Sport Truck
Steve Owens has always been proud to drive this '61 Ford F-100 and had never put any thought into fully customizing it. It's been in his family since it was almost new, and when he acquired it the truck was still in good condition. It came in handy as a daily driver and for hauling tools and equipment. This constant use got Steve thinking about a swap of the original inline-six engine for something more powerful. Because this modification is very involved, he never took his idea too seriously.

Things remained this way until the subject of upgrading the engine to a V-8 came up while Steve was having a beer at a local bar. There, he met a guy who claimed he could get it done and convinced him to take the Ford to his shop. Once there, it was prepped for the transplant of a 460-cid Ford engine and a few other goodies like a suspension from a '95 Corvette. Initially the truck was to only get a V-8, but other ideas popped up and the mods lists started to grow. As the project got more complicated, the guy commissioned to build it started to drag his feet and pushed the truck off to the side.

Six years later, the Ford was still at the shop, and Steve desperately wanted to see some progress. Nothing got done, so he made other plans with Don Lindfors of Altered Engineering to have it completed. The second phase of the build started with the big-block V-8 receiving a pile of performance parts. Once assembled, the motor was raised over the framerails and mounted 6 inches behind the factory mounts on the frame. This aids in cornering by balancing the weight toward the center, maintaining the functionality of a g-machine. Repositioning the motor created a few obstacles like firewall clearance and placement of the hydrobooster braking system. However, Don simply made a new firewall and mounted the brake system to a section of the frame under the cab.

With the motor in, Don moved on to completing the road-hugging chassis. Although the Corvette front suspension was already in place, it needed a little tweaking to make the steering functional. The independent rear end from the same donor Corvette was used to keep up performance and handling. The IRS was accommodated with a custom step notch and crossmember on the frame. Then, an aluminum driveshaft was fabricated to transfer power between the Ford C6 transmission and the Vette Posi.

For the exterior, Don began by filling in emblem holes and various sheetmetal seams with lead. That was followed by widening the wheelwells in the bed and installing a sheetmetal floor with a trap door to access the custom fuel cell and rear suspension. The truck was then sent to Les Baker to get body-worked and painted with a classic flamejob. Reyes Upholstery laid down all new skins and threads inside the cab.

Though Steve only planned to have a V-8 dropped in his F-100, he wound up with a much-improved custom truck. It may have taken awhile to build, but the reward of owning this wild, performance-based g-machine was well worth the wait.

The 411
Owner/hometown: Steve Owens / Santa Ana, California
Year/make/model: '61 Ford F-100 Unibody shortbed

Engine/drivetrain:
Balanced and blueprinted '70 Ford 460-cid V-8 engine set back 6 inches on the frame / JE pistons / Dove Performance iron heads / Ford Racing valve covers / Crane Cams camshaft / Aeromotive complete fuel system / MSD ignition / Optima RedTop battery / polished Edelbrock intake manifold / Holley Street Avenger 770-cfm carburetor with PowerCharger air cleaner / March Performance complete billet serpentine system / custom-made ceramic-coated headers / custom exhaust with Spin Tech mufflers and tips exiting through bedsides / remote oil and transmission coolers with fans / aluminum radiator / B-Cool electric radiator fan with aluminum shroud / Mooneyes spun-aluminum water-recovery tank / braided stainless steel hoses / Ford C6 automatic transmission / TCI StreetFighter torque converter / Lokar shifter / custom polished aluminum driveshaft
By: Altered Engineering, Orange, California

Rims:
Front: 17x8 Foose Nitrous 2
Rear: 18x10 Foose Nitrous 2

Tires:
Front: 245/45ZR17 Nitto NT555 Extreme
Rear: 295/45ZR18 Nitto NT555 Extreme

Suspension:
Front: Polished and cleared '95 Corvette independent front suspension / KYB shocks
Rear: Polished and cleared '95 Corvette independent rear suspension / KYB shocks
Accessories: Custom stainless steel fuel cell / hydroboost brake system
Chassis: Step notch with crossmember / powdercoated frame
By: Altered Engineering

Body Mods:
Stake pockets, body seams, and emblem hole filled with lead / shaved wiper cowl and tailgate / reverse-opening hood / rear wheelwell widened / custom firewall / sheetmetal bed floor with trap door to access fuel tank and rear suspension / laser-cut vents in fenders
By: Altered Engineering

Custom Paint:
Black with traditional flamejob and blue pinstriping
By: Les Baker, Costa Mesa, California

Interior:
Glide Engineering split bench seat with armrest / leather headliner / leather door panels with flames / custom kick panels / German square-weave black carpet / smoothed dash / custom gauge panel with Auto Meter gauges / Vintage Air A/C system / Billet Specialties steering wheel / Flaming River steering column / Lokar pedals
By: Reyes Upholstery, Anaheim, California / Altered Engineering

Audio/VIDEO:
Sony Xplod head unit / two speakers in kick panels
By: Altered Engineering

Club:
N/A

Special Thanks:
Everyone who helped bring this truck to completion, including Doug

The newly redesigned '09 Dodge Ram is exciting for a lot of reasons. The Hemi received a bump in power and efficiency, which will hopefully translate into better fuel economy. The truck is also offered in a real crew-cab configuration too. But what made us sit up and really take notice was the amount of storage space in this thing. The bedrails are extra wide and offer 8.6 feet of lockable, drainable storage. Dodge accomplished this by getting rid of the traditional wide inner cargo box and exposed wheelwell arrangement of the bed and instead turned that room into storage. You can still haul a 4-foot-wide sheet of plywood in the bed, but now you can also stash your gear, audio equipment, air-suspension accessories, or whatever else you can dream up inside the walls of the bed. The compartments break up the body lines of the Ram in true "love it or hate it" fashion, but we think Dodge still did a good job of making the access doors as unobtrusive as possible.

