1989 GMC S15 owned by Martin Sleeper

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Issue

June 2022

Owner

Martin Sleeper

Ride

Becky
(1989 GMC S15)

Meaning Behind the Name

It comes from the song Becky by Plies.

Photographer

John Rish

Ride Details

Original Cost

4,000

Build Cost

Lost track after $30,000 - Hard to keep track since I built it by hand

What was the inspiration?

I grew up reading minitruck magazines & low rider magazines. My inspirations have been pulled from viewing different trucks and cars at all the shows we go to. Seeing trucks built by Nick McDonald, Kyle Orr, Bob Grant but I also pull inspirations from Gary Reese from Reese Chassis.

How long did it take you to build?

I've owend it for fifteen years and this has been the third time I've changed the design of the truck. This is the second time i've taken it down to bare frame. This time took me eight months.

How long have you been building?

I've been building cars and trucks for twenty years. Ive been a mechanic for over fifteen years now. My hand is always in some type of car or truck in my free time.

Club Affiliations

None at the moment, but have my eyes set on one.

Your future plans?

My future plans for the truck are to put in a quick change performance 9 inch rear end, wilwood rear brakes, interior upholstered, and repaint the truck the same color to have a deeper tone of the truck. I will be building another first gen S10 after Becky is "complete" even though it will never be done.

Vehicle history

The truck was originally built by Joey Criswell in 2005. I bought the truck in 2010. The first time i rebuilt the truck from the frame up was winter of 2014 to 2015. Then i sold the truck in 2017 right before I got married. I bought it back in April of 2020. It was destroyed in that three year period. I had a lot that I needed to redo to get her back on the road. I did the bare minimum to get her on the road so i could enjoy her that summer and then once October of 2020 came around I started tearing her down to do this latest rebuild. I was completed with this latest rebuild in June of 2020 when I finished the bed of the truck.

Thanks to

First of all my wife Nicole Sleeper for being supportive with my minitruck lifestyle and expensive hobby. I would also like to thank James Ronnie Nutter for my go to, for the final touches, and for being my guys I can throw ideas off of. I would like to give a big shout out to Brad Lancaster, Anthony Victor Shaw, Shaun Decker, Justin Hollweg, Kris Stamper, Jay Dickson. Special thanks to Bob Morrison at Morrison Tuning in Sunbury, Ohio for tuning the truck, On 3 Performance for killer deals on parts, Aaron at Jegs for dealing my picky ass and finding me the perfect parts to fit this build

Previous Rides

I had a bunch of Pre 90 Hondas & a couple motorcyles

Engine Details

Make

Chevy 2005

Cylinders

Displacement

5.3 Liter

Engine Mods

Gen 4 LS 5.3 with 6.0 Heads Its got texas speed CAM, texas speed beehive springs, chrome molley push rods, arp everything, king race bearing, total seal piston rings, holley low clearance oil pan, melling hiflow oil pump, ict billet barbell, ict billet oil pickup brace, gm performance head gaskets Machine Work was done by performance research in Columbus Ohio. Shout out to Rob

Engine Add Ons

102 mm polished aluminum intake, custom built turbo kit with a custom spec GT45 borgwarner turbo, siemens deka 80 lb injectors, 3 core aluminum radiator, 3 core massive intercooler, ict billet alternator bracket with a brand x 310 amp alternator , twin On 3 Performance 44mm waistgates , On 3 performance BOV, GM flex fuel sensor, Holley Terminator X Max ECU

Chrome or polish

Polish

Driveline Details

Torque Converter

Square D

Axle

Yukon LSD Strange Engineering Axels

Gears

Richmon 342

Builder Shop

Transmission was built by A1 Transmission in Amanda Ohio its a built 4L60

Chassis Details

Chassis

Stock 89 GMC S15 that has been notched & modified

Mods to Frame

The cross member has been lowered an inch to clear for the motor, a tunnel through the frame for transmission lines to the front, custom hitch that holds the drag blocks underneath, custom tubular control arms for the front, customer built 4 link in the rear, Front of the frame as been Z'd , custom built steering shaft assembly, custom compressor mounts & air management mounts, it has a USPS mail truck fuel tank with a 580 GPH fuel pump from On 3 Performance Little Shop MTG no tow kit

