The Goat: Heath May’s Custom 1999 Dodge Ram 1500

Joe Acevedo Jr . September 09, 2026 . Features . Joe Acevedo

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AS SEEN IN OUR MAY 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

A 1999 Ram Built the Hard Way

HEALTH May never set out to build a show truck. He just wanted to hang onto the truck that raised him. The 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 that became The Goat started life as his brother’s ride. When his brother moved on, Heath traded a running car to keep it in the family. At 15 years old, in small-town Stamps, Arkansas, that truck became Heath’s first set of wheels and his daily driver. It wasn’t perfect—lemon-law issues, break-ins, oil leaks, and a missing seam sealer from the factory made sure of that—but it was his.

Years later, after moving to Nashville to attend Nashville Auto-Diesel College and learning collision repair and custom paint, Heath decided it was time to dive into rehabbing his truck. In 2016, he tore the Ram down to the frame. What was supposed to be a simple refresh turned into a 4-year odyssey of nights and weekends spent in the garage.

The body is now completely custom. It features suicide doors with chrome hinges, and the door handles, lights, antenna, fuel door, tailgate handle, and third brake light have all been shaved off. A custom roll pan, raised bed floor, sheetmetal bed, smoothed firewall, and custom inner fenders give the Ram a clean, street-rod presence. House of Kolor Brandywine Kandy paint, laid down by Heath himself, brings the whole thing to life.

Under the hood is the original 5.9L Magnum, rebuilt and detailed with a painted block, color-matched valve covers, shorty headers, and Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers. The chassis work is where things get serious. Since no quality air-ride kits existed for these trucks, Heath designed and built most of it himself with a narrowed front suspension, a boxed and step-notched rear frame, a ThorBros triangulated four-link, a bag-over-bar setup, Air Lift 2600 bags, Belltech shocks, and 2-inch drop spindles. A custom fuel cell by Soulless Innovations has been tucked neatly in the bed.

AFTER 20 YEARS OF DREAMING AND 4 YEARS OF BUILDING, THE GOAT ISN’T JUST A TRUCK. IT’S THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL AND THE ONE HEATH WILL NEVER LET GO OF.

Rolling on 24-inch Intro El Paso wheels and Nitto rubber, the truck’s stance is exactly what Heath always pictured. Inside, Stitch by Stitch Custom Design in Cookeville, Tennessee, created a stunning dark brown suede and leather interior with chopped and reshaped seats, a floating center console hiding a ported sub box with dual 12s, and laser-etched details throughout.

Heath gives full credit to his wife Ashley and their daughters for their patience and to the many friends who lent a hand when he hit a wall. He also honors his parents, who passed shortly before and after the truck was finished, and his childhood friend, Chris Duvall.

After 20 years of dreaming and 4 years of building, The Goat isn’t just a truck. It’s the one that started it all and the one Heath will never let go of.

TRUCK SPECS

 ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN 

• 5.9L V8 Magnum
• Painted engine block
• Color-matched valve covers and open-air intake
• Shorty headers
• Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers
• Rebuilt factory transmission
• Rearend narrowed 7 inches overall
• Work by Seth Choate

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Custom front suspension
• 1-inch overall narrowed track width
• Boxed and step-notched rear frame
• ThorBros triangulated four-link
• Bag-over-bar setup
• Smoothed and painted frame
• Color-matched control arms and link bars
• Belltech front and rear shocks
• Air Lift 2600 bags
• 2-inch Belltech drop spindles
• All chassis components smoothed and painted
• Air Lift 3H air management system
• Dual Viair 485 compressors
• Ekstensive 8-gallon air tank
• 3/8-inch air line
• Custom fuel cell by Soulless Innovations

WHEELS & TIRES

• 24×9 front and 24×10 rear Intro El Paso wheels with brushed face/polished lip
• 255/30/24 front and 295/30/24 rear tires

BODY & PAINT

• OEM-style grille with billet insert
• Street Scene bumper cover with matching billet insert
• Shaved radio antenna, wiper cowl, door handles, fuel door, tailgate handle, and third brake light
• Smooth roll pan
• 4-inch raised bed floor
• Sheetmetal bed
• Smoothed firewall
• Custom inner front fenders
• House of Kolor Brandywine Kandy paint

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Upholstery by Stitch by Stitch Custom Design, Cookeville, TN
• Interior builder: Jan Van Kooten
• 6 inches chopped out of the top of the front seats to match the rear seat height
• Reshaped, foamed, and bolstered front and rear seats
• Modified factory door panels
• Shaved storage pockets, custom-wrapped inserts, custom-built speaker grilles, foamed and wrapped front and rear door panels
• Smoothed headliner wrapped in dark brown suede
• Custom painted upper and lower dash pads
• Polished Billet Specialties steering wheel
• Pioneer double-DIN receiver
• Alpine 2,000-watt amp
• Two Alpine 12-inch subwoofers, door speakers

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Joe Acevedo Jr

My name is Joe Acevedo Jr., but most people know me as “Ace.” I’m a photographer based out of South Texas, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for cars and trucks. Growing up ...

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