One Truck, Two Men, and the Third Coast

Posted by Kevin Whipps on May 12, 2010 in Muscle & Style | 2 comments

It all started with a phone call.

Justin Higley of Phoenix, Arizona, had built a few trucks in his day, but nothing really crazy. He was barely getting into the scene, and little by little he dipped his toes into the water of customization. Soon he had a few trucks under his belt, but nothing that really made him satisfied. He needed more.

Enter Kevin from BNC Offroad and Third Coast Customs. Kevin’s a master builder, and has been putting trucks in the sky for years. Third Coast Customs is the fabrication side of things, making custom suspension kits for mass production and sale, while BNC Offroad is the retail side of the puzzle, installing those same kits, as well as selling other miscellaneous accessories. From lifted to lowered, the BNC crew can do it all.

Kevin was looking to build himself a truck for the new show season, so he needed something special. It was around the time that the first 2007 Chevrolet Silverados were rolling off the transports, so he bought himself a brand new crew cab.

Third Coast specializes in independent suspension lifts, and Kevin wanted to go big with the Silvy – at least 16 inches. As the project progressed, he ended up pulling another 2” out of the suspension for a total of 18” of lift.

It was around this time that Justin contacted Kevin. Justin knew that BNC was legendary for building some of the highest quality trucks on the market, and he asked Kevin if any of his customers were looking to sell their trucks. Turns out none of them were, but Kevin would consider selling his new crew cab, he just had to check with the wife.

She wasn’t picking up what he was putting down. No, Kevin’s wife wanted him to keep the truck, so he continued along on the project, building it the way he wanted to. Problem was, Justin wouldn’t stop. With the persistence of a rabid dog, he kept after Kevin, calling him week after week, begging him to sell his truck.

Eventually, every man has his breaking point, and Kevin finally gave in and decided he’d sell the truck. The sale though, would be on his terms. He only told Justin that he’d be building him a 2007 Silverado, and that it would be big. The colors, the style and the overall design would be of his own doing. With a handshake agreement, Kevin went to work.

As previously noted, the truck has an 18” suspension lift that Kevin at Third Coast designed. The kit drops down the upper and lower control arm mounting points, as well as the transfer case. Up front a pair of Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs cushion the ride from a set of taller coils. The back is a similar design, also utilizing the Bilstein’s and coils, but the axle is held in place by a parallel four link with a watts link keeping the axle true from side to side. This combination gives the truck an excellent ride, but also lets it handle really well too. For a truck with such a high center of gravity, it cruises down the road and through the corners with the ease of a sports car. The entire suspension was powdercoated black and complimented with an orange to really set things off. Also hidden underneath the truck is a one gallon air tank that powers a trio of air horns that will scare the crap out of anyone who dares to tailgate. Of course, the 22-inch XD Series wheels with 40-inch Toyo MT open country tires certainly don’t hurt in the style and lift departments.

Since at least for a brief period of time this would be Kevin’s shop demo vehicle, he wanted to be sure that everyone knew who built the kit. Since the suspension shop is Third Coast Customs, the roman numeral three became a key piece in the design. Scattered throughout the suspension are stylized III’s in all shapes and sizes. You can find it above the rear axle, in the front suspension brackets, as well as in the graphics on the truck. It’s also noticeable in the light bar/luggage rack that is mounted above the back part of the cab. Those 5 lights are 10-inch Pro-Comp HID lights, and they can turn darkness into light pretty easily.

Paint work on the truck really sets it apart. The guys at BNC took over and laid a custom orange flake over the top half of the cab, with a stylized silver stripe separating the untraditional design. Of course a III is prominently displayed in the paint too, helping to form the start of the design itself. Other nice touches on the exterior include a billet grill and a super trick license plate frame camera. The interior is a bit sparse, but the factory materials certainly don’t make it Spartan. Stock black leather and in-dash navigation up the high class level in this ride, with plans in the works for a full stereo.

When Justin took delivery of the truck, he had no idea what he’d be getting. Now that it’s in his possession, he’s doing his best to show the truck off and make it a showpiece. Justin and his wife are now opening up a clothing shop in Phoenix named Wink Boutique, and the ’07 will be spending its time up front drawing people to the door. It’s funny how things can come together for one project, but in the end, sometimes it’s all about the math. One truck, plus two guys, equals one crazy Third Coast Custom.