Shock value is a good reason for building a custom truck. We applaud anyone who makes the leap from building a useful vehicle to one that is completely useless. Why, you ask? Because it gives the rest of us something to look at without having to invest the time, money, and sanity into a seemingly outlandish project ourselves. No matter what your point of view, you can't deny that it's fun to look at a truck such as Griffin Gunner's '92 Chevy Tahoe, and just take it all in. Every aspect of this truck creates an image that grabs your eyes, locks them in place, and puts your brain into a frenzy of activity as it tries to answer a single, obvious question: Why?
Why would anyone completely rip out the factory Chevy interior of their truck and line it with a rollcage and faux fur? Why would anyone swap out the reliable factory fuel-injected small-block engine for a blown-gas big-block Rat motor barely docile enough to rumble down the street? For Pete's sake, why would somebody lift a truck so high that it can't be parked in a garage, be driven through a fast-food drive-thru, or even be legally operated on the street? The answer is so simple that it tells rational thought to go pound sand: shock value.
Griffin Gunner is the savvy owner of Twisted Suspensions, and when he decided to put his company on the map and in the collective conscious of the off-road industry, he had a plan. He built this truck strictly to draw attention to the products used to lift it. When the Tahoe debuted at the SEMA Show last year, it did just that. The Twisted Suspension booth was constantly swarmed with onlookers throughout the show, each one maneuvering to get a closer look at all the paint, chrome, powdercoat, horsepower, and style. Mission accomplished.
Twisted's products, when used in conjunction with a healthy 4-inch body lift, put the SUV 18 inches higher into the air, leaving enough air space to stuff 44-inch rolling stock beneath the fenders. The stance is huge by anyone's standards and does well to accent the outrageous overall look of the project.
Ramzey's Auto Body of Fresno, California, was on board to spray the DuPont colors across a body that was anything but stock. The '92 front clip was removed and replaced with '02 sheetmetal, which drastically updated the look of the SUV. In addition, the door handles, taillights, fuel filler door, and antenna were shaved smooth. A Sir Michaels steel roll pan replaced the rear bumper, and LED taillights were incorporated into the rear of the truck. Once the airbrushed skulls and orange and white hues were dry, Chad's Auto Glass replaced all the glass with clear pieces to show off the interior of this awesome ride.
Once the hard parts were in place and the custom work completed, the entire truck was disassembled and sandblasted, and anything that could be unbolted was chromed, painted, or powdercoated. Even the nuts and bolts holding everything in place received their fair share of attention in the form of CAD plating.
While this isn't the most practical form of transportation on Earth, it works perfectly for its intended purpose. Drawing attention and breaking necks isn't easy, but this SUV does it well, and Twisted Suspension can be proud of its new business card.
It's bad, it's blown, and...
It's bad, it's blown, and it'll smoke the hides at will. Adam Belmont assembled the 8-71 Wieand-blown 468-cid BBC using Bow Tie aluminum cylinder heads and topping it off with a pair of Barry Grant-modified Holley double-pumper carbs. An MSD 6al ignition system fires the engine, while Cooflex hoses transfer the coolant. The exhaust is spent through Kent Fab 2-1/4-inch primary tube ceramic-coated headers and a 4-inch exhaust system.
The rear suspension received...
The rear suspension received 12-inch extended leaf-spring hangers and a pair of Fox 2-inch reservoir dampers. Above the powdercoated suspension sits a custom aluminum fuel cell.
The functional 4WD system...
The functional 4WD system benefits from a differential and transfer case robbed from a 1-ton pickup. As with the front differential, the 14-bolt rearend is stuffed with 4.56 gears and a Clear Gearz differential cover. A Turbo 400 transmission with manual valvebody, reverse shift pattern, and B&M shift kit transfer power to the extended dual CV drivelines.
Twisted Suspension's bolt-on...
Twisted Suspension's bolt-on upper shock hoops position a single 16-inch-stroke Knight Stalker shock on each front corner of the IFS. The single shear mounts rely on rod ends for the upper mounts. If these shocks look vaguely familiar, it's probably because you've seen them on real monster trucks flying across your TV set, or at a stadium near you.
If you're wondering how to...
If you're wondering how to stuff 44-inch tires beneath your Tahoe, Twisted Suspension can show you. All it takes is the company's 14-inch drop-down suspension kit and a 4-inch body lift. The new suspension benefits from Energy Suspension bushings throughout.
The interior extravaganza...
The interior extravaganza with Corbeau seating and racing harnesses is killer. Big Daddy Upholstery of Porterville, California, handled the interior with ease, working around the 1/3/4-inch-diameter, 0.120-inch-wall tubing interior roll cage.