1995 Chevy S10 Truck - Change For A Ten

Walking through the different shows each year, it's inevitable that we'll see trucks going through various transformations. Some are a little more subtle than others, while another crop of trucks seems to go through several complete face-lifts.

Jerry Arnett Jr.'s ever-changing '95 S-10 would, without a doubt, be lumped into the latter category. Throughout the last few show seasons, we've seen at least three different incarnations of his truck, and it keeps getting better. This latest rendition includes a full set of custom tribal flames and airbrushing laid down by Mike Royal at Rod Shop Customs in Avondale, Arizona.

Mike masked out the tribal licks, which encompass the truck from head to tail, and then went to work airbrushing a whole slew of flames, skulls, and other eye candy on all body panels as well as through the doorjambs and between the cab and bed.

Beneath the layers of candies and 'brush work lies the hours of bodywork that Tony Cease, also from Rod Shop Customs, put into the truck. Tony shaved the door handles, tailgate handle, hood squirters, and front marker lights and added a roll pan the truck. The front of the S-10 was updated with an '00 front clip.

Setting the truck down on the pavement is a custom 'bag setup that Seth Whitton and the guys at Rod Shop Customs fabricated. Set in the bed is a chrome four-link with a custom bridge and Firestone 'bags. Up front, a set of Firestone 'bags controls the ride height, and KYB shocks help tone down the bumps. Also added were a Hellwig front sway bar, a Baer Racing bumpsteer kit, and a Performance Suspension Components polyurethane frontend kit. The rolling stock chosen was 18-inch Centerline Lexi wheels wrapped in Bridgestone 225/35R18 rubber.

A full front and rear disc brake conversion was performed by Network Alignment and Brakes in Phoenix. The company removed the old components and added a Stainless Steel Brakes Force 10 kit with 13-inch zinc-plated and slotted rotors, two-piston polished PBR calipers, and custom 2-inch drop spindles up front. The rear received the Stainless Steel Brakes with 10-inch zinc-plated and slotted rotors with single piston zinc-plated calipers.

The bar was set to incredibly high standards for the outside of the truck, so it was only natural the inside followed suit. First Upholstery and Restoration in Tempe, Arizona, took on the task of ripping apart the stock interior and replacing it with full leather. Two different color tans and embroidered green flames were used on the doors, headliner, and the underside of the Snug Top tonneau cover. The stock bucket seats were also upholstered in the green and tan leather and set on top of the black tweed carpet kit that covers the floor. The original dash was removed and replaced with a '98 S-10 dash, then outfitted with Nu-Image flame gauge kit and a Colorado Customs Flame billet steering wheel.

A full sound system was installed by Tim Blakely and Cardenal Car Stereo in Phoenix. Tim installed a Clarion head unit complete with TV and tuner, a six-disc changer, and a VCP. In each door sits a 6.5-inch MB Quart Q series speaker with separate 1-inch tweeters and 4x6-inch plates in the dash. Two 10-inch JL Audio subs were installed in a fiberglass down-firing stealth box. PPI 2150 and 250 competition series amps provide power to the entire system.

Finishing up the truck is the 2.2L that resides beneath the hood. Steve Clark and the guys at Performance Suspension Components in Phoenix installed a Sport Truck Specialties cold-air intake and 1.6 rocker arms as well as Hotshot headers. The 2.5-inch exhaust is a Pro Dyno custom mandrel-bent system that exits in front of the rear passenger tire.