TEXAS HEMI
Who: John & Cherie Kunkel
Where: Marlin, Texas
What: '03 Dodge Hemi Ram 1500
The Kunkels built this Ram to their liking, by adding a billet grille and bumper insert. Mopar running boards and chrome door handles start the custom look. Out back, a tonneau cover smoothes off the top of the bed. Accenting the tonneau is a brushed aluminum fuel-filler door and a custom Hemi strip that crosses over the tonneau. Gen III carbon-fiber-style lights make up the illumination out back. Up front, Xenon ultra blue headlamp filaments keep the night driving safe with plenty of driving light. Lund hoodscoops were painted and stuck to the stock hood to warn that the Mopar has performance enhancements. A cold-air intake, a 180-degree thermostat, a dual-exit 40-series Flowmaster custom exhaust, and a Superchips programmer are the majority of the performance mods needed to get the Hemi hauling. Protecting the drivetrain is important, so John uses Royal Purple motor oil and coolant for some additional insurance. Some new rolling stock was in order, so the Dodge now sports M-B 20-inch Bruizer wheels wrapped with Nanking 295/45R20 tires.
CONSTRUCTION ZONE
Who: Steve "Old Skool" Kienutske
Where: Flint, Michigan
What: Square-body S-10
Steve "Old Skool" Kienutske is an old hot rod builder. He's been building cars and trucks for more than 30 years. The truck market has become a new inspiration for him. He has also grown accustom to building S-10s because he says he built six of them last year. 'Bagged, body-dropped, and topless already, this is Steve's take on the Chevy SSR. We certainly hope he keeps sending us pictures of his project, as it goes through its metamorphosis, so we can show you the progress. We're sure it will be a sight to be seen when it's completed.
THE FIRST SPORT TRUCK STICKER FOUND
Who: Chris King
Where: Verden, Oklahoma
What: Chevy Sierra
We offered a "Stick and Win" sticker sheet in the June '05 poly-bagged, newsstand issue of Sport Truck. The contest is to shoot the Sport Truck stickers on your truck and send the pictures to the Readers' Rides section of the magazine. We will pick the best-looking truck to win a feature in Sport Truck magazine. This is the first entry and we are hoping to see more. So, if you don't have a newsstand copy of Sport Truck magazine, contact: Back Issues at (866) 601-5199 or backissues-mailorder@primedia.com. Make sure you ask for the June '05 NEWSSTAND edition of Sport Truck magazine. This sticker entry has a billet grille, clear lenses, billet gas door, billet third brake light cover, Sir Michael's roll pan, Flowmasters, Nu-Image flamed gauges, and Progressive wheels. Thanks, Chris, for your participation.
TWO-TONE TEN
Who: Ricky Freitas
Where: Glendale, Arizona
What: '02 Chevy S-10
Ricky built his 'Dime to his liking by adding 17x10-inch Boyd wheels to its static drop. A set of Street Scene mirrors and GM Goodmark cowl hood are the major upgrades, up front. Accented by a billet grille and Bow Tie, the clear corners supply a clean custom look. The clear lenses were also adapted to the rear end, along with a tonneau cover and a molded Sir Michael's roll pan. With all the components in place, the little truck was sprayed with a two-tone orange and silver color theme.