Low Down for the Count

EVERY NOW AND THEN, WE GET SMACKED UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH A STUNNING BLOW THAT COMES COMPLETELY FROM THE SHADOWS. Sometimes this kind of thing happens in the literal sense, but we’re not talking about getting mixed up in a squabble outside of the neighborhood bar. What we’re looking at here is the surprise swing to the gut that life dishes out from time to time. You can plan all you want, but there’s just no defense strong or fast enough to deflect these kinds of attacks. It’s rare that you sense them coming before they strike, but for the most part, these sucker punches will connect square on the button, leaving you wondering which way is up. The key to staying in the game is bouncing up and countering.

I WANTED TO LEARN ALL THE ASPECTS THAT GO INTO CREATING AN UNFORGETTABLE CUSTOM VEHICLE.” –Robb Pearson

A hit is a hit, and no respectable fighter has ever garnered praise by going toe-to-toe against a bunch of chumps. But this story really isn’t about duking it out against another human being; no, it has more to do with the battle of man versus machine. Robb Pearson, a guy who has put in his fair share of time inside the ring, has spent the last seven years attempting to whip his ’95 Chevy C/K into submission. During those years, he’s come away the victor more than a few times, but in a contest such as this there’s always work to be done and many ideas and visions to drag into reality. “I built this truck to challenge myself,” says Robb. “I wanted to learn all the aspects that go into creating an unforgettable, custom vehicle.”

“IT’S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE’LL BE ABLE TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES, NO MATTER HOW UNEXPECTED THEY MAY BE.”

Back in 2005, Robb took ownership of this ’95 Chevy C/K that had been ’bagged previously, but it needed some work to get it into show-worthy condition. Once he was finished, the truck was given a fresh coat of paint and a feature spot in the June 2007 issue of Street Trucks. The road to that point wasn’t exactly a cakewalk—it took every ounce of determination to claim the coveted feature slot. “Since I did all the work myself, I got to practice different skill sets, some of which I was better at than others.” Like most major accomplishments, there’s always a sense of wanting to one-up one’s self to see if there’s a chance to achieve even more. Before the issue even went to print, Robb was already looking for ways to take his truck further and drop it even lower.

Not even a full year had passed before the truck was torn apart again. Robb was dead set on a stock-floor body drop complete with a round tube back-half for good measure. It took some trial and error but he got what he wanted.

The next year, Robb was still trying to come up with more ways to make his truck badder. He devised a plan to pull the stock V-6 and replace it with something with more balls and brawn than could ever be milked out of the old 4.3L. In went a supercharged V-8, but even that wasn’t enough to satisfy Robb’s need for speed. It wasn’t until he plopped in an LS engine two years later in 2012 that he was truly happy with the performance gains. These swaps weren’t a mark of indecision, but rather, attempts to meet challenges Robb set for himself. After the first engine swap, there wasn’t much that he couldn’t do after enough research and some quality time spent in the garage. This set the precedent for what would soon unfold with the truck. Robb didn’t aim to take steps in small increments anymore. He began pondering the end game long and hard, considering modifications he had always dreamed of, not just the phases that would inevitably get torn down to keep up with his maturing ambitions.

A sheet-metal bed was fabricated around the new back-half, which led to shaving the firewall and a complete color change. These weren’t minor undertakings for Robb, and even though waves of overwhelming pressure must have washed over him at times, he kept his head above water and moved at a pace that suited his realistic goals for progress. The finishing touches came in 2013 when the front end was updated with a 2003-06 GMC grille and 2010 bumper. Even though solid gold may be a more appropriate color for the outcome of this project, Robb selected a Jeep Bronze hue to cover the exterior along with matte hood graphics and contrasting wheel paint. “The finished product is a drivable art piece to me,” Robb says with much pride, “and I think it turned out great.”

“Great” may be an understatement, and Robb might surprise us all with more plans for his truck. Whatever the future holds for this man and his creation, it’s abundantly clear that he’ll be able to roll with the punches—no matter how unexpected they may be.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Robb Pearson
1995 Chevy C/K
Fort Worth, TX
Negative Camber

ENGINE

• 2003 GM 4.8L LS V-8
• Comp Cams custom cam
• Electric cooling fans
• Dirty Dingo motor mounts
• Handmade intake to fit truck
• Schoenfeld long tube headers
• 3-inch straight exhaust
• Flowmaster mufflers
• Engine and accessories painted matte bronze
• Intake painted gloss orange
• GM 4L60E transmission
• 10-gallon fuel cell

SUSPENSION

• Performed by owner
• DJM drop spindles
• Front suspension customized to fit ’bags
• Custom rear 2-link
• Custom tube back-half
• Handmade rear cantilevers
• Rear disc brake conversion
• Drilled rotors at all corners
• Wilwood master cylinder

WHEELS & TIRES

• 20×8 and 22×10-inch B.A.D. Gunslinger wheels painted House of Kolor Solar Gold with matte clear center
• 255/35/20 and 285/35/22 Nitto 555 tires

BODY & PAINT

• Performed by owner
• 3-inch stock floor body drop
• Handmade metal and perforated aluminum mesh grille
• 2010 GMC Sierra front bumper cut to fit
• Bead-rolled sheet metal bed floor
• LED taillights
• Sikkens Jeep Bronze Star, Lexus Gray, Lamborghini Orange and House of Kolor Solar Gold
• Pro-Touring-style hood graphics covered in matte clear

INTERIOR

• Performed by owner
• Leather and boa insert upholstery
• Tahoe bucket seats
• Gray loop carpet
• Smoothed and painted dashboard
• Leather headliner
• B.A.D. Gunslinger steering wheel
• Custom fiberglass console with built-in subwoofer and amp rack
• Alpine head unit
• Rockford Fosgate component speakers
• Two 8-inch Rockford Fosgate Punch subwoofers
• Rockford Fosgate Punch 200×2 and 160×4 amps
• Dynamat sound deadener

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “My wife Lauren for being patient during the build and letting me spend many nights in the garage building this truck. Thanks to my friend Nick Smart and Judson Pedigo for helping me paint the truck and dial in the framework.”

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