If that wasn't enough stash room for you, the space traditionally wasted below the floor of the cab has been turned into another stash compartment. The "store in the floor" bins are large enough to hold 10 12-ounce sodas with ice and feature removable liners. Other niceties include heated and ventilated front seats and Sirius-satellite-connected rear-seat TV and a surround sound audio system. A MyGiG 30-gigabyte hard drive is also available for storing favorite music and movies, and of course a navigation system is on tap if you want it.

When equipped with the new 380-horse 5.7L Hemi, a shortbed, and 4.10 gears, the Ram will go 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds. A 310hp 4.7L V-8 and 215hp V-6 are also available with five-speed automatic transmissions.

Another interesting aspect of the new Ram is that Dodge has done away with the standard multileaf-spring rear suspension arrangement in favor of a multilink/coil-spring suspension. It's reported to not have affected the payload capacity of the Ram, yet it offers a better ride and better handling. We also find it interesting that not only is the system a four-link with triangulated upper bars, but it also includes a Panhard bar to locate the rear axle laterally.

This truck is truly innovative, and we can't wait to get behind the wheel of one and report back to you guys.

10 Mostly Worthless Facts
1. Sport Truck's art director, Andy, started demo'ing his house last year in preparation for a remodel.

2. Art directors make serious coin.

3. Andy has spent the last two months living in a cabover camper in his driveway while the construction is underway. He's a trooper, and by trooper we mean he's too cheap to spring for a motel.

4. However, Andy's wife, Elaine, has moved into a friend's house instead of sticking it out in the camper with her man. Please don't judge her for it.

5. The cabover camper isn't attached to a pickup like it should be. Andy needs his truck to commute to work in, and it's likely he's too lazy to move his new home every day. We understand. The camper is sitting on stilts in the driveway with Andy's '54 Pontiac parked beneath it. It looks ghetto fabulous.

6. Andy's neighbors hate him. Right now, the driveway is full of construction materials, the camper, the old Pontiac, and a Port-O-Crapper for the construction workers to meditate in. The smell is fabulous.

7. We've determined that since Elaine doesn't technically live with Andy anymore, when she comes home after work it could be construed as a conjugal visit.

8. Last night, Andy was awakened by the sound of the Port-O-Crapper being knocked over in his yard by either the neighborhood hoodlum kids or their angry parents. We can't be sure of which because Andy wasn't about to dash outside the camper in his tighty-whities to gather evidence. He's a little shy.

9. Andy's house is looking really good.

10. He might get his wife back in about a week after the new toilets are installed. Then again, Andy is doing much of the flooring and plumbing work himself, so this might take a little while... at least that's what he's telling Elaine. In Vegas, we're getting 4 to 1 odds that the plumbing mysteriously takes an extra week to install, but somehow the big-screen TV, recliner, and refrigerator make it into the house on schedule.

Say What?
The staff speaks and you listen. It's that simple. This month's question is:
You get the opportunity to ask a single question of any automotive personality on the planet, dead or alive. What do you ask the person and who is it?

Mike: I'd ask Boyd Coddington if the tools in heaven are better and what he's going to build next.

Calin: I don't know who the person is, but it would be whoever designed the Pontiac Aztek. The question would be: "What the hell were you thinking?"

Galen: I have never thought about that type of scenario before where I could ask only one question. There is no one perfect question that would give me all of the answers. One question always turns into a bazillion more that are left unanswered. It would be very unsatisfying to only have one question answered, and I don't know if I could live with myself if I didn't have the perfect question.

Kevin: This question is hard because I have already met a lot of people I look up to in the auto industry. On the other hand, there is someone I would like to meet. It would be whoever designed the '60-'66 GM trucks. I am completely captivated by the unique design of this body-style pickup, and I think it would be interesting to ask how he came up with it.

Andy: This a pretty tough question. I mean, there is a ton of people out there who I'd love to have a beer and a chat with, but I'd say one dude in particular comes to the forefront: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. It's hard to say what in particular I'd ask him-I would rather just maybe hang out and talk about art and cars. Maybe a few questions about his early days, check out some early sketchbooks and see what ideas he had that morphed into the final art you see out there. Like, I wonder what Rat Fink looked like as an early rendering. Maybe a really rotten-looking Mickey Mouse?

Sport Truck Slang Term O' The Month
#2,400: phat (fa?t) adj. If you happen to be a hot chick, then actor/comedian Chris Tucker would have you believe that this word means "pretty hot and tempting." For the rest of us dudes, phat is an adjective used to describe things that are cool. For example, try telling your friend Jimmy that his rims are phat. Do not tell him that his wife is phat unless you want a warm beer dumped on your head.

Erik Harbour has at least two things that would make any truck builder envious. One is this badass '02 Dodge Ram, and the other is the reason the truck is in its present condition: good friends.

You might remember this truck from '07 SEMA Show coverage, laying body and looking like a million bucks, which is an awesome thing, but it's not all fame and glory like some would have you believe. In fact, it goes something like this: Most SEMA builds consist of a two- to three-month tornado prior to the show in which you can almost count the hours of total sleep on one hand. Since time is of the essence, there's no way to go step by step and ensure that all is done exactly the way you want it-there are always unforeseen problems and delays. If it wasn't for Erik's friends stopping by to lend a hand, the truck on these pages might never have been. They showed up, most of the time with twelve-pack in hand, ready to spend hours wrenching.

