You Won’t See This Truck on Craigslist

New projects have a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect them. Trey Scheerer was completely content with the rides he already had in his stable when he happened upon this ’71 one day last year. 

Trey was definitely not looking for a project for himself, but rather just keeping an eye out for someone he worked with. “I actually found it looking for a truck for one of my employees. I sent him the info, but he never jumped on it, so a few weeks later, I did.” Even then, his interest in the truck wasn’t long-term; he really didn’t need another ride at the time. “I had planned on building it into something someone could feel comfortable buying for their kid—a practical truck—and then flipping it.”

Unfortunately for Trey, it needed a lot of work. As he explained, “The truck was hiding behind a fence across the street from my son’s school. After a hurricane blew the fence down in 2017, the truck started becoming an eyesore for the owners. I got in touch with them, and after going through the normal haggling process, I paid $1,000 for a completely disassembled, heavily rusted truck that was in absolute shambles.”

As it turned out, there was more to the story than simply being a long-forgotten truck left to rot in a field. “While talking to the owner’s wife, she told me how they used to drive the truck everywhere. Her husband had decided to fix it up to make it more his style, so that’s why it was torn apart. I also learned that due to his extremely busy work schedule in the prosthetic limb department at the VA hospital, he was unable to find the time to finish it.”

For Trey, that really struck a chord. “Finding that out made me want to build the truck even more. I’m an Army combat veteran, and to hear that this guy was putting in so much at the VA to help other veterans that he was unable to complete this truck really made me want to get it done even more, just to show it to him.”

But first, he had to get the truck back to his shop, Overpower Customs, and to do that he had some work ahead of him. “As I was picking up the parts scattered around the yard, I came across the hood that had been leaning against the fence for about seven years. The rust had streaked down, and it looked really cool.” And just like that, Trey found his inspiration. He wouldn’t bother with making the truck 100%, but rather would concentrate on making it a cool, solid driver, leaving its natural patina in place as a reminder of its long history.

In fact, most of the cab floor was gone, so that was the first thing Trey attended to, along with replacing the severely damaged wooden bed floor.

The suspension didn’t stay stock either, since every bushing needed to be replaced anyway. Tubular control arms were bolted up with Firestone airbags up front, and another pair of Firestones was placed out back with a small frame notch for added clearance to tuck the 20-inch Detroit Steel wheels. A very simple front and back air management system provided Trey with a solid, reliable setup that would be easy to maintain.

Since the truck was apart, tossing in an LS-based 2006 5.3L V-8 was an easy enough task, and a FiTech Ultimate LS fuel-injection setup made quick work of increasing the engine’s power capabilities and made everything super easy to wire up. Just for fun, Trey used an old beer keg as the fuel container and capped off the old fuel filler neck with an old rag.

From that point forward, Trey concentrated on reassembly and buttoning everything up so that he could sell the truck. As he had promised, he drove the Chevy to the old owner so that he could check it out before Trey sent it on down the highway for someone else to enjoy. Once there, Trey told us, the ex-owner shared even more of the truck’s story. “He had bought it from the brother of a military member who had lost his life in Iraq. Since he was someone that develops prosthetic limbs for disabled veterans, and I am a veteran, there was just too much history to let it go.”

Trey ended up keeping the truck, and has been driving it ever since. And to think, he didn’t even want it in the first place. With such a rad story behind it, we don’t blame him for holding on to it. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

Owner

Trey Scheerer   
1971 Chevy Pickup
Lake Park, FL   

Engine

• Work performed by Overpower Customs
• 2006 GM 5.3L V-8
• FiTech Ultimate LS 500-hp fuel injection kit
• XS Power headers
• Custom stainless exhaust with Magnaflow muffler
• Modified 2006 Silverado driveshaft
• 2006 4L60-E transmission

Chassis & Suspension 

• Work performed by Overpower Customs
• Firestone airbags front and rear
• Tubular front control arms
• Frame notched
• Rear disc braake conversion
• 2006 Silverado rack-and-pinion modified to fit
• Beer keg fuel cell

Wheels & Tires 

• 20×9 Detroit Steel wheels
• 245/40ZR20 Lexani LX-Six II tires

Body & Paint 

• Work performed by Overpower Customs
• Cab and bed flooring replaced
• Original paint with Blue Metallic BASF urethane paint blended in
• Rolled fender wells

Interior & Stereo  

• Work performed by Ponch at Palm Beach Auto Trim
• Bench seat covered with black vinyl
• Grant Classic Nostalgia steering wheel
• Intellitronix gauges

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