Goodbye Unchained 5150 (RIP Rick)

Excellent work Jared!

 

The Rick Swank @Unchained 5150 Patch and sticker Buy Thread is live.........Please take time to read the post before purchasing.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/unchained-5150-memorial-patch-and-stickers-now-live.763926/

 

his 2nd gen truck patch came out really nice

 

Oh no I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

Rick purchased one of my emblems and supported my small side business, that's how I got to know Rick.
He would drop in from time-to-time sprinkling his good attitude.

I will miss his friendship.

 

Though I didnt get to meet @Unchained 5150 in person, I chatted with him pretty regularly.

I first found him when he was giving away the stock 4600s off his 2015. I didnt know him at the time and just figured he was just some average dude, giving away a used set of shocks. Little did i know what was going to come of it.

He sent me the shocks and the hardware was partially missing for the top of the shocks so I couldnt install them. I messaged him, thinking he might have just left them lay somewhere and could send them out later in the week. Keep in mind, he wouldnt let me pay a dime for shipping either time. A couple hours goes by and I hadnt heard from Rick, so i was looking up a replacement hardware kit and was about to order it when he sent me a private message. The message said something to the effect of, “the shop that swapped my shocks must have lost the hardware and to save you from ordering anything, a brand new set of 5100s should be at your door in a couple days, sorry for the inconvenience.” What a guy. Still, he would not let me pay him a dime. Sure enough they came and I ordered everything else for my suspension and put them on the truck. Then i was able to give the 4600s to a dear friend of mine after he got new leaf springs from the recall back in 2016. Rick was elated that I gave them away to someone else who needed them.

Fast forward some time, Rick created a thread giving away TRD shift knobs. Keep in mind, these knobs are about $45 a piece plus shipping. And he shipped them to dozens of people. I posted in the thread kind of jokingly stating that my shift knob was getting a little crusty and then a couple days later, I got a TRD shift knob in the mail and a message from Rick that evening that said, “I saw your shift knob was delivered, I want you to know that this is the last one I sent out, please enjoy it.” I still have the shift knob, I used it for years and then when my lady friend got me a custom one, I put the TRD one on a shelf with some of my old diecast cars, as a reminder of the kindness and generosity of strangers on the internet.

My third and final Rick story also involves a shift knob.
Rick used to follow my antics on instagram pretty closely. Back in 2019 I got my 4runner on the road and was looking for part numbers and was going to buy a new shift knob from toyota when I saw that Getagrip, the same company my girlfriend got me the custom shift knob for my tacoma from, was running a sale and I made a post on my story asking people which color combo i should get for the 4runner. I settled on gold and black to match the accents on the 4runner. Next thing I know, Rick sends me a message on instagram with a tracking number…….for the shift knob from get a grip, stating it would be delivered to me later that week. What a wild move. I’m eternally grateful for his generosity and friendship.



Rick will remain a legend on here forever. I know there were some people that had mixed feelings about him and he had some different tastes for his mods but I believe that helped show people on here how to really be your own with your truck. Sometimes it seems like we mod our vehicles to please other people on the internet, and maybe some people do, but…every single truck turns out different because every owner is different and they all have a lifetime of different experiences. I feel like thats what Rick helped show a lot of us on here.

He didn't owe any of us anything, he just enjoyed seeing other members happy. I sure hope I get to shake his hand some day.

 

<3

 

<3 always even if you sold the IIP taco

 

I know, I was sad we wouldn't be brother and sister no more... but I love the army green too❣️

 

The wifeoo wants an Army Green 5th gen, so someday we’ll reunite

 

I just found out about this and I'm very sorry for your loss.
Im at a complete loss of words....
I hope he's resting well and continues watching all of us idiots on TW.

Good guy, I'm going to miss.

 

RIP Rick. You will be missed.

 

RIP Rick

 

Patches came out great. RIP Rick

 

I didn't know @Unchained 5150 but have read a few posts here and there over the years. From the comments, he was well liked and loved by his family.

My condolences to those who knew him and especially to his family. May your memories be blessings as you navigate this difficult time. I am so saddened by your loss.

 

Amazing post Mason. I heard about those people and my reaction was typically . What-ever.

Most people just aren't as stable as you and.......well, you.

 

My first patch.

 

Me too!

 

So sorry for your loss. Very sad news and my condolences to your family.
Always loved getting some music knowledge from Rick!

 

OK folks......the Patch donation was made this morning. With her permission, I was able to record me giving her the Donation from all of the Patches, Stickers, and Virtual hugs. (There are some sparse pending sales of a small amount of patches, but that will be forwarded to her at a later date. Here was the breakdown:

From the Unchained 5150 garage sale: $2024 - This was given to her, via PayPal, after the sale was complete on April 15th 2022

From the Unchained 5150 Patches and Stickers - $3152 (So I just rounded up to $3200) Given to her today in Cash and Checks in person.

Total for the Family from the generous sales and donations from the TW Community:

$5,224

Thank you everyone for all that you have given to the family of a Fallen member of our TW family.
https://youtu.be/9mVvYKry37k

 

God bless all of you! Well done