The first stop on the customizing tour was 714 Motorsports, where Todd Faulkner pulled out all the stops to lay the truck out hard over a set of 24-inch rims and rubber. He first ordered the adjustable suspension components needed to hammer the contemporary Mopar to the ground: four Slam airbags, two reserve air tanks, 1/2-inch air line, two Viair 280C compressors, and the four-link, step notch, and all the brackets from Devious Customs. Todd began cutting, notching, and relocating, and ended up ditching the stock front A-arms for a set from DJM. He bridge-notched the rear framerails and installed a rear four-link to complete the suspension structure. The Slam 'bags were mounted forward and aft and plumbed with 1/2-inch line, 1/2-inch electric valves, and Todd's little joke of air restrictors, so it goes down as fast as paddle valves fed with 1/8-inch airline so Erik can't harm the truck. For reserve air, the truck uses two 5-gallon reserve tanks and two compressors replenish the air supply.

Since the truck was destined to wear an extra-large set of rims and rubber, Todd flared the rear fenders about 6 inches before welding a set of wheeltubs from Grant Fabrication in the bed. To gain more room under the truck, the original gas tank was ditched in favor of a 20-gallon fuel cell from Devious. Erik and Todd performed the necessary modifications to install the fuel cell and make it functional with a custom filler neck in the bed. After a whole lot of notching, cutting, relocating, and fabricating, Erik was finally able to mount the 24x9 Lexani chrome wheels encased in Toyo rubber and lay the truck out. All the work became worth it the moment the fenderwells swallowed up the massive 24s and the rails successfully hit the tarmac.

After Todd finished dialing in the suspension, a few tricks were performed on the Dodge's skin. Todd busted out his welder and shaved everything-there wasn't a body panel left untouched.

Once Todd was satisfied with the smoothness of the metal, the truck was immediately taped off so Todd could lay down the Kinetik Blue basecoat. But that turned out to be a lot of blue, and Erik and Todd both agreed it needed something more. Going on little sleep, Erik and Todd were running out of ideas and called upon Jeff Mersey of Merzees Paint & Body. Jeff helped by putting tape to body panels with a few different designs before a theme was decided upon. Once the design had been laid out on both sides of the truck, it was time to put the real deal into motion. Jeff started by laying down the Orion Silver that creates the beltline around the entire truck. Then, he pulled a few tricks and put down his secret wispy graphics on the lower half of the truck.

The interior is a mix of fiberglass work, paint, and a whole lot of classic hot-rod influences with a little technological twist. The factory front bucket seats were reskinned with dove-gray leather and ash-white perforated suede inserts. The rear seats were cut up and modified to create another set of bucket seats wrapped in the same fashion and a center console that houses eight, count 'em, eight Alpine amplifiers. Another techy feature is the head unit. It has a custom-built, Windows-based computer that is used to play and store all music, movies, games, and more. It sends the signal to the 17-inch LCD screen mounted in the center of the dash and to the impressive stereo setup throughout the cab and rear compartment. Behind the rear seats is a trio of 12-inch subs in a custom-built, slot-ported enclosure. The back cab wall was removed, and the box was slid into place.

In the 90 days that it took Erik to build this incredible vehicle, he accomplished more than just creating another show truck: He has without a doubt made his mark on the custom map. If this is the standard of design we can expect from Erik, then we look forward to what the future holds.

The 411
Owner/Hometown:
Erik Harbour / Huntington Beach, California

Year/Make/Model:'02 Dodge Ram 1500

Engine/Drivetrain:
4.7L PowerTech V-8 / four-speed 45RFE automatic transmission / chrome Weapon*R Secret Weapon air intake / Hypertech computer system / Gibson exhaust / MSD ignition / Kinetik HC800 Power Cell / Devious Customs fuel cell / all electrical wiring except the obvious spark-plug and alternator wires have been rerouted and hidden using all factory wiring and rerouting plugs and harnesses
BY: Ryan Parma, Todd Faulkner, Erik Harbour, 714 Motorsports, and Rod Milton, Westminster, California

Rims:
Front & Rear: 24x9 Lexani Dagger

Tires:
Front & Rear: 305/35R24 Toyo Proxes S/T

Suspension:
Front: DJM control arms / custom upper bag mounts / Slam Specialties RE-8 air springs / Toxic shocks
Rear: Devious Customs triangulated four-link / Slam Specialties RE-6 air spring / Toxic shocks
Accessories: Eight EasyStreet 1/2-inch chrome 300-psi solenoids / 1/2-inch DOT air line / two Viair 280C air compressors
Chassis: Z'd front frameclip / Devious Customs step notch / SSBC Force 10 Tri-Power three-piston aluminum brake kit
By: Todd Faulkner at 714 Motorsports, Westminster, California

Body Mods:
Shaved doors, antenna, taillights, third brake light, cab seams, and gas door / Grant Fabrication taillight fillers, rear wheelwell tubs, tailgate, and roll-pan combo / '08 front-end conversion / 3-inch body drop / Street Scene Speed Grilles and sport mirrors
By: Todd Faulkner, Scott Seratta, 714 Motorsports, Erik Harbour, Galen Armenta, Kevin "Captain" Kuenzie, Louie, and the staff at Merzees all helped get the body straight

Custom Paint:
Alsa Paint Corp. Kinetik Blue and Silver / One Shot Candy Green and Orange
By: Todd Faulkner and Jeff Mersey of Merzees Paint & Body, Norwalk, California

Interior:
Modified factory front bucket seats with ash-white and dove-gray seat covers from Roadwire Automotive Innovation / rear bench was cut into buckets and wrapped in the same material as the front seats / custom-built dashpad and a custom-mounted 17-inch LCD monitor and center console built by Brent Davidson at Alpine / custom-built door panels wrapped in leather with blue suede inserts / ash-gray carpet / painted overhead console and headliner wrapped in ash-white suede / Nu Image brushed-aluminum gauges
By: 714 Motorsports, Merzees, Todd Faulkner, Brent Davison, Louie, "Big" Bill Watson, Galen Armenta, Rod Milton

