There is something about the bodylines of the second generation Chevy S-10 that makes it such a popular ride amongst custom truck enthusiasts. When Walter Sons of Houma, Louisiana, got his hands on a 1997 Chevy S-10 extended cab his reason for building a mini-truck to begin with was, well... just because!

Walter originally had no real plans to build a wild show truck, he just wanted to slap on a set of wheels, but before he knew it he was knee deep in a full-blown mini-truck project. This changed Walter's idea of "just wheels" to a wild paint job to catch a little attention along with a clean body - that is a body void of its former self.

However, the first thing on Walter's list was to do what all mini-truckers do... ground it! This was achieve with the installation of an Air Ride suspension system complete with Belltech dropped spindles and custom A-arms up front, a c-notched frame in the rear with custom 4-link, and Belltech shocks all the way around. The stock fuel tank mounts were modified in order to raise the tank a few inches, so Walter wouldn't cause a sudden environmental hazard while throwing sparks down Louisiana highways. With the suspension work good-to-go, it was time to do some bodywork.

For starters, the plan was to shave everything on his truck. With a little assistance from his friend Barry Guidry, Walter began to tackle this rather involved task which included welding the tailgate shut, molding in a steel roll pan, and shaving the factory taillights. Next, a set of 6-inch LEDs were molded into the tailgate. Inside the pickup bed, the fenders were tubbed out to help with clearance issues when the bags were purged of air. The fuel hatch on the bed was also shaved and the inside of the bed was finished with a green Line-X protective bed coating.

With the rear body work completed, Walter set his sights upon the front end. Keeping in line with his original plans of a "clean body," Walter's truck was shaved clean of everything, including: the emblems, door handles, mirrors, antenna, third brake light, wiper cowl, and the front corner lights. A 36-inch hole was cut in the roof and a sliding rag top was installed to fill the void. The stock front bumper was ditched for a Street Scene II bumper, the stock side mirrors were replaced with a set of billet mirrors, the stock hood was swapped for a steel Goodmark cowl induction hood, and finishing off the front end includes a phantom style billet grille insert.

After the body work was completed and the truck was prepped for the paint booth, Walter summoned Joel Cangilosie to lay down the wild non-linear paint scheme consisting of a bright green base coat with flames, demons, skulls, portraits of people, phrases, and various abstract shapes in numerous colors. Once the paint had dried, the paint was wet sanded and detailed to a nice shine.

The interior of this mini-truck received a lot of tender loving care, too. To kick things off, the gauges were removed and the dash was shaved of everything, including A/C controls, vents, and speedometer before it was covered in black vinyl with various accent pieces painted to match the exterior paint scheme. Black vinyl also flows to the door panels, headliner, custom speaker box, and chopped bucket seats. Finishing off the interior visuals is a custom center console with air gauges, a Colorado Customs billet steering wheel, and a Trenz billet rearview mirror.

In cab audio and video is controlled with a JVC 7-inch in-dash flip out LCD TV wired up to a pair of Kicker 6½-inch speakers in the doors and a pair of Kicker 6x9-inch speakers located in the custom speaker box located in the rear cab section. Additional thump is provided by a 12-inch Kicker solo baric sub mounted in the custom box and all speakers are powered by Kicker amps.

Under the hood, the Vortech 4.3 six-cylinder retains its stock settings, but with a few visual and performance upgrades. On the visual side of things, custom fenders were crafted from sheet metal and painted to match the body. Other visual items include various polished billet bolt-on pieces. Performance wise, a cold air intake was bolted into place along with a 200 amp alternator.

Finishing off the mini-truck, as well as the build, Walter selected a set of staggered 18/20-inch Boyd Coddington billet rollers fitted with 205/35/18 and 215-35-20 Toyo tires, respectively.

Walter's truck is a perfect example of what can be achieved with the help of friends, twenty-five large, and a lot of patience. Some are fortunate enough to be able to crank out a project like this in a few months, but sometimes that just isn't the way things happen if time and finances are shallow. Walter's project was a long one, but in the end he was able to bring it all together and produce an awesome S-10 show truck that stands out amongst its peers.

Shout Out: "Thanks to J.R. and Elite Streets Magazine for their time and for photographing my truck!" -Walter Sons