Custom 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe - Tahoe On The Low

Chad Fletcher of Coolidge, Georgia, isn't one to mince words. When describing the circumstances surrounding the purchase of this '99 Tahoe, he portrays the truck's previous incarnation as being plagued with problems, thanks in part to a hack shop that took liberties with the truck's stance. Using decidedly candid language, Chad rants about how trashy the suspension and body drop were and that there was indeed no interior to speak of when he purchased it. Despite such dubious beginnings, this body-dropped Tahoe has been so changed that Chad likes to refer to it as Hoe Down. Now, although initially our juvenile tendencies got the best of us, this moniker actually refers to the body-dropped stance of the Tahoe and not some scene one might come across while stumbling along the Vegas strip. But we digress.

To begin its resurrection, Chad had to get the truck's stance back up to par. And after the aforementioned hack shop's screw-up, it would be no easy task: He had to build up the truck the way it should have been done the first time. Chad started by tearing into the suspension by installing a set of DJM 2-inch drop spindles up front and 'bagging the Tahoe all the way around using Slam Specialties airbags. The frame was notched to accommodate the front A-arms, and a set of Monroe shocks was chosen to control the bounce. The previous suspension was ripped out and trashed to make room for the new chrome four-link. Billet Specialties' 20s shod in Nitto 35-series rubber reside up front. The back was more involved, as the rearend had to be narrowed 8 inches to accommodate the super-wide tread.

The pavement-kissing 'Hoe has a clean-shaven appearance, sporting a grayish hue that comes courtesy of the fusion between House of Kolor's True Blue and White. The understated appearance serves as a backdrop for the two-door Chevy's most thinking-outside-the-box mod: its suicided driver door. A Goodmark cowl-induction hood and Halo headlights enliven the front, while frenched-in custom tails on a Sir Michaels roll pan clean up the rear. Lurking beneath the hood, anticipating heavy modifications, is a 5.7L driveline fitted with parts from Flowmaster, Optima, and B&M.

Considering Chad bought the Tahoe without an interior, any modification would be a step up. With that in mind, two-tone charcoal-and-black Katzkin leather was stretched over the seats, complementing the smoothed and custom-painted dash and Billet Specialties steering wheel. The whole of the interior is clean and simple, bringing to the foreground the other aftermarket features, which include custom sheetmetal work and airbrushed doorjambs. As for the tunes, a Pioneer head unit with Premier speakers wakes up the neighborhood.

We neglected to mention that Hoe Down was also so named because it is a blast to drive, as fun as any square dance in town. Again, after pulling our head out of the gutter, we concur with the sentiment and agree that this '99 Tahoe is one fun vehicle - no matter how you interpret the name.