicolor sticker falling off the sides. The body and motor were in great condition, having only 36,000 original miles, impressive in 1999.  It didn't matter that it came with absolutely no options whatsoever, and I mean nothing.  With no power steering, no ABS, no power anything, a 2.5L Iron Duke and a busted AM/FM radio, it was begging to be cut up. 

Back in the day, it would have been the perfect platform.  Sure there were lots of s10s roaming the shows back then but a lot of the real craziness within our scene, such as running 22s and 24s on a mini, hadn't even been considered yet.  Hell, I remember when 18s were kind of big and 20s were an extremely rare sight on a mini in general.  I'm sure that there a lot of you who can remember way back in the beginning when guys were running 15" Hammers with teal paint, but I'm only 24 so that doesn't quite click.  Anyway, as most of us know, the scene has changed dramatically in the past 10 years in every aspect, from wheel size to suspension and chassis design.  The only thing that hasn't changed (really it's gotten worse), is the dominance of the s10 at every show.  There are so many of these damn trucks around that it makes building one almost boring, especially when all of your friends are building rides that are a little out of the box, such as Mike's '69 Bronco.  I've got to stare at a full frame everyday I walk into my garage and grumble as I continue to toil away on my s10.

The only fun of building a s10 anymore is making it a challenge.  Now I know this sounds like an oxymoron just because they make everything under the sun for these trucks, including an entire bolt on backhalf, but hear me out.  Because there are so many of these trucks roaming the shows, trying to build one that actually stands out is a challenge in itself.  I've tried to make my truck as crazy as possible, incorporating everything I could ever want in it.  This being said, it has taken me over three years to finally get to the point where it actually resembles a truck again. 

Does it suck?  More than you will ever know.  But in the end, I know that I will actually have a different s10.  So if you ever walk around a show and notice a lot of your specific model, use it as motivation to make your own ride that much better.  Or at least think to yourself, "Well, at least I don't drive an s10."

Until next time, keep your heads held high and your rides low,

Justin