When a die-hard fan of the GMT800s saw a stranger’s 2006 Chevy Silverado Duramax pickup truck with a missing tailgate handle trim, he immediately sprang into action, replacing it for free. His kind gesture has left netizens in awe.
On July 17, Grayson Elliott, 18, a Tarrant Country College student who works at Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Keller, Texas, was on his way back from picking up an oil filter for a vehicle they had in their service center when he spotted something that caught his attention.
A GMT800 truck (General Motors full-size truck platform used from the 1999 through 2006 model years) that was in the visitor’s parking lot of a retirement home had a missing tailgate handle trim.
“I saw it, and I immediately remembered I had a few spare trims in my truck,” Elliott said. “I was really excited I got to use another one, as I love to spread these around to trucks I spot.”
After fixing the trim, Elliott left a handwritten note for the owner which read: “I saw you were missing your tailgate handle trim!... From one GMT800 to another.”
According to Elliott, it was the love he has for this era of trucks that prompted him to volunteer to fix this truck’s tailgate handle bezel. The truck has an LBZ Duramax engine, which, according to Elliott, is known as one of the best modern diesel engines made.
The teenager revealed that he usually buys a bulk of trims, which don’t cost him much but always ends up making the owner happy.
“I love seeing them excited for their truck being complete! It always makes their day, and always makes mine,” Elliott said.
Elliott was surprised by the overwhelming reaction to his post.
“I posted it when I left work that same day, and by the time I got home about an hour later, it already had a few thousand likes. I was honestly just shocked to say the least,” he said.
For Elliott—who dreams to be an aircraft mechanic and have his own repair company in the future—the GMT800s truly hold a special place in his heart.
“Growing up, my dad had a car dealership. We always had at least one of these trucks for sale, and I always loved how they looked, how they drove, and how reliable they were for our customers,” said Elliott, who bought his first GMT800 truck at the age of 15.
Over the years, Elliott has owned four GMT800 cars, and is currently the owner of a yellow Z71 with his favorite configuration, which he describes as his “all-time dream GMT800.”
“Two of my trucks have saved my life in two separate non-fault accidents, and I have no doubt that they will again if they need too,” Elliott said. “I’ve worked on them all my life and grown up around them.”
“I feel I have a personal bond with these trucks.”
