1993 Chevy 1500 Standard Cab Sportside - The Juice Box

It approaches with a vengeance. The sound of the rockers ripping up the asphalt below permeates the air. Sparks light up the sky as the object comes into view. The sight of the bold aluminum rollers tucked into the fenderwells and the bright-orange topcoat is enough to make jaws hit the tarmac. What is this low-rolling work of art laced out with a blend of modern attitude and classic hot-rod flair?

As the note roars out from the exhaust, the brakes are tapped and the shifter is planted into park, and Jason Harper of Toms River, New Jersey, emerges from the standard cab confines with an ear-to-ear grin, giving onlookers a chance to investigate his creation. Jason purchased the '93 Chevy standard cab Sportside from his mother in '98, and with a knack for putting rides on the ground, he immediately began cutting. As the owner of Solow Customs in Wrightstown, New Jersey, laying The Juice Box on the floor was just another "day at the office" for Jason. Bringing the Bow Tie down from nosebleed altitude to pebble-pushing status began with Jason diving under the frontend and bolting up a pair of DJM 2-inch drop spindles. Firestone 2500 airbags rest on custom-fabricated spring cups and receive oxygen from 3/8-inch valves and 1/2-inch airline. Rearend suspension tricks consist of a custom step notch and a one-off cantilever setup with custom shock mounts and Firestone 2500 airbags.

Reserve air for height adjustments comes from two 6-gallon air tanks and four Thomas air compressors mounted underneath the bed. With the frame and suspension tailoring complete, Jason took to the Sawzall, and his plans to body surf the Bow Tie came true after he performed a 2 1/2-inch body drop. Opting for excess clearance, he chose conservatively sized 20x8-inch Eagle Alloy's mounted on Bridgestone P245/35ZR20 rubber. For reliable cruising to the shows on the Harper family calendar, the stock 350ci V-8 was left untouched in the performance department but touched up visually with some chrome updates.

The most impressive portion of The Juice Box's custom makeup is in the bodywork and paint. Jason left no stone unturned, and with a little assistance from the welder, produced a smooth and seamless canvas for the bright-orange basecoat. Gone from the OEM scenery are the door handles, the cargo light, the stake pockets, the tailgate handle, and the antenna. A custom steel roll pan was molded in out back, and the nose was blessed with a smoothie bumper, narrowed and tucked 3 inches underneath a GMC grille shell that's stuffed with a billet insert. Street Scene mirrors keep traffic in clear sight, and all the metal art was sealed in Diamont Chevy Orange, topped with Orange Pearl by Doug Powell at Ultimate Collision 2 in Wrightstown, New Jersey.

Once the truck was color-sanded and polished to a deep shine, Jason put the icing on the custom cake with a quick stop at the upholstery shop. The stitching pros at Lippincott Customs in Riverton, New Jersey, outfitted the body-dropped beauty with a bevy of orange vinyl with pleated stitching. The seatbacks were cut down for a hot-rod look, and the dash was painted to match the outer skin. A few billet updates combined with a reverse-mounted custom steering wheel complete the updates. Mild tunes come out of Pioneer mids and highs and a Clarion head unit.

Simple trucks like Jason's have become a rarity on the custom truck scene these days. It seems that everyone is caught up in tossing on wild paint and the biggest wheels possible. They've forgotten how cool a mild-mannered custom truck can look. Jason definitely hit the nail on the head with the less-is-more theory and has a true stunner in The Juice Box.