Frame Builder

Martin Sleeper / Joey Criswell

Drop or lift inches

19 1/2 inches drop

Front Shocks

KYB

Rear Shocks

KYB

Spindles

2 in Bell Tech drop Spindles w/ 14 in wilwood 6 piston caliper big brakes

Four Link

Custom Built

Compressor Info

2 - Viar 444 & 2 - Viar 380

Valve Info

Airlift 3P & there are 4- SMC 3/8 for the dump bed with a 7 gal airtake

Airbag Info

2500 Dominator Front Bags, 2600 Dominator Rear Bags

Chrome, Paint, or Polish

Scion TC Concrete Gray with a blue pearl ghost flake

Wheels Details

Front Wheel Type

US Mag C-10

Rear Wheel Type

US Mag C-10

Front Wheel Size

20x9

Rear Wheel Size

20x9

Front Tire Size

225 30 20

Rear Tire Size

225 30 20

Paint Details

Color

Acrua Apex Blue Pearl

Paint Type

Tri Coat Clear Coat

Painted By

Martin Sleeper

Graphics By

Body Details

Body Drop

6 1/2 inches ; to the doors

Hood

2 in cal & flush mount hood pins

Grille

GMC Typhoon / Cyclone

Bumpers

Shortened & Narrowed

Addon Accessories

Sun roof

Body Mods

Front fenders have been cut & stretched by 1 1/2" , door handles have been shaved

Body Mods by

Martin Sleeper , Bed Sides done by Bee Nova

Interior Details

Dashboard

Custom built S10 Dash w/ Holley Prodash with 6- 6 1/2 Speakers & 6 Tweets

Gauges

Holley Prodash & Airlift 3P

Steering Wheel

NRG w/ quick disconnect

Console

Ported subwoofer enclosure built by Jay Dickson at Highs & Lows in Columbus Ohio. Holds 2-8 in woofers

Head Unit

Pioneer Double Din 1400 ex

Amps

Audiopipe 1000 D for subwoofers & Scareaudio 2000 4 channel running the highs

Speakers

6-McLaren 6 1/2 Neo Series ; 6-McLaren ESP Tweeters ; 2-American Bass XFL 8s

Stereo Installed by

Martin Sleeper

Shifter

Can you find it? ; Hand built by me

Seats

Kirky Vintage Low Cut Seats

Trunk or Bed

Crip Wood - named by Joey Guns : blue oak floor

Upholstery Description

Not much is done yet, most is aluminum paneling

Upholstery Description

Custom made aluminum door panels

“Becky”

The 1989 GMC S-15: Martin Sleeper’s Minitruck Masterpiece

Martin Sleeper’s 1989 GMC S-15, lovingly named “Becky” after the song by Plies, is a sight to behold. Originally built by Joey Criswell in 2005, Sleeper bought the truck in 2010 and has been rebuilding it to perfection ever since. This latest rebuild, completed in June 2020, took him eight months and cost him upwards of $30,000. But for Sleeper, a mechanic of over 15 years, his passion for building cars and trucks runs deep.

The inspiration for Becky comes from minitruck and low rider magazines Sleeper grew up reading. He drew inspiration from trucks built by Nick McDonald, Kyle Orr, and Bob Grant, and also looked up to Gary Reese from Reese Chassis. With a Chevy 5.3-liter engine, custom-built turbo kit, and Holley Terminator X Max ECU, Becky has all the power and performance Sleeper desires. And with a custom Scion TC Concrete Gray paint job, shortened and narrowed bumpers, and a sleek GMC Typhoon/Cyclone grille, Becky is a real head-turner.

Sleeper’s attention to detail is evident throughout the truck, with modifications made to the chassis, driveline, and body. The frame has been notched and modified, with a custom-built tunnel through the frame for transmission lines to the front, custom tubular control arms, and a customer-built 4-link in the rear. The front of the frame has been Z’d and a custom-built steering shaft assembly added. The air management system is top-notch, with 2 Viar 444 and 2 Viar 380 compressors, Airlift 3P valve info, and 4 SMC 3/8″ Valves for the dump bed with a 7-gallon airtake.

The interior is also a work of art, with a custom-built S10 dash and Holley Prodash with 6 6.5″ speakers and 6 tweets, Holley Prodash and Airlift 3P gauges, and an NRG steering wheel with a quick disconnect. The console includes a ported subwoofer enclosure built by Jay Dickson at Highs & Lows in Columbus, Ohio, which holds 2 8″ woofers. The seats are Kirky Vintage Low Cut seats, and the trunk bed features a Crip Wood blue oak floor.

Sleeper plans to put in a quick change performance 9-inch rear end, Wilwood rear brakes, upholster the interior, and repaint the truck the same color for a deeper tone. But even then, Becky will never truly be “done.” Sleeper has been building cars and trucks for over 20 years, and his hand is always in some type of vehicle in his free time. He may even build another first-gen S10 after Becky is “complete.”

In conclusion, Martin Sleeper’s 1989 GMC S-15 “Becky” is a true masterpiece of minitruck design and craftsmanship. With its powerful engine, sleek design, and attention to detail, Becky is a show-stopper wherever she goes. Sleeper’s passion for building cars and trucks shines through in every inch of this truck, and we can’t wait to see what he builds next

Owned by: Martin Sleeper

Photos by: John Rish