When it comes to family heirlooms, some items simply have what the appriasers on Antiques Roadshow would call provenance. On the other hand, the vast majority of hand-me-downs end up as estate sale fodder, or maybe even find their way to a recycling center. Whatever the case, sentimental value doesn’t always equate to finacial value in the cold, discerning eyes of the world. At the end of the day, however, there is no mistaking the invaluable memories and experiences that we find attached to items we once shared with a loved one.
Rob Lane’s ‘85 GMC Sierra Classic is a prime example of irreplaceable memories. “My grandfather, Willie George, bought this truck second hand in Houston, Texas, back in 1986. He used it to move his household belongings between Collins, Mississippi, and Houston, over the course of a year. Then he used it as his farm truck for the next 30+ years, pulling stumps, hauling trash, towing his bass boat, and every Wednesday for more than 25 years, he went golfing. He and I used to go to football and baseball games in that truck. He was a lifetime supporter and alumni of the University of Southern Mississippi, hence the very old USM license plate on the front bumper. When I was a little older, I used the truck to haul my stuff from my dorm to my college apartment when I was attending USM.”
Rob’s grandfather was a frugal man. He saw no sense in paying the premium for being the guy to drive a brand new truck off the dealer’s lot. To Willy G, new car smell was old car smell the day after, so the frivolity of it all really didn’t matter much.
Back in 2017, Rob spent a few hours looking over the condition of the truck. “It was in such sad shape that I had all but given up on my dream of restoring it. It needed everything, and I never thought I would ever have the money to restore it.”
A few years passed and some things changed for Rob. “In 2021, I was able to put some money together and I realized that I might actually be able to afford to build my dream. I picked up the truck from Joel McCrainie, whom my grandfather had sold it to in 2017. Joel didn’t really want or have a use for the truck, but he loved my grandfather so much that he paid him $3000 for it and then just let it sit in his yard for the next four years. He never registered the truck and basically forgot about it. I called Joel in May 2021 – praying that he still had it – and he did. He sold it back to me for $3000. I was so excited that my dream was going to come true.”
Things were looking up. Rob was all in on the project and big moves were happening. “I towed the truck back from Dry Creek, Mississippi, to Gilbert, Arizona, and it sat in my driveway until April of 2022, when Jeremy Rice was finally ready to take it in at Tre 5 Customs. Over the next seven months, I watched and waited patiently as the amazing crew at Tre 5 worked their magic.”
Parts began to show up at Tre 5. Mock-up began immediately after the stunning chassis from GSI Machine and Fabrication showed up. A 6.2L LT4 crate motor and 8L90E transmission from Gandrud Chevrolet were stuffed between the front frame rails. The crew plumbed and wired the fuel system, air management, and brakes. The firewall had a small amount of rot, so it was a great excuse for the Tre 5 dudes to fabricate one of their trademarked clean-as-a-whistle replacements. Along with a set of Hart Fab’s finest steel wheel tubs and drop dead gorgeous paintwork from Ikandy Paintworks, the engine compartment became an overnight success.
The long bed sides were sent to Kyle Oxberger at Metal Ox Fab where he methodically removed about 20” of overall length. Once the bed was put back together with its newly raised floor, a coating of premium bed liner was applied to the inner area of the newly-shortened box and the bed was mated with the new chassis. New LED taillights from United Pacific relaced the dingy original units. For easy access to the 20-gallon aluminum GSI fuel tank, Dakota Digital acuators raise the center of the bed floor at the push of a button. It’s convenient and cool, but best of all, it allows Rob to show off that dynamite chassis with power coating by Pac Coast Powder and the rowdy 3” stainless exhaust system with Borla XPS mufflers.
Inside the cabin, Steve Yiu at Elevated Design waved his magic upholstery wand once again. Every surface was treated to the wonderful Galleon Blue color coding, inspired by interior colors found in Corvettes and Camaros from the mid-late 60’s. The Snowden bucket seats are nestled into a coccoon formed by Steve’s unique Frenched custom console. Truly a step up in the squarebody interior department. A Retro Sound head unit, JL Audio amps and sub, along with Morel component speakers provide the tunes when Rob isn’t listening to the Pteradactyl mating call of the LT4’s Eaton supercharger.
Rob summed things up in his own modest terms, “What Tre 5 built was so incredible – and so over the top – that I still can’t believe it’s mine.”
Rob Lane • ‘85 C15
- 6.2L LT4 Supercharged Chevrolet Performance crate motor from Gandrud Chevrolet
- Entropy aluminum radiator
- Holley front accessory drive system
- Ultimate Headers stainless steel headers with 1-7/8” primaries
- Custom 3” stainless steel exhaust system
- Borla XPS mufflers
- 8L90E Chevrolet Perforance transmission
- Two-piece custom driveshaft with carrier bearing
- Lokar Sport shifter
- Speartech tap shift relay to enable tap shift with the sport shifter
- Full GSI Machine and Fabrication body drop chassis
- Chassis plumbed by Tre 5 Customs - air, fuel, brakes, wiring, etc
- Chassis powder coated by Pac Coast Powder
- Currie Turn 9 chromoly 9” Ford rear end
- Strange nodular iron center section with True Trac helical gear limited slip differential with 3.89 ring & pinion
- Currie 35-spline axles
- GSI parallel 4-link rer suspension
- Billet GSI Watts link
- Firestone rear and Airlift D2600 front air bags
- Ridetech single adjustable shocks
- Baer 14” brakes with 6-piston calipers front & rear
- CPP front spindles
- ABS electric master cylinder
- Baer proportioning valve
- Squarebody Syndicate/Ididit steering column
- GSI aluminum 20-gallon fuel tank
- Billet Specialties Camber forged wheels, 22x8.5 and 24x15
- Pirelli P Zero Nero tires, 265/30R22 and 405/25R25 front and rear
- United Pacific LED head and taillights
- Precision Replacement Parts seals and trim installed by State 48
- Bed sides shortened by Kyle at Metal Ox Fab
- Bed floor lifts up to display rear suspension and Dakota Digital actuators
- Retro Sound head unit
- JL Audio amplifiers and shallow-mount sub
- Morel 6.5” separates with tweeters
- Restomod Haymaker climate control
- Billet Specialties Camber billet steering wheel
- Stock pedals with GMPP accelerator pedal
- Custom interior design and custom carpet by Steve Yiu at Elevated Design, Phoenix, AZ
- Snowden seats
- Stock door cards
- Custom center console with Frenched-in seats
- Interior recovered in Galleon Blue materials
- Hart Fab front tubs
- Smoothed firewall by Tre 5 Customs
- Engine compartment paint by Frank Rechlin at Ikandy Paintworks, Peoria, AZ