Albany, Georgia, resident Jason Caserio's love for the mini-truck world started when he was 15 years old. Some slammed trucks would cruise around his hometown and flaunt their newest mods. With all the excitement of the slammed rides cruisin' around, Jason knew what he must do. He enlisted the help of a few of his friends to start the build on his own cruiser.
Jason picked up a '99 Chevy S-10 for him and his buddies to work on. If you ask how many friends you have that you can truly count on, no matter what, through thick or thin, I'm sure only a handful of names will come to mind, if not only one or two. Thank God for Jason's awesome core of dedicated friends. They were as dedicated as he was to completing the project. If they weren't, who knows if this '99 Chevy S-10 would have ever gotten to its completed state?
All the normal entities that make a badass mini were added to Jason's ride, including a body drop and a complete shave job. Hydraulics were chosen in favor of a traditional airbag setup, and a whammy tank was used to tie the setup together. The mods don't stop there, either. Custom metal steps now embellish the bed sides and do a terrific job of smoothing out the lines.
At one point on the way back from Slamfest, Jason's truck was on the trailer. The quick disconnect had not been unplugged and a mishap occurred. A fire started in the bed of Jason's truck and gave first-degree burns to the bedliner. Thankfully the bedliner was the only thing that had serious damage. In spite of the bad news, it didn't diminish Jason's hopes of owning the streets.
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 18x8-inch KMC Tramps
Tires: 215/35ZR18 low-profile rubber
Chassis Modifications
Suspension type: Hydraulics
Rear suspension: Custom two-link cantilever setup
Cylinder type and size: (Front) Pro Hopper 8-inch; (rear) 10-inch Pro Hopper
Spindles/springs: Belltech 2-inch dropped spindles, cut stock springs
Dumps: Four Delta dumps
Pumps: Two Pro Hopper pumps with a whammy tank
Frame mods: Boxed frame from cab back, step notch using 2x2 box tubing
Gas tank: Custom-made 15-gallon fuel cell painted black and made by owner
Detail work: Frame painted black
Misc: Boxed frame from cab back, Street Charger to charge batteries while driving, two-link and rearend painted by owner
Performed by: Owner
Body Modifications
Shaved: Door handles, third brake light, hood squirters, cab seams, antenna, shaved taillights, gas door
Body drop: 3-inch
Back end: Molded roll pan and tailgate
Exterior bolt-ons: Billet grille, Harley-Davidson mirrors, FBI lexan window with license plate frenched in
Misc: Custom steel steps, sheetmetal bed floor, 35x40-inch ragtop
Performed by: Owner
Paint
Brand and colors: PPG Peacock Red, Pearl White, Porsche Green
Style: Two-tone
Performed by: Chuck Botkin, Albany, GA
Interior
Seats: Blazer buckets
Material: Cream tweed
Dash: Fiberglassed and shaved
Door panels: Fiberglassed and covered in cream tweed
Center console: Fiberglass one-off console painted red
Flooring: Cream tweed
Headliner: Cream tweed
Misc: Colorado Custom Whiskey
Performed by: Seats by Gary's Trim Shop, everything else by owner and Chuck Tillery, Albany, GA
Stereo
Head unit: Panasonic CD player
Mids and highs: Audiobahn in doors and top deck
Amplifier for mids and highs: Audiobahn 250x2
Subwoofers: Two 10-inch Audiobahn subs
Amplifier for subwoofers: Audiobahn 500x1
Custom fabrication: Ported subwoofer enclosure
Performed by: Chuck Tillery
Engine/Performance
Intake: Ractive air filter
Battery: Optima Red Top relocated to the rear of the truck
Performed by: Owner
Special Thanks
Friends who helped put it together, Jason's parents for their support, and Jason's girlfriend for putting up with it all and giving a helping hand when needed