BUCKET LIST
Lucky Number 13
WITH EVERY TRUCK PROJECT WE TAKE ON, IDEAS AND CONCEPTS FLOW LIKE WATER FOR HOW TO MAKE EACH ONE CUSTOM AND UNIQUE. Even with an unlimited imagination and an amazing group of friends to help, we don’t always get to incorporate all these great ideas into our current project. And sometimes those ideas need to be sealed tight in your own head, because the truck you have now won’t suffice and you definitely don’t want to see someone else perform the mods that you came up with. This was the case for Bryce Belanger throughout the last 12 custom vehicle projects he’s owned, but it was lucky number 13 that set him loose and gave him his time to shine.
BRYCE WANTED TO DESIGN HIS OWN TRUCK FROM SCRATCH WITH ALL THE CONCEPTS HE PICKED UP OVER THE YEARS, AND BEST OF ALL, HE WOULD BE ABLE TO EARN HIS SEVERED TIES DIAMOND WITH HIS OWN BUILD, NOT ONE THAT’S BOUGHT.
“I purchased the truck from a friend in need, and it was the perfect candidate for a show season stunner,” Bryce says. “It was a completely unmolested virgin truck. Everything from the factory was still installed and working perfectly. So, I began ordering parts and scheduling time at custom fab shops in my area, and before long, I had everything needed to send the truck in to be built.”
Just before picking up this clean cruiser, Bryce had sold his
’93 crew cab OBS Chevy that was originally built by Steven Stidham and featured on the “Wrecked to Redemption” cover of Street Trucks back in October 2010. Bryce wanted to design his own truck from scratch with all the concepts he picked up over the years, and best of all, he would be able to earn his Severed Ties diamond with his own build, not one that’s bought.
In order to check off items on his “truck scene bucket list,” Bryce started by dropping off this ’03 GMC 1500 with Jason “Scooby” Robichaux for a full suspension overhaul and a 3 ¼-inch body drop. First on the task list was to install an Ekstensive Metal Works big wheel kit with the stock spindles. Ekstensive front control arms and raised upper mounting plates give this GMC some additional lowness, and the Toyota Tacoma Monroe shocks give it a super smooth ride. The rear suspension consists of a
two-link bar setup with a Watt’s link and a rear step notch in the frame. For some additional wheel lip, the rearend was narrowed a total of 9 inches—4 ½ inches per side. Firestone Airbags replace the springs in all for corners, and when Bryce hits the switch, they deflate to tuck those beautiful 24-inch Intro ID331 wheels wrapped in Lexani tires. With the additional weight added to the truck, bigger and more powerful brakes were absolutely necessary. The factory power booster was removed and swapped out for a ’05 Chevy 2500 hydroboost system, and the stock pedal was modified to work together.
With the suspension complete, Bryce turned his attention to the body mods for this build. After the stock floor body drop was complete, the bed floor was raised to cover the suspension and a set of wide wheel tubs were added. Before Trey Cooley of Finer Paint and Body Works in Deridder, Louisiana, could coat the truck in Toyota Sunset Copper Mica, a few more mods were made, including a billet GMC grille, a steel roll pan and Street Scene sport mirrors.
“Building this truck also has humbled me and made me realize that a small-time guy can achieve big things with patience, time and effort,” Bryce says. “I’ve been flipping through the pages of Street Trucks magazine since the late ’90s, and I have always hoped I could build and own a truck worthy enough to grace these pages.”
Bryce extends special thanks to his wife, Trish Belanger, for “putting up with me and letting me spend the money on this build, and my kids for giving up two separate vacations for their dad’s passion.” He also thanks his build team: Jason Robichaux (Scooby) , Trey Cooley, Zachary, Jenn Quatrevingt, James Thibodaux, Chad Louque, Jeremy Hebert, Rusty Istre and William Robichaux.