Audio/Video:
Custom-built Windows-based computer / Alpine PXA-H701 / Alpine RUX-C701 / Alpine Type-X speakers: two SPX-13REF 5-1/4-inch in dash, four SPX-17REF 6-1/2-inch in doors / two Alpine PDX-4.150 four-channel amplifiers / Alpine SWS-1043D 10-inch under front of center console, three Alpine SWX-1243D 12-inch in the rear in a ported cut through enclosure / six Alpine PDX-1.1000 monoblock amplifiers / StreetWires cables, wire, and distribution / 17-inch Sony HD LCD panel / eight Kinetik High Current Power Cells: HC800 for starting the truck; HC2400, HC2000, HC1800, HC1400, HC800, and two HC600 for audio support / AutoPage RS-1000 OLED two-way multifunction remote start, which opens doors and rolls windows up and down / Ohio Generator 200A stainless alternator
By: Brent Davison of Alpine Electronics, Erik Harbour and "Big" Bill Watson, Torrance, California

Club:
Relaxed Atmosphere

Special Thanks From The Owner
Wow, where do I start? First off, I'd like to say thanks to Kevin Aguilar for giving me so much crap about my Expedition not being able to drag that it inspired me to make sure this build could drag and then some! But seriously, on to the special thanks.

Todd Faulkner, thanks for building yet another great ride, and thanks for being a friend all these years and putting up with my crap throughout the builds.

Big thanks to Manny, Allen, Big, and the crew at 714 Motorsports for letting me house and build the project there and for cranking out one super-clean interior.

Brent Davison, what can I say? Wow, what a console! Thanks for everything you did on the project, and thanks for letting me use your truck and trailer to get this thing out for people to see it.

The gang at Alpine, thanks for letting us work in your bay-it truly was an honor.

Kinetik, thanks for understanding that I was coming out hard with one heck of a Kinetik showpiece and knowing that it would take some time off to get it done. And of course, none of it would work without the awesome power of Kinetik!

Grant Kustoms and Devious Customs, thanks for making the parts we needed in such a short time. They work and look great!

Ryan Parma, thanks so much for driving two hours every day to help me on the electrical system and making it so clean and clear of junk we didn't need. Kevin Kuenzie, thanks for coming over, bringing the beer, and grinding away.

Big thanks go out to Jeff Mersey and the gang for letting us finish up the bodywork and paint at his shop. Thanks for all of the help and knowledge you brought into the paint and body.

Louie, I can't thank you enough. You were there to the bitter end helping me and making sure this project got to SEMA looking 100 percent. Scott, thanks for lending a hand yet again on the bodywork. You always seem to come through every time we build something representing the lollipop kids all over the world!

Galen Armenta, thanks so much for all of your help and encouragement through the rough nights and even helping Todd while I was out of town even though you had a project of your own to deal with.

"Big" Bill Watson, thanks again for coming all the way from Mississippi to make sure this project made it to the show. I know I can always count on you! Rod Milton, thanks to you too for coming all the way from Tennessee to lend a hand in the final days.

Tom at Billet & Acrylic, thanks again for the awesome billet. Stan at Toyo, thanks for the tires-they fit great and ride clean! Frank and the crew at Lexani, thanks for the last-minute drilling so I could ride on your chrome. Gus and Tom at Ohio Generator, amazing products and thanks for getting the alternator to me so fast. Tim at HushMat, wow, great products-made the audio sound even better! Thanks to Mark at SoCal Detail for coming in late at night to clean the truck for the shoot. It looked great.

Big thanks to all of my sponsors. Without your help, this never could been possible. You have always been there for me, and I hope to be able to return the favor sometime soon!

Jason Riner is a talented guy. He owns Jason's Paint and Body Shop in Warm Springs, Virginia, and likes to build a project vehicle every couple of years as a way of showcasing the talents of the family business. Even though he's created several magazine-quality vehicles in the past, this '53 Chevrolet pickup is one he always wanted. "Those others were just buying me time until I got to this one," he tells Sport Truck.

We know about that! Sometimes you have to wait for the right one to come along.

Jason found the truck in a trader magazine and felt the seller didn't know what he had: The price was only $250. Of course, the Chevy needed a lot of elbow grease, and it took almost nine months before the basket case was transformed into the beauty on these pages. The floorboards and firewall were rusted out and needed to be replaced. The bed was too far gone to rebuild, so a new one was ordered from LMC Truck. Aftermarket front and rear fenders also simplified the frame-off restoration. Jason retained the central section of the frame supporting the cab, molding it for looks and boxing it for strength. Z-notched rails were added up front to accept the modern tubular A-arm suspension, and 6-inch C-notched rails were added in the rear to accommodate the late-model Ford 9-inch with Moser axles and 3.73 positraction internals.

Jason also raised the bed floor 8 inches and repositioned the gas tank between the new rear rails. The truck's rocker-slammin' stance comes from an Air Ride Technologies system that dumped almost a foot off the vintage Chevy's too-tall profile thanks to the adjustable struts on all four corners. Twin Viair 480 compressors fill the single 5-gallon reserve tank and activate the struts through 1/4-inch lines and Parker valves. For modern stopping power, Jason added disc brakes-13s up front and 12s in the rear-from No Limit Engineering.

Once the suspension was in place, Jason began beautifying the engine room prior to installing the 350 Ram Jet V-8 crate motor. The firewall was cleaned up, and the eye-catching inner fender panels were smoothed, tubbed, molded, and painted to match the exterior. Engine additions include March pulleys, a K&N air filter, Hedman headers, Flowmaster mufflers, and an Afco radiator to keep the 375hp motor's temps in the green. A Turbo 350 trans with a B&M shift kit delivers power to the stylish, 22-inch Intro rims.

