OLE BLUE

Growing up around gearheads is a gift. Not only do you get to learn a bunch of “colorful” words way before you’re allowed to actually say them, but you also get a head start on a lifetime of fun around anything with wheels. Terry Hill of Waxahachie, Texas, was lucky enough to live this life, getting the ins and outs of hot rodding early on. “As a kid I would always help my brother-in-law’s dad and his brother work on their trucks and cars in the back yard. Whether it was just holding a light or handing them a wrench, I loved being over there working on cars.” 

And so, Terry became a gearhead in his own right, heavily leaning toward anything in the GM family, especially if it had a bowtie on its grille. When asked why GMs, Terry again recounted the early influence of his brother-in-law’s family: “They all had Trans Ams and a killer ‘70 Camaro, and I just fell in love with cars back then. My dad also inspired me to love these old cars! He used to drag race professionally and always had cool cars.” 

In high school, Terry’s dream was to own a squarebody Silverado, and he finally bought one back in 2013. That alone, as it turns out, was quite an experience: “I found the truck on eBay on a Friday and I got a hold of the owner on Saturday, and just like that we had reached a deal. The next weekend, my wife and I flew out to Nashville, where the seller picked us up at the airport and we drove to Bowling Green, Kentucky. When we arrived to pick up the truck, the seller took us to an airport hangar where Ole Blue was.” 

Now that the truck was in his possession, he was in “sold as-is, no warranty expressed or implied” territory, meaning that he was fully responsible for getting the ‘87 R-10 Silverado, himself, and his wife home safely. Terry recalled, “It was raining, and I couldn’t believe at the time that we were driving the truck back to Nashville, where we stayed the night. I remember going to the auto parts store early the next morning and bought cleaning supplies and washed the truck before we drove it back to Waxahachie. The truck drove perfect for over 700 miles and made it home with not one issue!”  

Already a nice truck with fresh paint and interior, a lowered suspension, and even custom wheels, the factory fuel-injected Silverado was the perfect introduction to the world of custom classic trucks. And once Terry was in, he was in! Even though it was already awesome, we all know that you can’t just leave a truck alone. Terry would spend the following decade slowly modifying it to fit his dream, adding things such as upgraded disc brakes at the front and rear, as well as a new sound system. Over the years, Terry and his friend, John of Flashback Kustoms, installed a crate LS engine with a 4L60E transmission and a 12-bolt rear end, but one of the things that bugged Terry just a little bit was the fact that the firewall and the inside of the bed were painted black. 

You see, the truck was originally black from the factory, so the blue paint was actually a custom job, which Terry was totally content with. But, when you happen to have an automotive painter as a friend, they are always more than happy to point out the tiniest flaws. In fact, when Javier “Shorty” Ponce offered to help Terry paint the truck as long as he would put in most of the hours to get it ready, Terry jumped at the opportunity. A year and a half later, the R-10 was not only sporting a fresh Blue Flame Metallic paint job, but Terry also had PG Upholstery and Balboa Customs team up for fresh upholstery and a new stereo setup. Terry also bolted up a new QA1 coil-over conversion kit full suspension kit, finishing things off with 20 and 22-inch Raceline Classico wheels. 

Now that Terry has been living the squarebody/C-10 life for the past decade, it’s safe to say that it has seeped into his blood at this point, which is of benefit to everyone else who is also into these trucks. How? He’s one of the guys behind the popular Squarebody USA social media accounts, as well as one of the founders of the C-10s in the Park annual event, which has quickly gained ground as one of the most popular C-10 events to attend. Talk about commitment!