DA OUTLAW BLOOD, SWEAT AND GEARS!

When things work out in your favor, you can either run with it or drop the ball. Darrell Poe from Bluefield, West Virginia, found out that a very special truck—one that he spent hours working on to perform the perfect body drop— was only a phone call away from finding a new home in his garage. Well, he ran with it, and never once looked back.

“Everybody always says it’s just another Chevy S-10 or that they are easy to build,” Darrell says. “Well, I promise they will look at this one day and say, ‘Dang! Look at that S-10!’”

So, he set a goal and immediately got to work. During the original dissection, Darrell made modifications to the stock frame, including a C-notch, recessed front shocks, full plating for structure, and custom rear shock mounts. He relocated a new fuel cell in between the rear frame rails and a one-off wishbone and completed the package with a four-link suspension setup. A one-off cross member holds the four-link and allows the exhaust to pass through beautifully. Front brakes are stock calipers with cross-drilled rotors, while the rear is a Little Shop MFG caliper kit. A Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valve with a one-off bracket designed by the owner mounts the hardware neatly in the engine bay, while the black-coated, braided-steel brake lines keep it clean.

The new 350c.i. Chevy V-8 crate engine was upgraded before installation with a bigger alternator, dual electric fans, aluminum drive pulleys, Lokar transmission dipstick and oil dipstick, Billet Specialties wire loom holders, billet aluminum valve covers and air cleaner with a Demon carburetor. An ’85 Chevy 700R4 transfers the power back to a stock S-10 rearend. For wheels and tires, Darrell went with a 22-inch Forte F-56 Koma wheel with custom colors wrapped in 245/30/22 Carbon Series C586 tires.

Stay tuned for the next issue where we unveil this amazing truck to our readers!

“I don’t have any sponsors, but I have an amazing wife and family who have supported me and my passion,” Darrell says. “I also have a handful of friends who I consider brothers who have given me their blood, sweat, ideas, materials, support and cuss words to make this build what it is today.”

TRUCK SPECS

Owner 

Darrell Poe, Jr.
Bluefield, WV
Occupation: Route salesman
Make, Model, Year: ’96 Chevy S-10
Original Purchase Price: $3,500
Date of Purchase: December 2011
Current Cost to Build: $20,000+
Completion Date Goal: December 2020

SPECS

Bodywork by Shon Reece, Brian Nunn and Adam Quesenberry
Paint Color: Southern Poly Sealer – Black Primer
Painted by Adam Quesenberry
Graphics, Color/Type: You have to wait and see!
Body Mods: 1953-1955 Ford F-100 dashboard and top door metal, custom-built inner fenders, a new sheetmetal firewall and a frenched-in radiator. Flattened floor pans, shaved door handles and a fully custom sheetmetal bed with a custom-made license tag box and Scott’s Hotrods LED taillights. All sheetmetal work performed by Darrell. Mods also include a 2 ¾-inch body drop with a stock GMC Sonoma hood, billet inserts, front and rear trailer fender tubs with mesh inserts and a rear Cali Combo roll pan.

Q&A

Reason for Building this ride? Sold my other mini-truck
Previous rides: 1991 Chevy S-10 known as “ROCKBTTM”
How did you get involved? I watched my cousin and his buddies lower their trucks when I was 12. I was hooked!
How long have you been “in the industry”? Three years
Club Affiliation: Xtreme Lowz