The front end uses a show-chromed, repro Chevrolet grille. Side doors were converted to a single pane of glass, and new glass was added throughout. Interior mods began with seats from a '91 Escort that were cut, recontoured, and upholstered in glove-soft tan leather. Rickamin's Upholstery in Hot Springs, Virginia, handled the stitchwork, adding suede accents to the seats, door panels, headliner, and rear of the cab. The reconfigured dash is now a combination of old and new, with Jason having left the stock Chevrolet imprint in the dash but welding up almost everything else. The gauges are from Dakota Digital, the steering column is from ididit, and the Intro steering wheel matches the rims. A modern addition, the molded-in monitor, is a 7-inch screen from Pyle that augments the flip-face stereo head unit from JVC. The truck will soon have a pair of rear-mounted amps and multiple speakers throughout the cab. Power windows, electric door locks, and all the latest modern conveniences transform the '53 into a comfortable grand tourer.

Paint is always the perfect finishing touch, and Jason was really impressed by the new DuPont Hot Hues palette. Aztec Yellow Pearl Metallic makes the '53 stand out in any crowd.

Though it took a long time to create, Jason says his masterpiece was well worth the wait. Not only does this Chevy function as the perfect calling card for Jason's Paint and Body, it just plain drives like a dream.

The 411
Owner/Hometown:
Jason Riner / Warm Springs, Virginia

Year/Make/Model:
'53 Chevy 3100

Engine/Drivetrain:
Fuel-injected Ram Jet 350 V-8 crate motor / March pulleys / K&N air filter / Hedman headers / Flowmaster mufflers / Afco radiator / Turbo 350 trans with B&M shift kit / Ford 9-inch rearend / Moser axles / 3.73 posi
BY: Jason's Paint and Body, Warm Springs, Virginia

Rims:
Front: 22x8.5 Intro Retro
Rear: 22x10 Intro Retro

Tires:
Front: 255/30-22 Nexen
Rear: 295/30-22 Nexen

Suspension:
Front: Fat Man Mustang II IFS / Air Ride Technologies Stage struts
Rear: No Limit triangulated and polished four-link / Air Ride Stage V struts
Accessories: Twin Viair 480 compressors / 5-gallon reserve tank / 1/4-inch air lines / Parker valves
Chassis: Original frame molded for looks / boxed for strength / Z-notched rails up front / Fat Man tubular A-arm suspension / 6-inch C-notch in rear / No Limit 12-gallon fuel cell
By: Jason's Paint and Body

Body Mods:
Shaved everything / raised rear fenders / raised bed floor / LMC Truck bed, tailgate, roll pan, and front and rear fenders / LMC repro Chevrolet grille / side doors converted to single pane of glass / molded inner fenders / Bitchin Products big-block firewall / LED taillights
By: Jason's Paint and Body

Custom Paint:
DuPont Hot Hues Aztec Yellow Pearl Metallic
By: Jason's Paint and Body

Interior:
Chopped '91 Escort seats / reconfigured dash / Dakota Digital instruments / ididit steering column / Intro steering wheel / tan leather and suede upholstery on seats, door panels, headliner, and rear of the cab
By: Rickamin's Upholstery, Hot Springs, Virginia

Audio/Video:
JVC flip-face head unit with 3-inch screen / 7-inch Pyle screen molded into dash
By: Jason's Paint and Body

Club:
Maxed Out Customs

Special Thanks:
Timmy Hepler, Gary Utz, Glen Hiner, Greg Pritt, and of course Mom and Dad

If you think about it, customizing trucks is an awesome hobby to get into. Going to shows talking about how you built your ride, picking up ideas about modifications, and hanging out with friends and making new ones along the way are just some of the things that make customizing so fun. However, when a truck build offers the chance for family members to spend more time with one another, it makes the hobby all the more appealing.

Dave Caldwell III of Knoxville, Tennessee, is able to do what he loves and share it with not one but two generations of the Caldwell clan. Along with his grandfather, Dave Sr., and his dad, Dave Jr., he owns this '95 Ranger-the family project.

Dave Sr. has been involved with customizing vehicles most of his life and was looking for his next show vehicle as well as a way to spend time with his son and especially his grandson, who was becoming increasingly interested in custom trucks. When he discovered this partially customized Ranger for sale on the Web, he knew it was just the right vehicle to fulfill both of his goals.

The Ranger was already layin' body on the ground, and the exterior mods included: shaved everything, a cowl-induction hood, a Lexan rear window, and a 40-inch ragtop. The Flareside fenders, tailgate, and rear pan were molded into a one-piece unit with iron cross-style taillights. The front fenders and cowl were also welded together to match the rear. With the body drop, this Ranger lays out hard thanks to its air suspension system, which employs an engine-driven compressor to air up the bags through 1/2-inch valves and 3/8-inch lines. Two 5-gallon air tanks in the bed provide plenty of air to play, and the airbags get a little extra height thanks to the cantilevered mounting on the new four-link rear.

In the audio department, Dave III wanted the whole neighborhood to hear and feel his presence. The Alpine in-dash CD/DVD unit with 6-inch screen sends its signal to a hidden 360-watt amplifier. Sound comes from a pair of 10-inch subs in a custom sub enclosure and 6x9-inch speakers positioned around the cab. A PlayStation 2 was integrated into the system and center console along with a six-disc changer in the armrest.

Also inside the cab is a new vinyl headliner, custom carpet with diamond-plate floor mats, and purple tweed inserts on the seats and door panels. The bed is carpeted in gray and black and offers a view of the chrome air tanks and the fuel cell, which is covered by a flamed vinyl panel.

Paint on the Ranger is a combination of Acura Silver with Pearl added and Ford Sapphire Metallic Blue separated by House of Kolor Tangelo Pearl. Mad Mods in Hollywood, Florida, handled the bodywork and the paintjob, and Bonz Designs airbrushed the Tangelo flames.

In the end, this project was all about spending time with family, three generations doing something they love to do.

As for what's in store for the vehicle?

