1998 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab

Cadillac Motors has been associated with luxury and comfort in cars since the get-go. The recent expansion of General Motors prompted Cadillac to produce a sport/utility based on Chevrolet’s ½-ton chassis. The Escalade was born and billed as GM’s luxury truck for the “connoisseur” of a fine auto. So as with all new designs, it was only a matter of time until someone got an idea, broke out a pen and checkbook, and started to create. Scott Curry of Tampa, Florida, did exactly that. His ’98 Chevy Silverado has turned into a dream mix of Cadillac and Chevy, the best of both worlds.

We ran into Scott at last year’s Slamfest. His truck caught our eye as an unusual mix—a rare breed of modification. The Chevrolade features a full Cadillac Escalade frontend with a simply great assortment of goodies. Scott spent three months creating this beauty. He started off by dumping the stock frontend completely and adding the replacement from a ’99 Caddy. Scott went with Belltech spindles with a drop of 3 inches and lowered the stance another 2 inches using Belltech springs. The rear was brought to level with a rear flip kit, a C-notch kit, and springs, all from Belltech. The result is an altitude 6 inches lower out back and 5 inches up front.

Now that it rides like an Escalade, it has to look like one. The factory front grille and bumper were removed and a Caddy bug catcher put in place. A Trendz billet grille replaces the famous Cadillac marquee and cleans up the front. A walk around the truck and you can’t help but notice just oodles of modifications. A hard-shell tonneau cover by Godfather Customs covers the rear. Chevrolade’s antenna and gas door were both shaved for streamlining. The gas-filler neck has been tucked away in the interior of the bedbox. The tail has been substantially cleaned up with a roll pan that is formed into the rear fenders.

Frenched taillights were donated from a ’98 Toyota Supra and placed in the Alter Images roll pan. To top it off, the tailgate latch-handle was shaved and relocated. Eddie Curry used stock GM Red, GM Black, purple fade, pearl red, viper blue, patience, and a steady hand to complete the radical paint job.

Chevrolade’s interior has just the right mix of additions to get the staffers at Sport Truck jealous. A custom dash supplied by Billet Specialties gives the white instrumentation a stylish home. The interior is highlighted with custom woodgrain inserts in the dash and doors. Billet aluminum pedals and column shifter provide forward control. And the American dream has now been fulfilled with a TV, VCR, and monitor from Eclipse. Oh, how we’d love to be able to drive a truck to a show, pop a tape in the VCR, leave for a few hours, and come back to watch the Lakers win. The monitor acts as the stereo head unit and controls a CD changer mounted aft. The console was customized to hold the VCR, which has been integrated to the stereo and its 600-watt sound system from Divine Sounds of Tampa. A Clifford alarm system provides security and the options of remote engine starting, window control, and a starter-kill switch. All this juice is channeled through a Stinger wiring harness. Scott chose to leave the engine “as-is.” With an estimated horsepower of 325 at the crank, little was needed. The only modification to the stock 5.7L hummer is a K&N Filtercharger and Smartchip to tweak performance levels. Ground connection is made by 20-inch Visions wheels set in Yokohama AVS Sport tires. Relocated exhaust dumps give the Yokis just a bit more stick by throwing hot fumes in front of the rear tires. Scott has put just over 20,000 miles on his dream machine. Chevrolade’s combination of electronics, paint, interior, and frontend makes for a perfect truck. Just what a fan of ballgames and truck shows needs.