Memories of a Brother’s Love

THIS ISN’T A STORY ABOUT A TRUCK THAT HAS UNDERGONE MULTIPLE BUILD PHASES WITH THIS BEING ITS THIRD RENDITION. No, this is a more of a dedication piece to someone special, who forever touched the lives of those around him. Memorials come in many forms, and each is sacred in its own right. There’s no right or wrong way to pay homage to a lost loved one, but the idea of building a running, operational dedication piece seems like an ideal method of forever keeping memories alive.

Leean Peña Whipple sees nothing but the image of her brother when she looks at her truck. Every rev of the engine is a reminder of her brother’s voice. Although memories are all Leean has left of the good times with her brother Joel Peña III, she was set on building on them by creating something lasting, with her brother at the center. “After losing my brother in ’07, I wanted to commemorate him by building a custom truck in his memory. I also knew that the truck had to be given a name that would appropriately honor him,” Leean said.

“WE CAME TO THE DECISION THAT THE TRUCK HAD TO BE SET APART FROM THE REST. IT HAD TO HAVE BITS OF MY BROTHER RIGHT THERE ON THE TRUCK.”

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Joel was a name that was passed down through three generations of the Peña family; so, naturally “The 3rd” was a fitting name to grace Leean’s truck build. Having nothing more than an idea, she turned to the guys at Chaotic Customs to help finish it out, fabricating a truck around the essence of a man who meant so much to so many good people. Leean remembered, “After talking with Rocky and Mike at Chaotic, we came to the decision that the truck had to be set apart from the rest. It had to have bits of my brother right there on the truck. This is why I chose to have the license plate read ‘JOEY84’; his name and birth year are right there in plain view. The name ‘Joel’ has been shared by three amazing men in our family, and just having it somewhere on the truck is an honor in itself.”

The truck, however, doesn’t simply share Leean’s brother’s name. To her, “The 3rd” had a much deeper meaning than that. “The number three is a symbol of the phases of the life he completed: birth, life and death. The number three also signifies how much strength, intensity and importance this one man represented to his family members.” Luckily, the guys at Chaotic understood just how much the build meant to Leean, and they put their all into crafting a build that would be much more than just a truck. They wanted to give Leean the exact vehicle she envisioned, and she had nothing but rave reviews about the work they did, “Rocky Fox walked me through the entire build and never left my side when it came down to the decision making. He truly turned out to be a faithful sidekick.”

But even though there was so much positivity surrounding the entire 10-month process, there were an equal amount of rough times. Spending the amount of money that Leean and her husband Ryan shelled out to have it completed in a timely manner wasn’t always easy to manage, but they made it through. “My husband already had a truck in the works, but he put it on hold so I could finish mine first. We got through the difficult times; there was nothing that could stand in our way. Now that the truck is finally finished, I feel that it was the perfect way to honor my brother and to share his life with others. The tragic car accident that took his life was truly devastating to his loved ones. And being in the accident with him, it was the last time I saw him alive. But as I drive my truck now, I feel as though Joey is right there protecting me as he always did in the passenger seat.”

EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN WAY OF EXPRESSING LOVE AND GRATITUDE FOR THOSE THEY MOST CHERISH, BUT WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE 3RD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE MEMORIALS WE’VE SEEN.”

Memorializing a loved one is a way to keep a part of them near. Some memorials are altars with photos and a few of the deceased’s favorite things, and some folks have portraits or other images tattooed to serve as a constant visual reminder. Everyone has their own way of expressing love and gratitude for those they most cherish, but we have to admit that the 3rd is one of the most impressive memorials we’ve seen. Leean’s brother has been immortalized through an object that she’s especially fond of. Joey’s now a regular part of her everyday routine and the topic of conversation when the truck is on display at a show or driven on the street. Not too many individuals are lucky enough to have a truck built in their honor. It takes a special person to inspire such dedication and passion.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Leean Peña Whipple
2000 Chevy Silverado
Corpus Christi, TX Severed Ties

BUILDERS

• Chaotic Rods & Customs of Conroe, TX
• Classic Trim Custom Leather Shop of McAllen, TX

ENGINE

• Stock GM 4.3L V-6
• Custom intake
• Color-matched custom sheet metal details

SUSPENSION

• Air Lift Dominator ’bags
• Belltech spindles
• Stock rearend narrowed 2 inches
• “Texas 2-link” with track bar
• Rear frame C-notch
• Optima mounted under bed

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×8 22×10 Raceline billet wheels
• 265/30R22 and 285/35R22 Yokohama

BODY & PAINT

• Traditional 3-inch body drop
• 2005 Escalade front clip
• Grant Kustoms roll pan molded to bed sides
• Shaved door handles, stake pockets and tailgate handle
• Street Scene mirrors
• Smoked Escalade headlights
• LED taillights
• Motorcycle gas cap moved to top of bed rail
• Painted rear tubs and notch cover in bed
• Spray-on bedliner
• Custom DuPont Green with Gold
• SEM Hot Rod Flat Black flames
• Gloss black pinstriping

INTERIOR

• Stock seats wrapped in black leather with ostrich inserts
• Suede headliner with flame detail
• Color-matched and painted dashboard with flame detail
• Viair psi gauges
• Fiberglass center console
• Colorado Customs billet Severed Ties steering wheel
• Billet rearview mirror
• Jensen head unit
• Alpine 10-inch sub
• Alpine 500-watt amp
• 7-inch Rockford Fosgate speakers in custom pods

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Thanks to God, David Gomez of Classic Trim, Xavier Vinton, Chaotic Rods & Customs, my Severed Ties crew, to my family who has always been there for me every step of the way, to my husband for letting me finish my truck before his own, but especially Rocky Fox who guided me the entire way.”

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