"I'll never sell this truck because it's so highly modified with its frame cut and notched," Dave III says. "If anything, we will change it up a bit, something clean."

Whatever it is, we can't wait to see what this family comes up with next.

The 411
Owners/Hometown:
David Caldwell Sr., Jr., and III / Knoxville, Tennessee

Year/Make/Model:
'95 Ford Ranger

Engine/Drivetrain:
4.0L fuel-injected V-6 / custom aluminum cold-air intake with cone filter and stainless steel guard / 2-1/2-inch exhaust with Flowmaster muffler / 7-1/2-inch Ford rearend / Optima YellowTop battery / chrome alternator, A/C compressor, fuse-box cover, oil breather, and radiator recovery tank / bed-mounted 15-gallon fuel cellBy: Owner

Rims:
Front: 17x8 Momo Status
Rear: 18x8 Momo Status

Tires:
Front: Toyo 215/40ZR18
Rear: Toyo 235/40ZR18

Suspension:
Front: Belltech 3-1/2-inch dropped I-beams / Nitro-Active shocks / relocated radius arms / Firestone 2500 air springs
Rear: Four-link / Nitro-Active shocks / Firestone 2600 air springs
Accessories: Eight 1/2-inch valves / 3/8-inch air lines / two 5-gallon air tanks
Chassis: Step notch
By: The Shop, Orlando, Florida

Body Mods:
Shaved windshield wipers, squirters, driprail, door handles, third light, taillights, license plate, gas filler lid, and all body emblems / tailgate and roll pan combo / body-dropped 3-1/2 inches / fenders and grille shell molded together / inner fenderwells removed for clearance / cowl-induction hood / billet grille / SnugTop tonneau cover / rear fenders raised 1-1/2 inches to clear larger tires / iron-cross taillights / Street Beat Customs 40-inch canvas sunroof / Lexan rear window with license plate and third brake light / hidden radio antennaBY: Mad Mods, Hollywood, Florida / The Drop Shop, Pikeville, Kentucky (body drop)

Custom paint:
Acura Silver with Pearl, Ford Sapphire Metallic Blue, House of Kolor Tangelo Pearl
By: Mad Mods / Bonz Designs, Hollywood, Florida (airbrushed flames)

Interior:
Stock seats with purple suede inserts / purple and gray tweed door panels / gray carpeting with diamond-plate floor mats / billet steering wheel and billet shifter and turn-signal knobs
By: Kreative Kustoms, Knoxville, Tennessee

Audio/Video:
Alpine CD/DVD with 6-inch screen / six-CD player in center console / 360-watt Alphasonik amp / two Alphasonik 10-inch subs, four 6x9 mids, and highs in doors and rear quarter-panels / PlayStation 2
By: Dubbed Out, Knoxville, Tennessee

Club:N/A

Special Thanks:
Ric's Extreme Body Shop for helping keep all nicks and chips repaired

'08 Chevy 3500 Dualie
For many in the scene, owning a killer tow vehicle is just as important as owning a show vehicle. Spending thousands of dollars for a truck just to pull another isn't uncommon. For Josh Helbert of Brownswood, Texas, having something badass to tow with wasn't an option-it was a must. A quick trip to a local Chevy dealer was all it took to get things going.

Josh didn't want to wait to get started, so instead of taking delivery himself the dualie was delivered straight to Hack Shack in garland, Texas. Jay Ivey and his crew have been a big part of the Texas custom scene for years, and they were well up to the task of transforming the stock truck into a head-turning hauler.

Since Texas is known for everything being big, nothing but big was good enough. With 24-inch wheels on the horizon for this dualie, several suspension and frame modifi- cations were needed so the Hack Shack crew went to work. The rear frame was completely cut off at the cab and new framerails were made using 3x6-inch box tubing. The factory rear suspension was removed as Hack Shack opted to go with a completely custom, hand-fabricated two-link setup with Panhard bar. Underneath, the rearend had to be narrowed 8 inches to accommodate the 24s and allow them to tuck inside the fenders. The factory gas tank would no longer fit, so a new 30-gallon fuel cell now resides in the stock location; however, it did have to be shortened and narrowed to mount above the framerails. Using airbag products from Slam Specialties and Firestone in conjunction with 1/2-inch Parker valves, this 3500 not only lays frame but gets plenty of lift above the massive 24s.

Visually, Josh's dualie has minimal body modifications. All badges and markings have been removed, so the exterior has a clean, smooth look. The front end has a new look thanks to a Precision stainless steel mesh grille. HID headlights and foglamps help give Josh better visibility over their factory counterparts. The inside of the bed retains a very clean look thanks to Rhino Lining, which now covers the custom notch cover and gooseneck trailer hitch. The most noticeable aspect of Josh's dualie is the set of massive, 24-inch Alcoa American Force Independence dualie wheels wrapped in Sumitomo 285/35/24 NS All Sport rubber.

Another key contributor to the appeal of this dualie is the interior. Although the factory black leather was left untouched, all of the factory stereo equipment was replaced with aftermarket products, allowing Josh and his passengers to enjoy long drives to shows. Behind the rear seats, 12-inch Kicker subs send massive amounts of bass throughout the cab. MTX 6-1/2-inch components keep the mids and highs in tune with the subwoofers. The subs are powered by an MTX 5601 amp, while the mids and highs are powered by an MTX 3404, all of which is hidden behind the rear seats. At first glace, the cab has a clean, stock feel. XOVision provided the video equipment, with 9-inch screens now mounted in all headrests. The whole audio/video system receives instructions from an Alpine IVA-W205 head unit.

