Lindsey Fisher March 07, 2024 Chevrolet
Photos by Brandon Burrell / BURRELL IMAGES
Dream vehicles rarely come to fruition over night, as many of you know. In actuality, it can take many years of planning, saving, and building to create that ultimate ride, often intermixed with periods of no progress and changes in plans. But in the end, what is created is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that you’re not only proud to show off, but also carries with it copious amounts of heart and passion. For Ronnie Merritt, that’s exactly how his 2000 Chevy Silverado is.
Inspired by his dad’s stories of owning his own cool vehicles when he was younger, Ronnie caught the build bug at a very young age. What started out as an affinity for building and modifying model cars quickly turned into a passion for customizing his own street vehicles. Although high school jobs don’t typically afford much extra cash after paying for the basics, Ronnie saved as much as possible to eventually equip his first truck, a 1991 S-10, with a new set of wheels and stereo system. From then on, it was an obsession.
When it was time for Ronnie to go off to college, he decided to trade in his S-10. A new 2000 Chevy Silverado in Indigo Blue on a local dealership’s lot caught his eye, and the rest is history.
While daily driving the truck was the practical application, Ronnie told his now wife that he ultimately wanted a show vehicle. Having subscribed to Street Trucks since he was 17 years old, Ronnie knew he wanted a bagged truck all his own. But it wasn’t until after he met Jeff Albritton and got the truck into his and friend Mike Sigler’s capable hands that his ultimate truck build started taking shape. A couple of renditions and many years of building later, Ronnie’s own dream truck is gracing the very pages of the magazine he found so much inspiration from as a teenager.
When it comes to mini-trucks, stance is everything. While Ronnie started out with a popular 4/6 suspension drop on the Silverado, he ultimately wanted it bagged. So he entrusted Jeff Albritton and Mike Sigler, who took the truck to new heights with Slam Specialties bags, a custom 2-link, Belltech Nitro Drop shocks, and two Viair 480 compressors. Ronnie ran the truck this way for eight years and loved it, but that’s not nearly where this build story ends.
Ultimately convinced by his mechanically inclined friends to bodydrop the truck, Ronnie entrusted his beloved Silverado once again to the process to make it his ultimate ride. Little did he know that this would mean a lengthy six-year process to finish the project out and get his dream truck.
To create the truck’s ever-low stance, Jeff did a stock floor body drop using 2×4 3/16-inch tubing. With the truck torn down to the frame, Ronnie opted to go all-in and truly build the truck he’d always wanted. This meant redoing the custom 2-link and bag setup to account for new wheels and tires, narrowing the rearend housing, and equipping the truck with custom upper bag mounts, 3/8-inch stainless airlines, and Swagelok fittings. To complete the system, the guys used the truck’s previously added Slam Specialties RE7 bags, Belltech Nitro Drop shocks with 2-inch drop spindles, and two Viair 480 compressors tied to two 5-gallon air tanks under the truck’s bed. The entire system is managed with an Accuair VU4 system with the touchpad mounted as a floating unit in the truck’s interior.
Thanks to the chassis modifications, Ronnie was able to squeeze beautiful Intro EZ 22×8.5-inch front and 24×10-inch rear wheels under the truck, wrapped in Nitto N420S 265/35/R22 front and 295/30/R24 rear tires.
The suspension of the truck wasn’t the only thing to get a complete overhaul. So too did the Silverado’s 4.8L V-8, which was fitted with a GM Performance LS Hot Cam, LS6 valve springs, an LS1 intake manifold, COMP cams pushrods, timing chain and gear, and an XS battery. Helping keep the engine cool are two Flex-A-Lite 282 15-inch electric fans and a 34-inch radiator, while Flowtech shorty headers drop into a true dual exhaust system with a Magnaflow X pipe and Flowmaster 40 Series mufflers. ARP nuts and bolts, custom-sized wiring harnesses, polished lines, and custom sheetmetal covers give the engine bay a sleek and tidy look.
Backing the engine is a GM 4L60E automatic transmission with a factory high-stall torque converter with an 1800 stall and Corvette servos. This amped up transmission spins new Moser axles out back by way of a Posi-Traction reared featuring 3.73 gears.
There’s no denying that Ronnie’s Chevy is a true performance machine, but you can’t have a show truck without also focusing on aesthetics. Therefore, Ronnie chose to go all in for this part of the project as well. The first major body mod to the truck was tubbing the front wheel wells under the hood. From there, the truck went into full strip mode, with everything from the door handles to the stake pockets being shaved. Dustin Justice then took over the project, shaping and perfecting the truck’s body lines, integrating pieces like the widened super single rear semi fenders, Z71 Tahoe grille shell, and a molded steel roll pan to perfection. Sprayed in Subaru WR Blue Pearl paint and featuring a fully custom raised bed and cover, the truck represents a flawless custom truck from tip to toe.
Inside, the truck continues to impress with custom upholstery and sheet metal work done by Ronnie himself. The truck’s factory bucket seats are covered in Smoke Grey Katzkin leather with Graphite inserts, matching carpet from Auto Custom Carpets, Inc., as well as custom vinyl overlays on the console, speaker boxes, and airbag cover in the dash. Trenz billet pedals, door sill plates and heater box cover add to the shine of the custom interior, right along side the Cadillac Escalade Platinum gauges and Budnik Trilogy steering wheel. The truck equipped with a Kenwood DDX57S Double DIN stereo headunit and full Kicker stereo system. The truck’s newly upgraded suspension system can also be managed from within the cab thanks to the AccuAir VU4 manifold mounted between the two seats, a Viair tank pressure gauge mounted in a custom dash pod, and the custom built-in AccuAir touchpad.
While much of the work on the truck was done in short order, due to life’s challenges and a violent vehicle crash Ronnie was in involving a semi-truck, there were months along the way where nothing on the truck moved forward. But the fact that the team continued to push forward to create the optimal show truck despite these challenges is evidence of the pure passion and drive each one had to see this project to fruition.
By the time the last bolt was turned and the truck was cleared for full-fledged show truck duties, six years had elapsed since Ronnie and his friends started in on the latest rendition of his Chevy Silverado. But regardless of the amount of time and trials that went into building the truck, it was all worth it in the end for Ronnie to now be enjoying his dream truck with family and friends.
TRUCK SPECS
Owner
Chassis & Suspension
Wheels & Tires
Engine & Drivetrain
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Special Thanks
“My wife Jessica for her patience and understanding through everything, my sons Hayden and Hudson, Mike Sigler for using his shop and all his engine and mechanical knowledge, Jeff Albritton for his fabrication skills and suspension and sheetmetal work, DJ and all his guys at DJ’s Paint and Body for the incredible paint and bodywork, and all my friends in ///Relaxed for the help and motivation.”
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