Nothing Like a First Love

Nobody forgets their first truck; it kind of ranks right up there with a first “serious” girlfriend, which is some pretty heavy stuff. And just like that sweet lil’ girl in your homeroom class with the awkward (but kind of cute) braces and bangs, having a set of wheels defines who you are and shapes the idea your peers have of you. Of course, having some kind of running vehicle in high school increases the chances of pulling a chick to begin with, but driving something dependable and easy on the eyes only multiplies those odds.

By now you’re probably asking yourself, “What’s up with all the reminiscing?” Either that, or you’ve already started with the Facebook stalking, which isn’t where this story is heading—not at all. Some things should be left in the past. (So you might want to rethink sending your ex a “poke.”) But then there are other things (like your first ride) that are important to visit when taking that occasional cruise down memory lane. Parents and curfews and homework aside, there are very few times in one’s life when freedom greatly outweighs responsibility. Unless you’re disgustingly wealthy, those carefree high school days are the golden years when the only things that seemed to matter were girls and going places.

IT’S SAID THAT ONE IS MOST IMPRESSIONABLE DURING THE TEENAGE YEARS, AND THIS SENTIMENT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN TRUER FOR CASEY’S TRUCK.”

For some, reliving memories of their high school hauler can only be accomplished by flipping through old photos, but for others, like Casey Jones, achieving a true throwback experience is as easy as lifting the garage door. At 33 years old, he just couldn’t find the right excuse to get rid of the ’89 Chevy he was so proud of when he was a teenager. Back then, life was simpler, but any modification Casey wanted to see done on the truck had to cost less than the amount of cash than was in his wallet at any given time. “I bought the truck from my grandfather,” Casey says, “and I made payments for two summers back when I was 14. I built the truck in a ’90s style with black cherry paint with red pearl ghost flames, a Belltech 5/7 drop and 17-inch Boyd Tornado wheels.” For a high school kid, that mod lineup is pretty impressive and the truck surprisingly stayed that way up until six years ago. It’s said that one is most impressionable during the teenage years, and this sentiment couldn’t have been truer for Casey’s truck.

To bring the full-size Chevy into the era of newer generation custom trucks, the static drop components were tossed aside in exchange for a full air ride setup. “I had just bought a new set of Intro wheels for the truck, but the engine blew shortly after we did all that work to it,” Casey told us. The truck was garage-bound once again, this time for a five-year sentence. That’s a long enough period to have new trends come and go, which is what eventually ended up happening. A new unveiling would mean more updated modifications, but nothing was going to stop Casey from keeping his glory- days vehicle on the road. Plus, gramps wouldn’t have wanted his old truck to be junk-heaped or traded away for something else with far less family history tied into it.

Casey’s friend, Walter Peña, convinced him to bring the truck out from the darkness of the cave it had been cast into and start on its latest phase of customization. The truck already had a lot going for it, but some careful planning and execution was in order to get it back up to current standards. Luckily, Walter operates Wally’s Collision Center, where a majority of the revitalizing would be taking place. First, the busted motor was plucked out, and a fresh small-block crate engine was planted underneath the hood. From there, the rest of the jigsaw pieces began falling neatly into place. “I decided to build the truck not for myself, but for my 9-year-old daughter Ava. She even picked out all the colors used in the new paint scheme,” Casey says. With a new generation of family becoming involved with this, the third and most promising rendition of Casey’s old schoolboy sled, the level of optimism seemed to be at an all-time high for everyone involved.

As the truck’s reshaping progressed, the less it started to look like the humble high school build from years ago. It was bound to happen. If Casey wanted to pull the fullest potential out of his truck, making it less recognizable was an eventual pitfall. Even though the truck’s soul remains the same, it’s now a brand-new beast, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sure, Casey will have to resort to flipping through photos to remember what his truck used to look like back when it meant the world to him, but now that he has a new special girl to share it with, it was only right to hand it off at its best.

THIS ISN’T THE ONLY CUSTOM VEHICLE THAT CASEY HAS HAD SINCE HIS HIGH SCHOOL DAYS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIM IT’S THE ONE HE HOLDS CLOSEST TO HIS HEART…”

This isn’t the only custom vehicle that Casey has had since his high school days, but according to him it’s the one he holds closest to his heart for two simple reasons, “It was my first and now I can pull it out of the garage and drive the piss out of it.” It’s true—nothing tops dependability, and when it comes down to it, fond memories always make for a better story. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNERS

Casey Jones
1989 Chevy CK1500
Selma, CA Aftermath

ENGINE

• Shops: S&J Automotive
• GM small-block V-8
• Hydraulic camshaft with .460 lift
• Polished Edelbrock Performer intake
• Airaid throttle body spacer
• Summit Racing headers
• Flowmaster exhaust and muffler
• 700R4 transmission
• High-torque mini starter
• Rearend narrowed 3 inches

SUSPENSION

• Shops: Bad Habits Customs
• Belltech drop spindles
• Choppin’ Block upper and lower control arms
• RE-7 and RE-8 Slam Specialties airbags
• Bilstein shocks
• Notched tie rod
• Box step notch
• 4-link rear wishbone setup

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×8.5 and 22×10 Intro Speedstars
• 265/35/22 and 305/30/22 Pirelli

BODY & PAINT

• Shops: Wally’s Collision Center
• Smooth front bumper with teardrop lights
• Sir Michael’s roll pan welded to bed
• Tubbed front and rear
• Shaved third brake light, tailgate handle, stake pockets
• Red Line-X in bed
• PPG Viper Silver, Red and Charcoal Grey
• Pinstriping by Skippy Dogg

INTERIOR

• Shops: Big Daddy Upholstery & Beats By Bigs
• Red vinyl upholstery
• Dash dyed red
• AVS custom steering wheel
• Pioneer 7500BT deck
• Stinger wiring
• Infinity Kappa 4×6 speakers
• Memphis PF 10-inch subwoofer
• Custom sub box
• Memphis PF 1100.2 amp
• Boom mat installed throughout cab

Special Thanks From Owner: Thanks to Jeremy Thornton, Joe at S&J, Walter Peña and Rene Resendez at Wally’s Collision Center, Raudel Jacobo at Big Daddy Upholstery, Big “E” Rangel, my daughter Ava, my family and all my friends who helped out along the way.

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