1995 Chevrolet 1500

Marriage…the covenant of love and respect. Many of us remember what it was like before the gold band fell on. Endless weekends turned into short days at work and it was still OK to eat Ramen noodles so you could afford a new set of rims for your truck. For Trevor Bart of Phoenix, that all changed one day. With the presence of his new bride he had to figure out a way to keep his hobby going strong and squeak past the in-laws on the way to the garage. Why not open a shop? That’s exactly what happened. Trevor opened Trevco, his own custom shop. So now not only is Trevor still in the same truck, but the in-laws can’t say anything about his hobby anymore since Trevco pays the bills.

Trevor started with a bone-stock version of a ’94 Chevrolet 1500 three years ago. First to go were the stock bumper and grille. A bolt-on Sir Michaels bumper was mounted up complete with teardrop foglamps. The stock bugcatcher was replaced with a Stull billet insert model. Out back a tonneau was added and exhaust dumps relocated to exit on either side of the license plate. Keeping in theme, Trevor chose Brytex’s spray-on bedliner that matches the GM Victory Red paint.

Ground pounding was improved with a full lowering all around. The front was dealt a hand of Firestone 2,600-pound airbags coupled to custom-built bag mounts. The package gives a full 10 inches of drop. Traction and ride qualities were issues taken to heart. Trevor fabricated his own C-notch, Panhard bars, and frame bridge to fit the airbag setup. Chassis Tech’s lowering leaf hangers and shackles combined with its flip kit give a full 12 inches out back, but also allow a heavy load to be carried. The whole package is laid out on Center Line Flare II wheels, 18x8 in front and 20x10 in rear. For a little overkill, Nitto NT555 series tires were slapped on.

One of the most extraordinary features of Trevor’s ride is the interior. Getting medieval on the truck, Trevor dumped the factory bench, door panels, and a good portion of the dash. The door panels were replaced with custom molded fiberglass embossed in flames and overlaid with tweed. Seats came from an Astro van and were modified extensively before recovering. Trevor dropped the seat frame a few inches and racked the seatbacks 2 inches for a more comfortable angle. The great thing about this combination is that the Astro van seats have dual armrests that eliminate the need for the unsightly door armrests and mid-seat console. Trevor even went to the trouble of fabricating his own center console to feature matching flames. With the soft stuff done, Todd Jubert at The Interior Shop in Mesa, Arizona, took to covering the interior in color-matched tweed. After the glue dried, a full set of Trenz billet interior goodies was added.

When all was said and done, Trevor still had his truck and marriage. Because it’s driven everywhere, Trevor’s waiting for the 4.3L V-6 to let go before replacing it with a slightly larger V-8. For some, building a truck gives release or meditation. For others, it’s an escape to a garage filled with tools to avoid the in-laws watching every move. For still others, it’s a source of livelihood. And for Trevor Bart, it’s all of the above.