BIG FAN

Have you ever wondered what a truck dedicated to your favorite major league baseball team would look like? Surely, it wouldn’t look anything like this 1982 C10 owned by Kevin Collier. You might not know it by looking at the color scheme, but these two hues are represented in the San Diego Padres’ ‘City Connect’ home jerseys that were introduced in 2022 and worn throughout the season during Friday night home games. The colors, which included a combination of seafoam green, white, pink, and yellow, were meant to reflect SoCal’s vibrant culture and natural landscape. Being a longtime resident of San Diego County, an avid baseball fanatic, as well as a custom car lover, Kevin was overflowing with inspiration going into the creation of his classic Chevy truck.

“I’ve had this ’82 for years”, Kevin says. “In 2019, I saw it listed for sale online in San Antonio. I had it shipped out to me and had CAMods in nearby El Cajon lower it, throw on some 20s, and refresh the engine a bit. I used to drive it daily to work while wearing a suit, and it even made it out to Dino’s and the Brothers show a couple of times. I have been a part of the hot rod and truck scenes now for 36 years, so when I felt the need to do something truly special with the truck, I talked it over with my wife Jolie.”

Together, they agreed that a bold change was in order. Kevin and Jolie devised a new color scheme, a drastic change from its previous red color, which would better express their support for the Padres and would mean so much more than the hues that would be laid down. With a new direction in mind, Kevin began stockpiling new parts for his truck’s upcoming metamorphosis. “I quickly ordered a set of Raceline billet wheels (thanks Alex) and full GSI chassis (thanks Anthony and Ashley)”, he recounts. “I knew my design was growing more ambitious, so I reached out to Escondido Restomods in northern San Diego County. I met with the team, and they loved my ideas. As soon as we dropped off the truck and parts, they went straight to work.”

The C10 had found itself in talented, capable hands, as the Escondido Restomods crew quickly readied the new chassis, then jumped into assembling a LT4 power plant. The 2018 Cadillac engine was soon outfitted with a new Champion radiator, Holley accessories, and Wegner valve covers and supercharger lid to spruce up its appearance. Slosh Tubz front inner fender tubs were also utilized under the hood to properly tuck the pink powdercoated 24-inch Raceline billets. The plan was starting to come together, but there was still much more ground to cover.

Once the suspension and powertrain portions of the rebuild were well-handled, the Escondido Restomods team was then able to move onto prepping the truck’s exterior surfaces. Wanting to create a sleek appearance, plenty of factory elements were eliminated such as the door locks, wipers, body trim, hood ornament, roof seams, cargo light, pinch rail, both gas flaps, rack holes, and side blinkers. While the front bumper is still OEM, it has been reworked to meet the truck’s new aesthetic. One-piece side glass was also added to remove the awkward looking wing windows from the truck’s profile.

The PPG seafoam green paint was soon ready to be applied, and once it was, everyone involved was treated to a glimpse of Kevin and Jolie’s grand vision. When the paint dried, a custom bed floor was then assembled, which features light-gray-colored planks, and a center section that lifts to reveal the color-coordinated GSI chassis below deck.

The same color scheme was utilized inside the cab as well using gray Alcantara suede and NAPA leather upholstery on the dash, panels, center console, and Slosh Tubz seats. Escondido Restomods meticulously executed the pink stitch work, the painted details throughout the interior, as well as the installation of the Alpine and JL Audio system, one-off Raceline steering wheel, and Holley Pro Dash unit.

“I started gathering parts about a year before I dropped the truck off at Escondido Restomods. It only took them three months to bring the build to 90%, and then another couple of months to handle all the finishing touches”, Kevin admits. “This was one of my fastest projects, and I’ve been building cars since I was 14. I’d like to thank my father, Ken Collier, for introducing me to this exciting world of customization. He always built the best and coolest cars.”

Since its completion, Kevin and Jolie have been enjoying their one of a kind truck to the fullest. “What brings me the most joy is just seeing people’s reactions when they walk up to the truck at a show or at Petco Park”, Kevin adds. “They often wonder why anyone would ever think to paint a vehicle these colors and then they see me stepping out dressed from head-to-toe in the same hues and share a laugh. I love that.”