Purple Haze | Bodied 1986 Chevy S-10 on 22’s

A Long Term Project That Was Worth the Wait

The ‘86 Chevy S-10 you are looking at on these pages almost never happened. Nearly completely forgotten by its owner, Chris Dosouto of Victoria, BC, Canada, the truck had seen better days and was now in need of lots of work.

Chris originally got the truck while still in high school back in 1998 and started customizing it way back when. But as is often the case, the project got to a certain point and was then stored away for an undetermined amount of time. Meanwhile, the rest of Chris’ life moved on with new responsibilities, a new career, and before Chris even realized it, the ol’ S-10 was out of sight and out of mind.

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As the years went on, Chris gradually started thinking about his old truck again, and believe it or not, Chris’ truck sat for more than 20 years before he decided it was time to finally get back to work on it. But what to do? Some of the original ideas Chris had for his truck way back when were, admittedly, somewhat dated by now, but he didn’t want to totally abandon his original intentions for his S-10.

The S-10 has been to shows throughout Canada and the US, and Chris drives it as often as the weather allows.

KISS THE SKY

After lots of thought, a blueprint was drawn up. Chris’ plan would be to give the truck that late ’90s/early 2000s flair he was after the first time around, but updated wherever it made sense. That included adding an LS swap, as well as super-sizing his dream wheels, a set of Boyds that he had wanted when he first got the truck in high school.

We have to say, as amazing as the original Gotcha IIs looked in their original, smaller 15-17-inch sizes, the new larger sizes just look oh-so-right with their slightly modified design—especially when they’re tucking hard in the fenderwells. With carefully planned-out dimensions of 22×8.5 and 22×9 in staggered offsets, the Hot Rods by Boyd Gotcha II wheels fit perfectly and still offer an impressive amount of lip, especially for having an uncut rear axle housing!

Chris handled the body drop himself, cutting the frame down underneath the cab and boxing everything in to keep the factory floor and maintain maximum headroom. A custom 4-link keeps the rearend in place out back, while ThorBros upper and lower control arms were bolted on up front, along with a Little Shop Mfg. no-toe steering kit. Wait, ThorBros had control arms?

And since the air-ride world has, for the most part, moved well beyond manual paddle valves and overworked Thomas 315 compressors, Chris knew that he had to go new school for the air-ride components. Air Lift Dominator airbags went onto all four corners, with an AVS EVOLVE manifold, Dakota Digital sensors/gauge, and twin Viair 485c compressors to pump up the jam. The jam, in this case, happens to be Chris’ S-10.

With the suspension finally buttoned up, the truck was delivered to Adam Edborg at Metalcraft Auto Restorations, LTD., where the truck received a lot of love in the form of a completely shaved cab and bed, a Cal combo to seal up the rear of the bed, and Cadillac taillights. Inside the bed, Adam used his problem-solving skills to build a custom bed floor, including a motorized hatch at the front of the bed, which is opened via a convenient key fob.

BLOWING MY MIND!

Once every square inch of the truck had been gone over and sprayed with primer, Adam applied a generous amount of Axalta’s Plum Crazy purple to the truck, resulting in one of the most mesmerizing single-color paintjobs we’ve seen in a while! With the paint cured, cut, and buffed, the truck headed off to Brad at Plan B Hotrods for assembly of the 5.3L LS, which was set up for maximum ground and hood clearance with a Holley low-profile oil pan and Sniper intake manifold.

The final piece of the decades-long puzzle was a trip to Styles Upholstery, where the interior of the S-10 was completely transformed with custom touches top to bottom, including brown Italian leather upholstery throughout. The crowning touch was the vintage Colorado Custom Hancock billet steering wheel, which perfectly bridged the gap between old and new.

It stands as a symbol of the power of dreams, proving that with patience, dedication, and the support of loved ones, even the most postponed dreams can be brought to life.

Now that the truck was done, it was time to enjoy it—and Chris wasted no time in doing so! The S-10 has been to shows throughout Canada and the US, and Chris drives it as often as the weather allows. Chris’ completed truck has become a testament to perseverance, resilience, and the unwavering passion that can overcome any obstacle. It stands as a symbol of the power of dreams, proving that with patience, dedication, and the support of loved ones, even the most postponed dreams can be brought to life.