With the 6.6-liter Duramax already putting out plenty of torque for towing, Josh decided that he didn't want to do anything too extreme that could affect reliability. A few things had to be modified to fit, including the 3500 Stage 2 intake, to retain the stock fenderwells. To help keep things clean under the hood, the two Optima batteries have been relocated underneath the truck in the rear. Hack Shack also outfitted the Chevy with a custom exhaust tucked above the framerails, allowing this monster to lay completely out without any clearance issues. Finally, when the power band needs to be adjusted on the fly, Josh can do so with ease thanks to a Bully Dog Power Pup programmer.

With the dualie completed in two months, Josh looked forward to getting out on the road and enjoying his new toy. Although the short wait was still hard, it was worth it. Josh has more plans for the truck, but for now he's content to cruise around the streets of Texas and drive to as many shows as possible. Not too shabby for a truck with less than 160 miles on it.

The 411
Owner/Hometown:
Josh Helbert / Brownswood, Texas

Year/Make/Model:
'08 Chevy 3500

Engine /Drivetrain:
6.6L Duramax / Allison transmission / AFE Stage 2 intake / custom exhaust / two Optima batteries relocated underneath the bed / stock rearend narrowed 4 inches on each side / inner fenderwells tubbed / Bully Dog Power Pup programmer
By: Hack Shack, garland, Texas

RIMS:
Front & Rear: 24-inch Alcoa American Force Independence

Tires:
Front & Rear: 285/35/24 Sumitomo NS All Sport

Suspension:
Front: Relocated upper control arms / modi-fied upper shock mounts / Slam Specialties RE-8 airbags / Toxic shocks
Rear: Custom two-link with Panhard bar /Firestone 3100 airbags / Toxic shocks
Accessories: Eight 1/2-inch Parker air valves / 1/2-inch steel-braided air line / Oasis XD3000 compressor / two 5-gallon air tanks
Chassis: Full back-half custom frame with gooseneck trailer hitch / narrowed frame / narrowed and shortened 30-gallon aluminum fuel cell
By: Hack Shack

Body Mods:
Shaved logos and badges / Precision four-piece stainless steel mesh grille / HID headlights and foglights / smoked taillights / Rhino-lined tub and notch cover
By: Hack Shack

Custom Paint:
N/A

Interior:
Stock leather seats / Dakota Digital gauges
By: Mark Perez at Hack Shack

Audio/Video:
Alpine IVA-W205 head unit / MTX 6-1/2-inch component speakers / MTX 3404 amp for speakers / two Kicker 12-inch subwoofers / MTX 5601 amp for subs / StreetWires wiring / 9-inch XOVision headrest monitors / XOVision rearview camera
By: Mark Perez at Hack Shack

Club:
N/A

Special Thanks:
To the Hack Shack crew: Jay Ivey, Hector Ramirez, Andy Choote, Dustin Self, Jordon Butler, Mark Perez; and to Leah for putting up with him during the build.

It's pretty rare that we receive a tech sheet filled out completely, let alone one with all of the detailed technical information we like to read. Jamey Tiffany of Bethlehem, Georgia, brought a smile to our faces as he has put his heart and soul into letting us know just what kind of enthusiast he is and what he went through building his '88 Dodge D-50. Some readers might see this as having too much spare time, but the way we look at it is custom-truck building runs deep in Jamey's blood and he has more to express than he could ever put on paper.

Jamey got interested in minis at the age of 15 after moving to Georgia from New York. One of his new friends had a hammered-out Toyota on 15s, which baited the hook for the young and impressionable Jamey. What got him to bite was the cruise night in Gainesville, Georgia, where everyone hung out on the main drag and checked out the rides. Finally setting the hook was a phone call from his cousin about a truck he was selling. Jamey took the deal and the D50 was his.

Jamey is particularly attached to his D50 because it's the first truck he ever owned. Even though he's owned several custom trucks in the decade since buying the D50, he always found himself wanting to work on the Dodge. This truck also represents a lot of firsts for Jamey: the first air setup he installed, the first time he shaved a set of door handles (which turned into everything else); it was even the first truck that he ever body-dropped.

The D50 has quite a history. Jamey's replaced the doors and bumper twice, the hood, bed, and back window three times, the windshield and fenders four times, and wheels five times. He also replaced the tired 93hp motor with a 160hp Mitsubishi Starion turbo motor.

From the day he started out, Jamey has been honing his skills as a builder, getting better with each vehicle. He has no regrets about this build. The mistakes he made on this truck have only made him more aware of what to do right on the next one. His advice to new mini-truckers is to form a game plan and stick to it-your wallet will be a lot heavier, and there'll be less heartache. Most importantly, always remember that it's just for fun.

The greatest custom trucks are never really finished. It's true. The ones that really push the limits of creativity, ingenuity, engineering, and style end up becoming constant works in progress because they break new ground, venturing into territories of truck customization that few others would dare to enter. This means that these trucks end up getting built, road-tested, and tinkered with, and then, maybe then, they'll get blown apart to be dressed up for show. Lots of them never make it that far, and it's rare that they make it past the initial planning, build phase, and testing to the promised land of paint and interior work. We're cool with that. Most times, it's the unfinished truck stashed in someone's home garage or in a dusty corner of a shop that really appeals to our sense of custom. With so many cookie-cutter customized trucks rollin' today, it's the ones that usually never see the light of day that end up being innovative.

Here are four new rides that fit the bill and have at least a shot of seeing the road and the show circuit one day. Each one carries weight in the world of horsepower, styling, and fabrication. But each one also leads by a different example, bending the envelope of coolness and possibility in a different direction. Some flex big-time body mods, while others are a testament to the skills of the fabricator behind the custom frame work. No matter what the case, each will give inspiration to anyone looking to build a truly killer custom sport truck.

Gale Banks' Sidewinder S-10 drag truck first made news by running in the 8-second range right off the trailer in las Vegas. Well, the team tried out a new torque converter, and after some tuning, ran a 7.96 second pass at 167.34 mph at the Speedworld Motorplex in Wittman, Arizona, on December 18, 2007.

