Have you ever seen those fishing shows on TV, where rednecks in brightly colored bass boats, with overly large engines strapped to the back, haul ass across a lake in a mad dash to get to a fishing hole? Most of those boats are in the 19- to 21-foot range, which is nearly the same length as Runt's Chevy Crew Cab dualie. Want to know how much metal flake goes into the paintjobs on those bass boats? It's about 3-1/2 pounds of flake. Now that's a ton of shiny squares. Guess how much flake Silver Star Customs sprayed over the carcass of Runt's truck. The guys let loose with more than 5 pounds of flake, a decision that left his truck looking less like a lowrider and more like a bowling ball, which, of course, is a good thing. The outlandish paintjob alone has been drawing crowds to this truck since it debuted in almost completed form at GatorDrag 2005, but it's the off-the-chain suspension and body mods that have been driving competitors to fits. Factor in the oddity of the 6-1/2-foot-tall guy named Runt getting out of the cab and you have the makings for one interesting story.
Runt's been doing this since 1987 with a string of self-described "beater" pickups, but over the last five years, he has taken his game quite seriously. He special-ordered his brand-new dualie in 2000, without the usual big-block powerplant and without all the bells and whistles inside the cab, because he preordained his ride for many hours under Silver Star's careful knife. In the beginning, the truck was quite tame by today's standards, with a slow-acting 3/8-inch air suspension. In 2004, SSC owner Clyde and Runt got together and masterminded a plan to build the truck into a love it or hate it-style monster. The suspension soon gained 1/2-inch hard lines and twin nitrogen-filled cylinders to get the air moving more efficiently. It also received a controversial rear cantilever suspension, which is purposefully actuated via welded chain links for an out-of-the-box look. Runt describes the ride as Cadillac-like and bulletproof.
Now 'bagged dualies have been a staple in our scene for more than a decade, so building one that truly stands out and isn't just a carbon copy of the rest is a feat in itself. Runt's Crew Cab gets it done by mixing that eyeball-popping flake and Swiss-cheese tribal graphics with just the right amount of body mods. Of course, the bed has been molded shut, but check out the rear fenders. Who in their right mind would mold those delicate, pole-scraping extensions to the bed sides, when we all know that a tire failure or road debris will easily destroy them? Runt has a set of large brass ones to make that call. Also, notice that the bodyline has been extended to the B-pillar of the cab but erased completely from the bed. The bed received all-new sheetmetal innards to show off that crazy rear suspension and a motorized compartment to hide the nitrogen bottles from the cops.
Dualie owners take notice because this truck has upped the ante substantially, and Runt is ready and willing to take all of your trophies home no matter where you live. He's put plenty of hours behind the wheel of his ride. In fact, during our photo shoot, he was talking about a future 18-hour drive to a show in Arizona that will have him hanging out for 8 hours and then driving back home again. Talk about dedication, or at the very least, an urgent need for psychiatric help.