Having a truck is a lifelong commitment. It’s like a marriage: for better or worse, you both will be there for each other; unless it breaks down or you trade it in. Either way, the relationship between person and truck is a unique, almost sacred one that is hard to understand if you don’t experience it firsthand. That is why it becomes difficult to part ways if and when the time comes to say goodbye.
What if, however, you didn’t have to say goodbye? Trading in the truck can be helpful to afford a new replacement, but is it worth the pain and agony you will no doubt experience? The good news is there is a better way. Instead of parting, you can remain at your truck’s side forever with a few simple steps. In fact, you actually have some different options to choose if you want to get extra creative.
A used Silverado has many useful features you can put to use even if the engine has literally rusted away into nothingness. No wheels? No problem. Missing the front end entirely? Forget about it. The following alternative uses for your Silverado will breathe new life into your beloved vehicle, even if it has no hope of ever running again.
Here are some ideas to keep the love affair alive.
Lawn Ornament
Let’s start off with a basic one. Lawn decor is always welcome to add some curbside appeal and value to your home. A few well-placed plants and bushes can go a long way, but small touches like the rusting hulk of your 79 Silverado will take it to the next level. When you place a used car right in the center of the yard, neighbors and strangers alike will stop to marvel at the sight.
The trick is to prepare the truck accordingly. Remove any unnecessary extras like tires and doors to keep the focus right on the truck itself. Cinder blocks add a nice touch of “color” and a solid foundation to rest the vehicle on when dealing with uneven ground. Keep the surface-untreated to add a rustic flavor to the yard as well.
Have children? Old Silverados also make great playgrounds for young and old kids alike. Add some swings or slides for some playful variety. Alternatively, encourage your children to play right on the exposed, jagged frame. Don’t worry about the occasional scrape or cut. Once the tetanus goes away, your children will be right back on their private playground having the time of their lives.
Tree Topper
Make a statement this next Christmas season with a unique and highly visible tree topper. Forget the traditional angel and go straight for that Chevy Silverado. When passing folks see your truck sitting high on the tree, you will know from their dumbfounded stares that you are making an impression. Happy holidays to you.
The key to securely attaching a truck to the top of a Christmas tree is finding the right setup. Tree choice is an important consideration. Anything flimsy will be too weak to support the thousands of pounds pressing down. If possible, try to source your tree from the same spots as the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City. Something around thirty feet tall will have enough base support to take the weight without bending or snapping unexpectedly.
Artificial Reef
Live near an ocean that has seen better days? Is all the aquatic life withering away under the strain of pollution and garbage? Give back to Mother Earth by dumping your truck into that water. It might seem like you are just adding to the problem, but the truck will provide a great location for new life to expand and thrive. Hey, it’s good enough for old Naval warships, so why not your Silverado?
Preparation is important when converting your truck into an artificial reef. Any contaminants that exist on the truck could do further damage to the water and surrounding wildlife. Empty the gas tank, drain the oil, and remove those mysterious bloodstains from the seats. By the time your truck takes a nose dive into the water, it should be squeaky clean so all of those little fishes and sea creatures will move right on into a happy new home.
Rocket Sled
It’s time to take the adrenaline rush to the next level. This idea turbocharges the feeling of excitement you had any time you drove your Silverado down the highway at 45mph. This time, however, we are going to go a little faster. Get ready to visit your local junkyard because we are going to need some extra parts to get this idea off of the ground.
It’s time for a rocket sled. The ingredients are simple: a couple of tracks or rails, some guides on the truck, and a series of rockets bolted to the back of the truck. With this combination, you can expect to reach speeds of 500+mph in a single shot. Don’t waste time spending an hour going to the grocery store. Using your nearest railroad track, you’ll be able to get anywhere in no time.
The choice of rocket is up to you and your wallet. Some people start off with hobby rockets and quickly discover they lack the punch necessary to achieve life-threatening speeds. Others go straight for the hard, military grade stuff and set off a few weapons-grade explosions before finding the right balance. The right choice will probably be somewhere in the middle, so do a little experimentation to get everything right.
Frankenstein Car
Why resign your truck to a fate of fancy decor or underwater habitation? New life is waiting in your truck and only needs a few extra steps and parts to drive again. Best of all, you will also give new life to a few other cars and trucks as well. That’s right. We are making a Frankenstein car.
If you aren’t familiar with the concept, it is simple: precisely cut and match different parts of different vehicles together into a unified, single body. Piece of cake. This approach not only lets you reuse old parts and vehicles, you get to tailor the final product as well. Need a small sedan in the front and eight-foot truck bed in the back? No problem at all.
Get creative with the final product. Don’t worry about making a design plan, that will only slow you down. Instead, find some parts and get welding. Think of it like working with clay. The medium will speak to you and guide your hands. After a few years of painstaking work, frustrating trial and error, and borderline insanity, you will have a brand new vehicle that will terrify everything else on the roads.
