In the life of any 16-year-old, purchasing that first vehicle is an unforgettable moment. Gripping onto those keys of freedom is a feeling that can't be replaced, but the vehicle that comes along with those keys is not always the coolest. Korey Rogers of Mesquite, Texas, lucked out when his parents picked up this '89 Chevy Silverado and gave him the green light to modify it. Like any other crazed teenage automotive enthusiast, Korey immediately began dreaming up a look for the Chevy, and what started as a casual project intended for daily driving spiraled into a $50,000 body-dropped, sleek beauty that pulls the gold statues at every event. Needless to say, the bug bit Korey hard. His first order of business was to set Stiletto's attitude by addressing the stance.
Desiring a full-blown show hauler that would spin heads and drop jaws, Korey knew that a bolt-on and non-adjustable suspension drop was not an option. To capture the sleek look he wanted, the truck had to be 'bagged and body-dropped over big wheels. In order to solve the suspension part of the custom equation, Korey went to the pros at Killer Ridez in Seagoville, Texas. Killer Ridez owner, Jim Bayne, and the rest of his suspension-slicing crew began adjusting the stance up front with Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and Firestone 2600 airbags. The rear was brought down to earth with Firestone airbags mated with a custom four-link to regulate ride control and keep the rearend planted firmly underneath the truck. A healthy step notch was performed on the rear 'rails to allow Stiletto to lay down hard over the 20-inch rollers Korey envisioned inside the fenderwells.
The air system was plumbed with 1/2-inch GC valves and 1/2-inch air line. To brighten the scenery underneath the truck, the frame was painted, and the A-arms, spindles, wheel backing plates, and steering box were chromed for contrast. Capping off the suspension in style are 20x8-inch Lozaro Stiletto chrome wheels dressed in Falken P245/40ZR20 rubber. Upon completion of the suspension modifications, the crew at Killer Ridez aired the truck out in the shop. Stiletto laid frame and tucked rim, but Korey wanted the rockers to touch the ground. Without hesitation, the truck was body-dropped to the tune of 3 inches at Killer Ridez, and the earth-punishing stance was complete.
With a rocker-wrecking stance in check and the project kicked into high gear, Korey moved onto the performance element of the buildup. Desiring a little rumble to go along with all the bling on this Bow Tie, Korey pulled the factory 350ci V-8 from the engine bay and delivered it to ET Automotive in Garland, Texas, for a bit of performance massaging. The performance professionals at ET bored the mill 0.030 over, installed a Crane camshaft, and increased the small-block's vocal qualities with a gear drive. A set of Flowtech ceramic-coated headers were bolted up and linked to a Flowmaster exhaust system to produce the requisite roar when the go pedal is mashed. To get this newfound power to the ground, ET Automotive massaged the factory transmission with a B&M Shift Improver Kit and torque converter and stuffed the factory differential with a posi-traction unit and 4.10 Richmond gears. Bringing all of this performance tire-shredding greatness to a halt are Stainless Steel Brake four-wheel disc brakes. Polished March Performance pulleys, an aluminum radiator, and loads of chrome and billet aluminum make the small-block look as good as it performs. An MSD Ignition system coupled with Taylor wires sparks the potent Chevy, while cranking power is supplied by three Optima Yellow Top batteries mounted underneath the bed. Dual alternators ensure enough charging power to run all of the audio gear present in this show hauler along with the air compressors.