Where do you draw the line on customization? How do you distinguish between sick and overkill? A custom can easily go to the far side when it comes to themes, graphics, or fiberglass. The farther you go, the harder it is to keep your build bitchin'. Most enthusiasts base their customizing perceptions on influence and trends. Influence is when someone persuades you that a certain component is cool. Trends are components that have been labeled cool through mass exposure and impersonation.
Seeing beyond what is considered the norm takes a special talent. Building a custom that takes things to the extreme can be risky: You will either quickly be labeled lame, or you will raise the bar. Jason Robichaux of Raceland, Louisiana, pushed his '99 Chevy dualie to the eye-candy limits. The former mini-trucker came up to fullsize standards when he started building his four-door dualie.
Of course, a shave always helps your image, so Jason shaved the dualie's door latches, third brake light, gas door, taillights, and tailgate. A Sir Michaels roll pan was molded to the bed, but most impressive is the rework on the front fenders and 'glass hood to accommodate the '01 GM front grille and bumper. After the outside was done, the inside was to be fitted with 'glass. The dash, door panels, headliner, center console, and carpet were removed so the mammoth could be fitted with fiberglass. That's right: Everything inside the truck, just shy of the seats, was to be 'glassed.
The wild graphics that cover this behemoth throw your senses into overdrive. Multicolored lines sporadically intertwine over the carcass. These lines flow down the sides and across the tailgate, and the theme changes from flames and skulls to scalps and strange textures. As the lines pass over integrated body panels, the theme shifts from one side to the other. On the driver side, the front fender starts with a blob and goes back to a silvery space nebula. The passenger side starts with modernized flames, which blend back to ripped-style graphics.
This cornucopia of graphics was definitely a tough blend to throw down without turning the truck into the "too far" category. PPG, home of House of Kolor, was able to make this conglomerate flow. Randall laid down the deep purple that would be the backdrop. From there, Joel tapped, sprayed, and airbrushed the Picasso to life.
The double-dub dualie sports APP's forged solid wheels. Wrapped in 285x30R22 Dunlop hides, this heavy hauler packs a ton of pimp juice. When the wild dualie is laid out, the fenderwells swallow the tops of the rims. This was made possible by 2-inch drop spindles, tubular A-arms, and 'bags up front. The rear has a step notch, a three-link ladder bar, and 'bags to allow for rear movement. The Firestone airbags in each corner have 3/8-inch air line and are controlled with Parker valves.
Inside the wild dualie, the stock seats were recovered in purple and gray leather. A fiber and resin center console was molded to the dash, and the teardrop, one-piece console extends past the front buckets, over the rear seat, and attaches to the bass chamber. Even the headliner was replaced for a fiberglass headliner. The control cluster was shaved and works on remote. A Sony head unit is somewhere underneath the 'glass work. Kicker speakers fill the doors, and three 10-inch Kicker subs are fitted to a custom thump chamber built behind the rear seat. A Colorado Customs Rush steering wheel and aluminum pedals are all that's left for controlling the rig.
Without a doubt, Jason's truck is a one-off custom. The incredible amount of work invested in the wild dualie - not to mention the thought process that went into the graphics - is more than enough to marvel at.