Beauty and the Beast

Pro Street? Rain? Yes. And unpaved roads, too. None of it jibes with the norm. Rather than mindlessly repeat the hackneyed Pro Street standard, a young woman from Virginia embraced a vision and built her ride according to her own standards. It didn't exactly happen overnight, either; it took her more than 12 years. She figured every angle in several variations so there's much more to this vehicle than is readily apparent, but we'll let the willowy, 30-ish Katherine Nicole Lindsey tell you in her own words.

"My original thought was to build something different and build it really well to expose some of my inborn abilities, then show it to GM in hopes of getting a scholarship to engineering school, then go to work for GM. I started in 1988. I drew up the plans, bought the wheels and tires and some tubing and started welding it together. Due to a family move, finances, and no garage workspace, I mothballed it for seven years until the garage space and finances came together to continue the dream.

"I built this truck in my head first. I have a gift for seeing right through an object in my mind--sort of an exploded view of things, from wheel to wheel and all the connecting parts in between. This allowed me to see the whole thing finished even as I worked on it. It also gave me insight into how all the connected components work with one another, and how to stuff so much into a small space.

"I starting with the body, wheel, and tire dimensions, and designed and built the chassis so it would all fit together nicely. This truck had to be reliable, comfortable, safe, able to drive in the rain and on gravel roads, stop well, turn corners well, and run quiet. It had to have air conditioning, afford total outward vision, be strong enough to carry a motorcycle, handle rough roads, and have nothing protruding from the hood or hanging below the body line so it would be speed-bump friendly. It had to be different to reflect my own style and talent, but it also had to be fast, with overdrive, a large fuel capacity, an NHRA-spec rollcage, low-profile wide front tires, huge rear tires, a low center of gravity, and a smooth and stable ride at high speeds.

"I built this truck to drive in every weather condition except snow. I didn't want to put huge amounts of money and time into the thing and not use it. It was built to drive, have fun with, and to go places on its own tires. So yes, I'll drive it to Texas, and then I'll take it to a road race and throw it around some corners and surprise the hell out of small-minded people. Then I'll drive it to the Wal-Mart and pick up some cosmetics. I feel best when I'm putting miles on it."