Jose Pea has the need for speed. That need predicates a certain desire for vehicles that can get his heart beating fast and adrenaline pumping. If for some reason Jose has a car or truck that doesn't meet that need for speed, well then he quickly gets to work making it go fast. As a great philosopher once said, "It you're not first, you're last," and Jose takes those wise words to heart. With a truck that runs a 10.80 in the quarter mile, the only thing that can catch him is a police officer in a rocket ship.
The '82 Chevy square-body didn't start out life as a dragstrip screamer, however, it used to be a just a good 'ol work truck. That was then, and now the Bow Tie has a fully-built 454ci V-8 big-block coming through the hood. Bored .030 over with forged pistons, Drops 'R Us, in Pasadena, Texas, didn't stop with some minor engine work, rather they went the full gamut with a port and polished head job, installed a new Comp cam, and added a balanced forged crank. With the internals prepped, a BDS 6-71 blower was bolted on and capped with two Holley 1020cfm carbs. Custom headers were fabricated to flow the exhaust into Magnaflow race mufflers. Sending the 796 hp to the 4.11 gears is a Noe's Transmission-built 400 tranny from a '90 Chevy SS truck equipped with a stage 4 rebuild kit and 3,600-rpm stall converter. Stoplight races usually get snuffed out once the engine roars with a blip of the throttle sending the truck launching forward inch by inch. That doesn't stop Jose from leaving two extra-wide black streaks down the highway, or so we're told.
This truck is more than a big, well-dressed engine and one glimpse at the body will tell you some serious time was spent making the rest of the rig look great. Taking the body off of the frame, each panel was straightened to perfection and the requisite body pieces were shaved. Trick body mods were then performed including: molding the taillights into the custom roll pan, shaving the firewall, building new inner fenders, and moving the bed closer to the cab. Diaz Custom Auto, also in Pasadena, handled the body prep and paint application. That great color found on each steel panel is medium dark garnet metallic.
The crew at Drops 'R Us didn't want a truck that looked alright-they wanted a truck that looked sick. Taking things to the next level, the guys got to work on the frame. With the body off, this proved to be the perfect time for a set of McGaughy's drop spindles, custom control arms, and a custom ladder bar setup in the rear to be installed. Firestone airbags, for the front and rear, also found themselves bolted onto the chassis, along with KYB shocks and a narrowed rearend. Paint was then applied to each component adding good-looks to the stout performance. Knowing he needed a strong, yet still hot-rod wheel design, Jose bolted on a set of 20-inch Intro Gallup wheels on each corner. Out back, huge 20x15-inch Intro hoops are wrapped in Mickey Thompson SR-1 radials that measure 18 inches wide and deliver the power to the pavement.