This Blown Truck is Fast and Low

WORDS BY AND PHOTOS BY JOE GREEVES

WE live in an age of instant gratification, but the old saying, “If you want it bad, you get it bad,” certainly applies when the creative process is hurried. Great art takes whatever time it takes, especially when you are talking about building award-winning custom trucks. The combination of imagination and craftsmanship is a delicate blend that can’t be rushed, often needing years before the truck first rolls into the winner’s circle.

Mel White from Boynton Beach, Florida, understands the methodical approach to success.

“I started work on my Pro-Street Chevrolet in my late 30s, and now that I’m 50, it’s finally complete,” Mel says. “The construction process had lots of hiccups along the way. Things got scratched, things got lost, and family issues complicated the process. There was a time when I thought I went too deep with a frame-off restoration and might not be able to pull it off. In the end, however, the hard work was worth it and now my truck is a rolling dream.”

The beginnings of his dream truck trace back to a red ’89 Chevrolet Silverado purchased brand-new by a very excited 20-year-old.

“I knew right then that this was an amazing body style and, if I had the money one day, I would Pro-Street one.”

That first ride planted a seed that took a while to germinate. Years later at age 35, Mel discovered this’97 Chevrolet Silverado at a Car-Max dealership. It was a beautiful truck, but after owning it for six months, he drove it into his shop one night and completely disassembled it. He smiles when he recalls his wife coming into the garage and seeing the fenders hanging on the wall and doors separated from the body.