Have you ever needed a cup of milk to make your breakfast, or just a little bit of sugar to finish up dinner in the kitchen? Sure you have, and most of us can relate to walking next door and asking for a benevolent contribution. We do it, because after all, we're supposed to treat our neighbors as ourselves. When you're the neighbor of a Truckin' editor, you get more than just milk or sugar. You get the gift that keeps on giving. One day driving home from work, I saw a guy working on his 'bagged Silverado and we began talking about trucks and the passion that comes with owning a custom ride. After shaking his hand, I began to think about how cool his truck could be with just a little help.
A couple months later, we were talking again and I mentioned needing a truck for some paint and body tech we had planned. Humbly offering his truck for anything we needed, the wheels began to turn in my head. You may recognize this truck as Project Intimidator, where we started with a white Chevy and turned it into a magazine-worthy show truck. The end result is clear. Besides, who needs sugar, anyway?
Mike Thomas is a virtual member of the Truckin' family. After all, he gave us his truck in faith that we would make it better than ever, he's been seen at countless shows with his Truckin' banner emblazed across the windshield, and his truck was the first to grace the cover of our calendar in years. Involved in the sport for more than a decade, Mike always wanted a custom truck in his favorite truck mag. His '01 Chevy Silverado was already airbagged on 20-inch wheels and had a full-face billet grille, but was stuck in the common "what next?" rut. We helped him by contacting Late Model Restoration Supply in Hewitt, Texas, for an '03 Silverado frontend conversion. The swap included the hood, fenders, headlights, bumper brackets, and grille shell. Handling the swap was the team at 714 Motorsports in Westminster, California. The addition of a Street Scene Equipment SS front bumper cover and Speed Grille inserts helped to finish off the front-end. Swapping the taillights for '04 Silverado units, no one would ever guess what year Mike's truck is. Good things didn't stop for Mike with just the frontend swap, either.