Bagged 2005 Chevy Colorado with a 383 SBC stroker engine on 22″ wheels

The Seven-Year Itch

The “seven-year itch” was first coined by psychologists when describing the happiness in relationships. They say that after the seventh year, the relationship begins to decline. Cory Hussey grew up in Belle River, Ontario, right outside of the Toronto area and was entirely self-taught with truck customization. 

“I had this Chevy S-10 that I was building and learning on,” Cory tells Street Trucks. “I kind of went overboard on it and just scrapped it.”

When it came time to start yet another project, he wanted to start something very different. Instead of purchasing a vehicle and gutting it, Cory went a different route.

“I found a bunch of pieces at a scrapyard,” Cory says. “This was going to be a long and expensive journey.”

MONTHS TURN INTO YEARS

He found a 2005 Chevy Colorado cab off the GM assembly line and, together with the scrapyard pieces, Cory set up everything on a frame table in his garage. Over the next few years, he began assembling the Colorado as often as he could work on it. His friends began commenting that the Chevy would never be finished, but that only pushed Cory’s determination.

Teaming up with Warren Williams at Xotic Designs, the frame was built and the progress began shaping up. Cory started all the sheetmetal work himself and decided to utilize the Chevy 350 motor that was inside the S-10. The shop that helped with the install wired something incorrectly, so within months the motor failed. Cory ordered a 383 Stroker and had Lenius Performance Engines mount it correctly with a new transmission.

Cory wanted to do something a bit more creative than usual in the bed, so he began making sheetmetal around the chassis, leaving the bed open. A functional tailgate was kept with a relocated stock handle.

Cory wanted to do something a bit more creative than usual in the bed, so he began making sheetmetal around the chassis, leaving the bed open. A functional tailgate was kept with a relocated stock handle.   

SOLID PAINTJOB

Now that the bodywork was completed, it was time to paint the mini all one color. Cory enlisted Walt from Walt’s Paint and Body to have the seams sealed and all the gaps and cracks smoothed. Originally, Cory had opted for a Kandy Red paint but changed his mind as soon as he saw Beecher Blue in the paint book. The paint was mixed and sprayed throughout the body, bringing the Colorado to a solid color.

To get the Chevy closer to the ground, Xotic Designs and Cory began installing the front suspension with a tubular Heidts Mustang 2 setup. Slam Specialties ‘bags were mounted in the front with a shortened Mustang 2 manual rack-and-pinion steering. In the rear, an IRS system with Air Ride Technologies Shockwave ‘bags was installed. Cory modified the suspension to lay the truck out even more. Once the Colorado was ‘bagged and bodied, Cory turned his attention to the last piece of the seven-year build.

CUSTOM CABIN

The cabin of the Chevy needed absolutely everything coming from a basic shell. Eric Barrette of EB Customs began adding a brand new interior while upholstering and wrapping every inch in high grade vinyl and suede. A custom console was built through the inside with a wave added. New gauges were added to the fabricated dashboard along with bright blue carpeting and door panels. A billet steering wheel and a Lokar shifter rounded out the interior modifications.

Cory knows that seven years is a long time to build a truck, but when you want perfection, no time is too much. He wishes to thank his wife, Jessica, and their kids, Reed and Emily, for all their support and understanding. Cory has since opened his own shop called HHR Customs in Belle River, Ontario, where he uses his knowledge and experience it took to finish his truck to modify and bring the visions of others to fruition.

NVR ENDN may have seemed like a process that would never be completed, but Corey proved them all wrong.

TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Cory Hussey

• Ride: 2005 Chevy Colorado
• Hometown: Belle River, Ontario, Canada
• Club Affiliation: Acrophobia

CHASSIS:

• Custom 1.75-inch tube chassis painted Bronze Mist Metallic with stainless steel bolts and hard lines
• Front Suspension: Custom-built Mustang II IFS, Slam Specialties SS6 airbags, Wilwood 13-inch rotors, polished 4-piston calipers
• Rear Suspension:  Heidts IRS with upgraded half shafts, Air Ride Technologies Shockwave airbags, two Viair 480 compressors, 5-gallon air tank, Wilwood 13-inch rotors with polished aluminum 4-piston calipers

DRIVETRAIN:

• Engine: 383 SBC stroker, Dart cylinder heads, comp cams, hydraulic roller camshaft and valve train, Edelbrock polished intake, Holley 670 Street Avenger, MSD ignition system, ceramic coated block hugger headed, 2.5-inch ceramic coated stainless steel exhaust
• Transmission: 700R4 with 2600 stall converter
• Rearend: Heidts 9-inch cast aluminum center section with True Trac, 3:70 gears

BODY/PAINT

• Street Scene SS bumper cover with custom billet grille
• Extreme Grille with billet grille
• Full chromed-out Extreme headlights
• 2-inch cowl hood
• Shaved wiper cowl, door handles, antenna and third brake light, tailgate handle shaved and flipped to inside
• License plate frenched into tailgate
• Smoothed roll pan
• Shaved gas door
• Custom sheetmetal firewall, cab and bed floor
• Custom mixed paint renamed Beecher Blue

INTERIOR

• Stock Colorado dashboard smoothed and wrapped in vinyl
• Custom gauge bezel with Dakota Digital air gauge
• Stock Colorado seats cut down, rebolstered, and wrapped in vinyl and suede
• Custom-made center console with AVS switch box and Lokar shifter
• Billet aluminum trim plate
• Modified stock Colorado door panels wrapped in vinyl and suede
• Billet accessories
• Blue carpeting
• Stereo:  Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD head unit, two Pioneer 10-inch shallow mount subwoofers, 1000-watt Pioneer amplifier, Polk Audio 6.5-inch components, 600-watt Pioneer amplifier

WHEELS & TIRES

• Wheels: 22×8.5 polished Intro Vista
• Tires: 255/30R22 Nitto NT555