Strong & Bold

This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue.

This truck is impressive not only because of its looks and how high it sits above the road, but also because of its young owner and the trials it’s been put through. The owner himself also endured some trials to be able to own it. It’s definitely a high-flying show-quality vehicle, so you wouldn’t believe it’s owned by someone who’s under 20 years of age.

Chastin Tollakson of Murdo, S.D., is a small-town teenager with huge dreams, and he has worked tremendously hard to get to where he is now with his 2006 LBZ Duramax Chevy 2500HD. The truck is his daily driver as well as his work vehicle. With zero rust, a custom black and white paint job, and a whole lot of big upgrades, this truck is full of character and looks newer than it is. The paint scheme also has a silver stripe between the black and white tones midway up the rig, helping it to stand out even more, especially when someone gets up close to it.

“It’s a different way to stand out from others; I’ll tell you that,” Chastin says. All of these rich photos of his Duramax, some of them with him in the picture, show just how courageous this young diesel owner truly is. He’s very active on Instagram (@official_chastin), and you can tell by his username that he’s already building up some big-time fame in the diesel industry, especially in the small town he’s from.

Background

Chastin’s big LBZ started out as a farm truck when brand-new and was used for heavy work for years. Then Chastin acquired it, and it now lives a more all-around and well-balanced lifestyle even though the truck is still used for work.

“It was taken care of very well, and over time it progressively got built,” Chastin says. “Then a hole was blown through the piston and block and the previous owner decided to do a full build on the engine. After all of this was done and finished, it was put up for sale and I ended up finding it. This is my dream truck with everything I could ask for!”

He had worked very hard and saved up money each summer when he wasn’t in school so he was able to buy the 2006 LBZ when it became available. Much of the work done on it was completed by PowerTech Diesel in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and G&J Diesel in Billings, Mont. Since Chastin acquired the truck, he completed water pump and fan clutch upgrades as well as added a few more accessories.

Upgrades

The most notable upgrades on the truck at first glance are a 7- to 9-inch Cognito lift kit with aftermarket traction bars and Air Lift air bags sitting on Cooper Discoverer STT Pro 37-inch tires wrapped around 20-inch Hostile wheels, so Chastin towers over so many others on the road. With that setup, he’s also plenty well-prepared for whatever the terrain throws at him, both on and off the pavement. While those may be impressive, the under-hood upgrades will blow you away even more.

“The engine was rebuilt with stronger rods, LB7 pistons, and every other part on the motor was replaced or rebuilt,” Chastin says.

The engine is now heavily built up with an MPI (Maximized Performance Inc.) 80-millimeter twin turbo kit, AirDog 150 lift pump, ARP 12-millimeter head stud kit, and heavier-duty pistons and rods. With the replaced engine components, the engine is now much better able to handle a whole lot more toil from being turned up by the AirDog lift pump and MPI twin turbo kit. The engine has custom tuning with 5 Stage EFILive. Behind the flywheel are an Adrenaline Performance rebuilt transmission and a limited slip rear differential with a PML cover.

Chastin also had a few extras added. Probably the most important are the AMP Research electric steps. Nicely polishing off Chastin’s front end is a MOVE bumper, giving him more of an aggressive edge and a better off-road outfit. The LED light bars add some premium personality and contribute to off-roading ability.

Chastin also turned his truck into a big party box, as he added a large stereo system with Bose speakers, a Kicker subwoofer, and a BOSS Audio head unit. The stereo system is always a must-have for tailgate events, as well as a big energy creator for vehicle shows, which Chastin wants to do more of in the future. The colorful rock lights spice up the
party even more.

Current Life

The truck is used mostly as Chastin’s daily driver and work truck right now, but he does plan to use it for more large-scale fun when he has time. All the upgrades are still great for what he currently does, though: he works for his family’s towing company, towing a dump trailer to clean up accidents.

“My main use of the truck is just to daily drive it as of right now and enjoy the truck as much as I can,” Chastin says. “I don’t travel a whole lot with it; it stays around town for the most part. However, I plan to start taking it to shows in the future once I get more time.”

Just follow him on Instagram and you’ll be well updated on where he’s going with his big black and white Chevy. His undercarriage upgrades get used quite well, too, as he takes the truck off-road when he finds the time.

“The truck rides smooth and handles really well with the Cognito lift and the Cooper 37s,” Chastin says. “It’s very powerful and super quick for how big it is. It’ll really set you right back in your seat. It’s probably the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever driven.”

No matter what it’s going through or where it is, Chastin’s truck always looks strong and bold. It looks even better with him sitting on it. The truck is extremely accomplished, but he has quite a few plans in store for the future on this 2006 LBZ as far as upgrades go, including larger injectors, black TIS 24-inch wheels, a new set of 37-inch tires, and a
larger exhaust tip.

Photos credited to Barbara Hockenbary and Mason Iverson

Sources

Adrenaline Performance
208-357-5603
www.adrenalineperformance.net

AMP Research
800-309-6823
www.amp-research.com

Automotive Racing Products
800-826-3045
www.arp-bolts.com

Bose Corporation
800-379-2073
www.bose.com

BOSS Audio Systems
www.bossaudio.com

Cognito Motorsports
866-426-4648
www.cognitomotorsports.com

Cooper Tire
800-537-9523
www.coopertire.com

EFILive
www.efilive.com

G&J Diesel
800-813-6366
www.gjdiesel.com

Hostile Wheels
909-444-0854
www.hostilewheels.com

Kicker
405-624-8510
www.kicker.com

Maximized Performance Inc.
208-884-1250
www.facebook.com/MaximizedPerformanceInc

MOVE Bumpers
844-505-4044
www.movebumpers.com

PML
310-671-4345
www.yourcovers.com

PowerTech Diesel
208-542-7793
www.powerlabsdiesel.com

Pureflow AirDog
877-421-3187
www.pureflowairdog.com