AS SEEN IN OUR AUGUST 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

Bill Grant’s Suicide-Door Blazer

Bill Grant is a paint-and-body guy from Eustace, Texas, who has been around custom trucks his whole life. When his buddy Tyler told him about a tired 2000 Chevy Blazer that had been sitting for years, Bill didn’t hesitate. He brought it home, and what started as a simple refresh turned into a full one-year build that cost around $40,000 and ended on the cover of Street Trucks.

The truck now sits on a fully custom chassis from the firewall back. Shane Thompson handled the framework, adding Air Lift bags on all four corners, pie-cut stock A-arms up front, and a 4-link out back. They dropped the body a total of 14 inches—six inches of body drop plus eight inches of chassis work, so the Blazer lays the doors flat on the ground. That’s the kind of stance you don’t see on many Blazers. The wheels are Intro Twisted Rally 20s up front and 22s in the rear, and they tuck perfectly with no rub—even on full lock.

Up top, Bill swapped in a 1997 C10 grille; Shane Thompson added suicide doors and shaved the handles, taillights, third brake light, and antenna, then built a one-off hood to clear the engine. The gas door was also shaved and moved to the roof. Tyler Redden laid down the silver base, and Patrick Reid airbrushed the custom graphics that really make it pop.

Under the hood, Bill kept the original 4.3L V6 with just 61,000 miles. He wanted the truck to be reliable, so he left the motor stock and upgraded the brakes to Baer discs all around instead. Inside, Texas Seat recovered a pair of cut-down Mazda 3 buckets in red leather. The headliner has a full starlight setup done by Cody Crump and Jeremy Reese, and Billy Russell built a custom speaker box for the Pioneer stereo. The whole cabin ties together with red suede and custom graphics on the dash.

“Have fun and build it exactly how you picture it in your head.” That’s exactly what he did, and the result is one happy mini-truck that turns heads everywhere it goes.

Bill and his wife, Criston, are members of Forbidden Fantasy, and the truck has already hit Turkey Drag, LST, Sparks in the Ozarks, Layin at the Lake, and A Day to Remember. When I asked Bill what the most unique part of the process was, he grinned and said it’s watching the doors lay flat.

He brought it home, and what started as a simple refresh turned into a full one-year build that cost around $40,000 and ended on the pages of Street Trucks.

Bill’s advice to anyone building their own truck? “Have fun and build it exactly how you picture it in your head.” That’s exactly what he did, and the result is one happy mini-truck that turns heads everywhere it goes.

Bill wants to give a special thanks to Tyler Redden for all the help and for showing him the Lo’Rilla Blazer when it was up for sale. He was also the one who got Bill back into the mini-truck scene. Thanks also go out to Shane Thompson for originally building Houdini. Without that build, there would be no Lo’Rilla. Bill would also like to thank Jermey Reese, Cody Crump, Tyler Redden, and Billy Russell for helping with the audio and all the lights; Patrick Reid for laying down the sick graphics that made it come alive; Red and Evan over at Big Boy Customs for the Intro wheels; and of course, Damien Davis for taking the time to shoot Lo’Rilla and capture the awesome details.

“Thank you so much to my family for putting up with me throughout this process to rebuild and bring the Blazer back to life, and most importantly to my wife, Criston, for standing by my side and letting my visions come to life no matter the cost. We’ve been through ups and downs, and you stood by my side no matter what. I truly can’t wait to build more trucks with you in my corner. What I’m trying to say is, “Will you marry me?”