OWNER: Ryan Welch
RIDE: '86 Chevrolet S-10
Hometown: Arlington, Washington
When you get that first unforgettable beater, one of two things runs across your mind: either "Oh my god, what a piece of junk" or "I'm gonna make this so sweet." Thankfully for us, Ryan Welch of Arlington, Washington, had the sweet part on his mind as he received his beater '86 S-10 at the age of 15. With motivation on his side, Ryan and his buddies took it upon themselves to create the mini you see here.
For anyone who has ever built a custom vehicle, you know that impulse decisions and a huge learning curve are involved in the uphill battle to build something to its finished state. It always helps to have friends there to motivate you and keep you going strong. Speaking of which, Ryan's truck was built three times to get it to its current state of completion. When building your truck over the span of a few years, things sometimes just have to be drastically changed. We know that Ryan had no problem rocking his 15-inch rollers.
Something that could go unnoticed upon first glance of Ryan's mini would be how much modification was done to the cab and the bed to make them line up correctly. If you ever look at a first-generation S-10, you'll notice that the bed is pinched in a hair toward the front of the cab. This makes it look like the bed is shifted to the side, but in reality it's like that on both sides. Ryan and his homies cut the bed and moved the bed sides out to line up with the cab perfectly, as well as modified the corners of the cab to finish off the effect.
Ryan is no stranger to recycling, either. The cal-combo-looking tailgate skin comes courtesy of two loaner door skins instead of a traditional combo. Hey, whatever saves a couple bucks! Ryan's five-year journey is without regrets, as his S-10 finally received its deserved recognition.