FAMILY PRIDE

Many Hands Helped Create this Daily Driver

- LOGAN WADE

BUILDING A CUSTOM VEHICLE IS NOT AN EASY TASK, AND BUILDING A CUSTOM VEHICLE THAT IS A DAILY DRIVER IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. Luckily, Erick Griffey of New Market, Tennessee, has a lot of supportive family and friends who were always willing to lend a hand.

“My family has been a major part of this truck build,” he says. “From encouragement and support to laying paint, my family has always been there for me.”

Sometimes picking a name for a build can be tough, but Family Pride fits Erick’s truck and life perfectly.

Erick purchased this black ’03 Chevy Silverado 1500 brand new with 8 miles on the odometer. This was to be Erick’s daily driver. He didn’t have a garage or carport at the time, so it had to sit outside every single day. Erick loved the platform and body lines of the truck and knew it was a perfect fit for him. As just about every vehicle enthusiast knows, it wouldn’t stay stock for long! The very next day, Erick put a set of 20-inch Lexani Slates on the truck. After changing the wheels, Erick was hooked on making this a custom vehicle.

“I loved the platform of the truck but wanted to be different,” he recalls.

Erick knew this was going to be difficult because he had never built anything like what he was imagining. After the wheels, he bought a BellTech 4/6 lowering kit and had TuffEnuffin Morristown, Tennessee, install it. It was low, but not low enough!

Erick started taking the truck to a few shows in 2004. He decided to drive out to Nashville for Southeastern Mini-Truck Nationals. Erick was only going to the show to check out all of the other rides.