My friend budhayes3
12-16-2011, 07:34 AM
#1
TECH Addict
Thread Starter
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Northeast, NJ
Posts: 2,373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My friend budhayes3
It's funny how people find each other and become friends.
Back in the early 2000s, I moved from upstate New York where everyone drives pickups to Bergen County NJ where it seems unless you are a contractor, no one drives pickup trucks.
One day I'm drving through our town, and I see this shiny black Silverado RCSB that sounded real nice, and I said to my wife what a nice truck that was, and how you don't see many around. I would see that truck on and off again for a few more years.
In 2003 I joined ls1tech to learn how to get more performance from my brand new truck. I posted up some pictures of it after I put on the drop and wheels and tires. Then I get a pm from this dude, budhayes3, asking if I lived around Englewood, NJ because he thinks he's seen my truck around town. It turns out that I lived right around the corner from the Lexus dealership where Billy "budhayes3" Ceralli worked, and he owned that shiny black Silverado RCSB I had been admiring for some time now. Such a small world. We chatted on pms for a while, about our mods, our future plans for our trucks. A local shop who was a sponsor on tech was having a dyno day, so we decided to go run our trucks. We met face to face for the first time at the IHOP in Englewood, NJ had breakfast and went to the dyno day. We both laughed at how our wives thought we were nuts for going to met some guy from an internet truck forum. It turns out that that guy was a great guy.
We kept in touch through the forums, built up our trucks, dreamed up new builds, influenced each others new mods, went to more dyno days, cruise ins, dinner with our wives, and when we had kids we went to their birthday parties, play dates, BBQs. We shared in the anguish of toasted 4L60Es and the struggle to skimp and save to get back on the road, and the triumph when we did. When I had to sell off my RCSB for something with more room, I think he was more sad about it than I was!
Billy was an incredible mechanic too. He helped me so personally many times, and taught me so many things, and always had some new awesome tool to show me. He diagnosed my problems, helped me fix them, helped me install mods. He never said no. Such a huge heart.
The last few years had been hard for my friend, but I didn't know just how hard they were. I'm glad that the last few times we got together were happy times. He was all smiles at Rosie's last birthday party, his baby girl was turning 5, he had a new girlfriend, who I got to meet that day, he seemed the happiest I had seen him in some time, and I was happy for him. He deserved happiness. A few weeks later, he called me estatic because he had gotten his new DMH cut out installed and working, and he was taking a test drive. I told him to swing by the house, I had to hear it. In no time, Billy and Reaper1 were outside revving, cut out wide open! He revved and scared a bunch of middleschool kids walking by on the sidewalk! When he left my house, he did it in a show of a 3200 rpm stalled, cut out open, truck pitched sideways, tires smoking, 5.3 screaming awesomeness. I was so jealous.
We were just talking a few days ago, about how busy things were, and that we need to get together once the holidays passed. Then Wednesday night I got a text that I needed to get on pt.net right away. Thats when I read the horrible news. My friend was gone.
Billy,
I'll never understand what drove you into such a dark place. It is beyond my comprehension. You didn't deserve to hurt so much. You were a great man, father, and friend. Anyone who met you is a better person because of you. I wish you had called, written, stopped by, anything. I really wish I had reached out to you, I didn't realize. I am so sorry. RIP my friend, you are sorely missed.
Back in the early 2000s, I moved from upstate New York where everyone drives pickups to Bergen County NJ where it seems unless you are a contractor, no one drives pickup trucks.
One day I'm drving through our town, and I see this shiny black Silverado RCSB that sounded real nice, and I said to my wife what a nice truck that was, and how you don't see many around. I would see that truck on and off again for a few more years.
In 2003 I joined ls1tech to learn how to get more performance from my brand new truck. I posted up some pictures of it after I put on the drop and wheels and tires. Then I get a pm from this dude, budhayes3, asking if I lived around Englewood, NJ because he thinks he's seen my truck around town. It turns out that I lived right around the corner from the Lexus dealership where Billy "budhayes3" Ceralli worked, and he owned that shiny black Silverado RCSB I had been admiring for some time now. Such a small world. We chatted on pms for a while, about our mods, our future plans for our trucks. A local shop who was a sponsor on tech was having a dyno day, so we decided to go run our trucks. We met face to face for the first time at the IHOP in Englewood, NJ had breakfast and went to the dyno day. We both laughed at how our wives thought we were nuts for going to met some guy from an internet truck forum. It turns out that that guy was a great guy.
We kept in touch through the forums, built up our trucks, dreamed up new builds, influenced each others new mods, went to more dyno days, cruise ins, dinner with our wives, and when we had kids we went to their birthday parties, play dates, BBQs. We shared in the anguish of toasted 4L60Es and the struggle to skimp and save to get back on the road, and the triumph when we did. When I had to sell off my RCSB for something with more room, I think he was more sad about it than I was!
Billy was an incredible mechanic too. He helped me so personally many times, and taught me so many things, and always had some new awesome tool to show me. He diagnosed my problems, helped me fix them, helped me install mods. He never said no. Such a huge heart.
The last few years had been hard for my friend, but I didn't know just how hard they were. I'm glad that the last few times we got together were happy times. He was all smiles at Rosie's last birthday party, his baby girl was turning 5, he had a new girlfriend, who I got to meet that day, he seemed the happiest I had seen him in some time, and I was happy for him. He deserved happiness. A few weeks later, he called me estatic because he had gotten his new DMH cut out installed and working, and he was taking a test drive. I told him to swing by the house, I had to hear it. In no time, Billy and Reaper1 were outside revving, cut out wide open! He revved and scared a bunch of middleschool kids walking by on the sidewalk! When he left my house, he did it in a show of a 3200 rpm stalled, cut out open, truck pitched sideways, tires smoking, 5.3 screaming awesomeness. I was so jealous.
We were just talking a few days ago, about how busy things were, and that we need to get together once the holidays passed. Then Wednesday night I got a text that I needed to get on pt.net right away. Thats when I read the horrible news. My friend was gone.
Billy,
I'll never understand what drove you into such a dark place. It is beyond my comprehension. You didn't deserve to hurt so much. You were a great man, father, and friend. Anyone who met you is a better person because of you. I wish you had called, written, stopped by, anything. I really wish I had reached out to you, I didn't realize. I am so sorry. RIP my friend, you are sorely missed.
12-16-2011, 10:52 AM
#2
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jxn, Miss
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
its unbelievable that someone so many of us know through a forum can have such an impact. Everything you hear, read, or see about him was good. Its a sad situation and I have and will continue to pray for the friends and family of Budhayes3! RIP
12-16-2011, 12:00 PM
#4
12-16-2011, 05:50 PM
#5
TECH Addict
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 2,862
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I spent some time looking through my own threads, if i had a question he was there, if i was showing pics of my ride he was there to compliment.
It is a very sad time, but there is so much we can continue to learn from his example. RIP Billy you will not be forgotten
Trending Topics
12-16-2011, 09:33 PM
#10
Tom, I loved every bit of it. Esp. the cutout scaring the kids, goin sideways. 
I love my smilies, Billy knew that when I found a bunch of new ones outside PT, I PM'd him w/. em. Ha
I love my smilies, Billy knew that when I found a bunch of new ones outside PT, I PM'd him w/. em. Ha