There are times in life when up is down and less really is more. Allow us to get the party started by throwing out a single number here. It's a number that by itself is pretty meaningless but once followed up with one single, solitary, detail suddenly sheds light on the situation and boggles the mind. Ready? Here it is: 176. What's that, you say? 176 tires? 176 watts? 176 trips to the car lot before buying this cover truck? This number actually represents the exact number of vehicles Alphasonik car audio company Senior Vice President Rick Anderson has owned in his lifetime. Think about that for a second before moving on with this story. By the way, Rick's not a wheelchair-bound old man, either, rather he's an energetic guy who will talk your ear off about custom vehicles of yesterday, as well as the one he's working on today.
Of the 176 freaking cars and trucks, he's kept less than 10 percent of them in stock condition. It's baffling, really. How can one man customize so many automotive creations in such a short span of time? Well, we don't have the answer. OK, we do have the answer, but it's a depressing one and also brings our own insufficiencies to light, when it comes to getting our projects finished. We find it hard to finish even one or two projects, and damn it if Rick hasn't been wrenching since he was 9 years old. By age 14, Rick already owned a '48 Merc convertible that was chopped with a Carson top. A string of musclecars, hot rods, street rods, and other customs followed throughout the next few decades, each one fixed up and sold or traded for another, as Rick continued on his customizing marathon. It's obvious Rick has the recipe for success down pat, and it shines through in his latest concoction, the IH8RED Chevy Silverado.
"I knew what I wanted and had no problem changing and reworking components to achieve my goal," says the man who's owned enough cars to keep up with Leno.
"I've been obsessed with cars forever, ever since I entered the car audio industry in 1969."
The Silverado was purchased purely as yet another creative outlet for Anderson and, coincidentally, as the perfect demo vehicle for Alphasonik's line of car audio components. Rick's always been a fan of hot rod-style flame jobs, so naturally his Victory Red Chevy received the same kind of licks. The flames are cool, but once you get a look at the ridiculously red interior treatment, this truck instantly jumps up to another level altogether. Even Rick pokes fun at the inside of his pickup with a jab on the license plate that reads IH8RED. The red on red vinyl and painted interior is clean and stylish enough to make even the most jaded Oakland Roadster Show participant give respect and reminds us of an old Corvette or T-bird. The bangin' audio system doesn't hurt things, either.
IH8RED went through many cosmetic transformations, including several different sets of wheels and tires, bedcovers, and suspension components, until it seemed Rick was satisfied. He settled on a Sprint flush-mount bedcover, which has always been one of the smoothest in the industry, and Boyd Coddington wheels with Toyo Proxes tires, two other mainstays in the scene. Of course, Rick wasn't totally satisfied because in the middle of Baller T's photo shoot with the truck, Rick mentioned that the engine compartment was again getting the once-over in preparation for the annual SEMA convention in Las Vegas. He wouldn't say exactly what was going to change, but we assume it will be off the chain. Currently, the engine flexes a forced induction Vortech/Paxton V2-trim centrifugal supercharger and 3-inch MagnaFlow exhaust system. The boosted 4.8L Vortec V-8 powerplant produces enough power for gratuitous smoky burnouts, and the exhaust rumbles to back up the hot paintjob and Rick's need for speed.
Rick has built way more cars than trucks in his long and distinguished custom career, but he sure did apply the lessons he learned from '56 Chevys, '65 GTOs, Old's 4-4-2s, in expert manner on his Silverado. From end to end, this truck screams style and performance and is the perfect candidate for Sport Truck's December high-performance issue. Blending old with new is always a tricky path to follow, but Rick sure has made tracks with his truck that others would be proud to follow, as well.
THE 411
Owner/hometown: Rick Anderson / Torrance, California
Year/make/model: '04 Chevrolet Silverado
Engine/drivetrain: 4.8L Vortec V-8 / Vortech/Paxton V2 supercharger / MagnaFlow 3-inch exhaust system / 3.71 gears / Baer Aluma Sport rotors
Wheels/tires: 20x8.5- and 20x10-inch Boyd Coddington Smoothie IIs / 255/45ZR20 and 295/45ZR20 Toyo Proxes
Suspension: (Front) McGaughy's 2-inch drop spindles / Bilstein shocks / (Rear) McGaughy's axle flip kit and C-notch / Bilstein shocks
Fabricator: Billet Superstore in Placentia, California
Body Mods: Precision billet grille / Street Scene side mirrors / Sprint tonneau cover / Sir Michaels steel roll pan / shaved tailgate handle, taillights, and stake pocket holes / '96 Caddy taillights / LED back-up light cut into roll pan / smoothed and color-matched front air dam and door handles
Bodywork: Merzees Paint and Body of Santa Fe Springs, California
Custom Paint: DuPont Victory Red sprayed by Jeff Merzee
Interior: Stock bucket seating is covered in Enduratex red vinyl / Auto Custom Carpets carpet kit / Nu-Image billet and stainless dash bezels / re-wrapped factory steering wheel / all interior panels smoothed and painted or wrapped in red vinyl
Upholsterer: Stitchcraft, in Huntington Beach, California
Audio/video: Clarion VRX755VD head unit / Alphasonik PCT6501 6.5-inch component speakers / two PSW610J 10-inch subwoofers / PMA60HC amplifiers / total system power is 1,280 watts RMS / wiring by Audiobahn and Alphasonik / iPod integrated with touch-screen monitor / Python and Viper alarm system components / remote-controlled motorized bed lid and tailgate
Installers: Rick Anderson and Regin Pastor, Alphasonik product manager