Overdue build thread: INSIDIOUS '86 AKA AhsataN

[INSIDIOUS '86]

In case your wondering what Ahsatan is for it's the name of the truck backwards. That's right I secretly call my truck Natasha. This "build" thread isn't so focused on just the build if the truck but the stories of how it came about and the things and reasons it's been built the way it is and how like many of our trucks is simply a lot more than a brick with wheels and a bathtub on back.

So let's begin. This is kinda long as it's an intro leading up to the events that got me into the best trucks ever made.

It was six years ago, I was in high school still getting rides from the freshman limo (bus) unlike many kids my age I was into the raw power of American v8s. I had been for the past four years of my life in high school building two strokes and modifying them And selling them for profit stuff like pocket bikes motorized scooters and such which were popular then. Pretty much getting around town on a 50cc hot rod along with my buddies. Our back door project was a little hotrod mini chopper made out of a new Schwinn stingray. Being 2008-2009 the economy was worse than a one legged dog trying to bury a turd on a frozen pond...basically there were no jobs. So here I am. I have a fleet of hopped up mopeds basically and a sweet mini chopper. At this point I was looking to get a 68 shortbed truck to drive as my first car, thinking if it's got a bed I can use it for work and a job hopefully. But...no they were to expensive. And thanks to Barrett Jackson and rich old men that didn't lose their jobs. I have yet never been able to afford one of my dream cars. A 69 Camaro or 70 cuda. So during the school year I noticed in Craigslist that for $1000 you cold own an ugly square shortbed truck from the 80s. So I did what I didn't want to do. I sold my mini chopper and scooters for less than I invested. I got $600 for my custom mini chopper and $300 for all the rest of my stuff.

So here I am an 18yr old with $900 cash. I convinced my old man that I wanted to go look for a vehicle. So naturally we drive to this lot that my old man has been buying and selling his muscle cars for over 30yrs. Pretty much we go there and they know money has rolled in. So here I am at my first dealership of the week. And there's corvettes and camaros impalas, tri fives, a $90,000 cuda. (Yes I tried selling my soul to him) everything my dreams were made of. By now you can tell this is a specialty lot. There were many trucks there. Most newer or 90s trucks. A $5000 68 shortbed with a sweet 427 and only two squares. On was a rough 1980 shortbed stepside. Had a posi and a 383 stroker we test drove that and yes it was definitely faster than a 45mph mini chopper. My old man knowing that 18yr olds and high hp trucks is a bad idea in today's world promptly said NO! So next to it was a 1994 gmc 1500 it was two tone with decent paint and some nice torque thrust twos that were going flat and it had a 5/6 drop. It's obviously been there for a while. He wanted $4300 for it which was just way out of budget and I just didn't like the plastic coffin interior. Then right next to that was his "special" of the month. This old beat up red 1986 c10 with a stock 305 and truck rallies that were just rust. And I remember all the details clear. He wanted $2400 for the truck. Which was expensive back then for one. I opened the hood and almost puked. It was all stock with emissions and and A/C and was a dreaded 305. The paint was faded and had no shine. It was lowered horribly at one point with cut springs. The dealer got new stocks springs put in and never got it re aligned the rear still had drop hangers and shackles so it listed to the rear like a boat on the water and due to the alignment when you looked at the front wheels the looked like this - V - a lot of positive camber. The tonnou was old and the interior looked like the prev owner smoked 6 packs a day inside and smelt like it too. So my old man already made up his mind on the truck before I ever knew or did myself. So we took it for a drive...IT WAS HORRIBLE... Handled like a Cadillac with no shocks and was as weak as a moped. I hated it. Pure and simple i thought it was a heap. The seat and a/c were great though but that was it. We got back and decided to talk business. I said I like the the 1980 but $900 down and he would only take $4000 for the truck and my old man said I couldn't keep that motor in it. So we talked numbers on the ugly red 86 Scottsdale. He wanted $2800 for it but I said he was inhaling to much of the trucks smoky exhaust. He agreed to take $2400 for the truck but no lower. He said I could take my time paying it off if I got the truck. Which no other dealer will offer me I knew. Soo said yes. But on one condition. Those torque thrust twos on that other truck looked better on the red one. I convinced him he could lower the price on the 94 with ugly wheels and sell it. So I at least got some nice wheels on this ugly truck. I was happy and we drive it home. In 100* heat with the a/c on and a cloud of smoke behind us. Here it is when I got home. It looked like a glorified old mans truck.

And thus my life would change forever.