We all dreamt of going to the circus when we were kids, to see all of the animals, clowns, and shows that kept us entertained for a few hours and gave us memories for a lifetime. We're sure you all remember the first time your parents took you to the circus and how it made you feel when you left. When Doug McCauley from Woodbridge, Virginia, sat down to design the look he wanted for his '01 Chevy S-10 Xtreme, he wanted it to make onlookers stare in awe for hours and to bring out the kid in all of us-just like the circus did when we were kids.
The paint on Doug's truck is what really sets it apart from the rest. He decided to go with a scheme that is not like anything we've ever seen. From a distance, you might just think this is a green and brown swirled paintjob, but once you get up close, the detail is more intense than any picture can capture. There is everything from lions and clowns to acrobats and even a box of popcorn. Walking around this truck, gives us flashbacks of being at a circus, just from all the detail in the paintjob. There are even details inside of details. In order for all these details to stand out like they do, Doug had Kevin Pettit, also out of Woodbridge, shave the door handles, antenna, hood squirters, and tailgate handle, and mold in the factory roll pan. The stock taillights were also shaved, so room could be made for the new Cadillac lights. The front bumper and grille were then swapped out for pieces off of a '98 Blazer. Once Kevin had finished all of the bodywork, the truck was sent to Kenny Dean at Razor Graphics in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to handle all of the paintwork, using a Valspar Lime Green base with Butter Sweet Pearl, and Rootbeer Candy for all the circus graphics. Kenny also handled all of the House of Kolor Pink pinstriping on the truck.
With an exterior this intense, you can put money on the fact that the interior could hold its own. Some of the detailed airbrushing made its way to the interior, including the door panels, dash panels, and the subwoofer enclosure, which houses three Audiobahn subs in the extended cab area. The rest of the interior received black tweed covering, with some green leather here and there, to bring some of the exterior color into the inside of this 'Dime. An in-dash TV and DVD player provides a little extra entertainment, as if the paint wasn't enough. The HVAC control panel was moved to the glovebox for a little more room in the center of the dash.
Knowing that no custom truck would be complete without a ground-draggin' stance, Doug called upon the help of Kevin Pettit to build a new rear frame clip with 2x4 box tubing. A two-link was also added before the Slam Specialties 'bags were bolted up and plumbed at all four corners. Doug didn't want a cookie-cutter rear 'bag setup, so he opted for a true cantilever setup. Tubular arms set the rear 'bags up in the bed, so when aired up, he gets a lot more lift than the traditional axle-mounted 'bags. A set of 20-inch Center Line Edge wheels, wrapped in 245/35R20 Nitto Extreme ZR rubbers, do a good job of filling the fenderwells when the truck is laid out. Trailer fenders cover all four wheels and keep all the road grime out of the Rhinolined bed and painted engine bay.
Doug pointed out that his truck was built in six months, working on it after work for three hours a night. None of it could have been done without the help of Kevin Pettit, Jeremy Stanley, Eddin Wilkes, his parents, Kenny Dean at Razor Graphics, and of course, his fellow Twisted Koncepts club members.We also found out that shortly after we finished Doug's photo shoot, he planned on tearing the truck apart and adding even more paint and detail to it. So, next time you see this truck, it might look completely different.
The 411
Owner/hometown: Doug McCauley / Woodbridge, Virginia
Year/make/model: '01 Chevy S-10 X-treme
Engine/drivetrain: 4.3L Vortec V-6 / automatic / Flowmaster exhaust
Wheels/tires: 20-inch Center Line Edge / 245/35ZR20 Nitto Extreme ZR
Suspension: (Front) Belltech drop spindles / Slam Specialties airbags / (Rear) custom frame clip / two-link / cantilever 'bag mounts / Slam Specialties 'bags
Fabricator: Kevin Pettit and Doug McCauley
Body Mods: Shaved doors, fenders, hood, tailgate, and bed / Cadillac taillights / '98 Blazer front end
Bodywork: Kevin Pettit
Custom Paint: HOK Limetime Green, Butter Sweet Pearl, Rootbeer Candy, and Pink, sprayed by Kenny Dean of Razor Graphics
Interior: Flamed headliner / tweed and leather upholstery / painted dash and door panels / Nu-Image flamed gauge cluster / Billet Accessories Direct billet steering wheel
Upholsterer: Eric Sejd of Craftsman Upholstery / Kenny Dean of Razor Graphics
Audio/video: Sony Xplod CD head unit / Audiobahn 12-inch subwoofers /Audiobahn amplifiers / in-dash TV/DVD in factory HVAC control location
Installer: Doug McCauley