For the most part, teachers have the reputation of being conservative. They dress modestly for class and drive conservative cars such as Toyotas and Hondas. But there is always one non-conformist among the group who breaks all the molds and the rules. This is the teacher who wears trendy clothes, speaks the kids' lingo, and usually has some sort of cool ride. And often, this is the teacher the kids like best.
Based on this premise, it stands to reason that Alison Scranton, a third-grade teacher in Chino Hills, California, who motors this hot Tahoe back and forth to school, has got to be one of the most-liked teachers at the school. You see, Alison is married to Casey Scranton of CGS Motorsports of Pomona, California, and her '03 Chevrolet Tahoe is a former SEMA project truck that's been turned loose on the streets.
CGS manufacturers air intakes and exhaust systems and has been in the custom truck business for quite some time. Owners Casey and Ron Scranton have created several award-winning customs for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show over the years, and this Tahoe is one of the company's more conservative trucks.
The basis for the project was simple: Create an eye-catching daily driver that still highlights your company's products. And in true SEMA vehicle form, the project didn't get started until two months prior to the show. The first order of business was to get the Tahoe to a street-smart height, so the truck was dropped 5 inches up front by using a set of modified Belltech truck spindles and new torsion keys. Out back, the stock trailing arms were replaced with custom tubular trailing arms fabricated by Richard Ruiz of Fresno, California. For a true adjustable ride height, the original rear coils were tossed for a set of Firestone airbags, while Belltech shocks were fitted at each corner for ride control.
Rolling stock on the truck is a set of 22-inch Colorado Custom billet wheels wrapped with 295/30R22 Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires. Helping bring the larger-than-stock wheel and tire combo to a stop is a full Baer Racing Eradispeed brake upgrade at each corner. And to keep things straight and level through the corners, the Tahoe was fitted with a set of Hotchkis Performance antisway bars front and rear.
While the driveline remains stock, the engine was given a heavy dose of power upgrades. A Whipple twin-screw supercharger sits atop the 5.3L LS-1 powerplant and helps the small-block crank out approximately 400 hp. Better breathing also comes from JBA shorty headers mated to a CGS after-cat exhaust system. Dressing up the engine compartment is a carbon-fiber kit from NuImage.
Nick DiCredico of Wicked Truck and Rods of Garden Grove, California, is credited with the paintwork on the basic-black Tahoe using DuPont product. Nick also performed the custom body mods on the project, such as shaving the roof rack, installing a billet grille and Sir Michaels metal roll pan, and tinting APC corner and tail lights. Nick also installed the truck's Muth Signal outside mirrors and ExSighting Systems HID headlight system.
With the exterior of the truck completed, it was rolled next door to Radi's Custom Upholstery, also of Garden Grove, for an interior upgrade. Radi's replaced the stock seat covers with custom gray leather with ostrich inserts in each seat. Precision Sound in Chino Hills upgraded the sound system with the addition of Kicker components and twin headrest-mounted Audiovox TV monitors. The system also has provisions for both DVD and VHS formats.
Needless to say, the Tahoe runs and handles as well as it looks, and while the basic-black truck is very subtle to the untrained eye, it's definitely a potent package to get back and forth from school. And judging from its looks, we'll bet there are a lot of third-graders in Chino Hills who find both the truck, and its owner, really cool.