The Story Behind “VICARIOUS” 1952 Chevy 3100 – Can You Ever Repay Your Parents?

Tyler told us how everything played out: “Soon after my dad started to collect some now-outdated products for his hot rod hauler project, he suffered a heart attack and endured a triple bypass surgery, which would ultimately be the start of his health decline. He knew right away that he would not likely see his dream truck completed.”
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Bill might have given up on the project, but his family just couldn’t; after all, he helped them when they needed him most, and now it was their turn to step up to the plate for him. “Over the last two years, we slowly ‘stole’ all of my dad’s parts and pieces he had accumulated that make up his truck. Some of them were ‘needed for a customer’s build’ or ‘sold’ to help HPI accumulate new equipment. That’s what we told him, and he agreed to donate his parts each and every time.”

In reality, Bill’s parts were being smuggled right from under his nose to a secret workspace where his truck was steadily coming together. His family wanted to create a customized token of their appreciation for everything he had given them throughout the years.
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Tyler and his crew dubbed the truck “Vicarious” since they lived out Bill’s vision for it VICARIOUS without his knowing. Bill’s ideas were followed carefully and taken beyond the realm of anything he ever imagined for his ol’ Chevy.

Tyler admitted, “This truck has become incredibly special to us; of course, because it belongs to my dad, but I honestly feel that it is one of the nicest pieces we have ever produced. There are some truly unique design ideas that take it from a street rod-inspired build into the sphere of a modern Pro-touring rod—mainly the custom chassis, the Corvette C4 independent suspension, the hand-formed bed and wild supercharger setup. There is a lot more to it, but the truck has become such a great showpiece for everyone who jumped on board with us. And we can’t even begin to thank them for pitching in and giving us the opportunity to give back to the man responsible for our success.”