"We were at the track testing a new torque-converter setup, but the clocks told us that we were going even quicker and faster than we did a month ago when we set a new record in las Vegas," said a beaming gale Banks. "i couldn't be more proud of this team and their accomplishment."

We're still waiting to see what the truck is really capable of. The team is still running the road-race version of the engine, plucked from the Sidewinder Type-R truck. The drag-racing version of the Duramax engine is still in development back at the shop. Stay tuned.

GM Dumps Allison Tranny BusinessThere was talk of Allison being sold in January, and now it looks as if the deal might happen (pending regulatory approval). gM agreed to sell its Allison transmission and military business to Onex and the Carlyle group because it considered the divisions nonessential to its core business. The Carlyle group is a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm, and Onex is a Toronto-based investment conglomerate. The two will be equal partners in the deal, both sides said.

Indianapolis-based Allison designs and builds commercial-duty automatic transmissions, hybrid propulsion systems and parts for trucks and buses, off- highway equipment, and military vehicles. The company boasts an 80-percent market share of all medium- and heavy-duty commercial transmissions, with annual revenues of more than $2 billion.

Greg ledford, Carlyle's managing director, says the new owners aim to eventually take Allison public. he says Carlyle and Onex would assume all UAW contracts for employees from gM, although he won't comment on any possible changes during collective bargaining later this year. The firms have no plans to close any of the seven plants, ledford says.

The Big Three Drop Many DealershipsAfter closing factories and slashing hundreds of thousands of jobs from their labor forces, Ford, GM, and Chrysler are now weeding out underperforming dealerships. GM has reduced its dealerships by 229 to 6,807 in the past year, Ford has shrunk by 139 to fewer than 4,140 as of July 2007, and Chrysler has eliminated 142 to 3,607 as of October.

For a long time, "the strategy was to have a dealership on every corner in order to drive market share," says Ford spokesman, Jim Cain. Today, "the business model is very different."

10 Mostly Worthless Facts1. Serbia is about to sell its only car company, which manufactures the Yugo. You remember the Yugo, right?

2.In 1980, gMC called its non-Stepsidebed-appointed pickups "Wideside." Chevy called the same trucks "Fleetside."

3.The tires on Calin's Buick Century are pretty bald from his aggressive driving.

4.The back tires on Kevin's gMC could support Ma and Pa Kettle's farm tractor.

5.13-inch rims on a donk would make it a dank.

6.In 1957, Jeep built the FC150 1/2-ton 4x4 pickup. The cab resembled a van, but it had either a stepside or stake bed out back. These are very rare trucks, with production numbers of less than 3,000 units for each model variation.

7.Mike likes to sit in his garage in his '67 and imagine what it's like to drive his truck with working taillights.

8.The '48 Chevy 1/2-ton FP pickup was available with an inline, overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine. it had a displacement of 216.5 ci, a 6.5:1 compression ratio, and it pumped out a whopping 29.4 hp.

9.This is the best thread on our website right now: http://forums.sporttruck.com/70/6489923/the-lounge/5-wordsor-lesskeep-the-story-going/index.html

10. You can now sell your sport truck on our website for free. Yay!

Is The Big-Wheel Craze Getting Out Of Hand?Say What?The staff speaks and you listen. it's that simple. This month's question is:MiKe: Well we've eclipsed the 30-inch mark, but you really don't see too many of that size wheel on a sport truck. Thirties look retarded on most trucks, even the larger body styles of the new GM, Ford, and Dodge offerings. Sure they fit, but that doesn't mean they belong on our trucks. Maybe i'm just getting old, but i'm starting to think that if i have to swerve around a popsicle stick that some kid dropped in the intersection because it could blow a hole in my tires, then it might be time to downsize the rim and upsize the tire.

Calin: i'm not sure if it's getting out of hand for everyone, but it is for me. Personally, i've seen trucks fitted with 20s up front and 22s out back that looked killer. But i don't think you would find anything bigger than that in my garage. i have built trucks with 20s, and I eventually pulled those off for a smaller set so i could get a little more sidewall on my tire. Call me old if you want, but i feel there has to be some sort of balance between wheel size and the tire's sidewall.

Galen: When it is done in the right respect i don't have a problem; when it isn't, i have a big problem with it. let me tell you why. The average Joe will watch some TV show where celebrities talk about their 30-inch wheels on their h2 and go out and buy the biggest wheels he can afford and bolt them onto his '90 Ford Tempo and think that he is cool because he saw that his favorite artist has big wheels. What the kid doesn't understand is that those rims are, for the most part, proportional to the celebrity's vehicle. The reason that i don't think that big wheels are getting out of hand is this: Manufacturers aren't making vehicles any smaller. There is no way you can throw an 18-inch rim with a 235/40R18 tire on a new-body Silverado, Dodge Mega Cab, or even the redesigned Tacoma or Frontier and expect it to look right. You need a bigger wheel to fill the wheelwells, and what looks good is somewhere between 24 and 28 inches with a nice, low-profile tire.

Kevin: Yes and no. Most people in the scene think bigger is better; however, I think you have to find a wheel size that is proportional to your body style. it is cool to tuck big wheels in your fenders, but if they are practically popping out of the hood, then you have gone too far. As for the size of wheels being used nowadays, 22s and 24s are big yet not too big. Twenty-sixes and bigger on these same trucks is excessive, but with manufacturers making bigger trucks, these bigger wheel sizes look more proportional.

Andy: Who is to say if it's getting out of hand? it's like that line from the movie Field of Dreams: "if you build it they will come." i'm sure if somebody out there decides to make 60-inch wheels, some guy out there will decide they'll look good on his truck. Sure, he may get laughed at by quite a few naysayers, but i'm sure he'd probably inspire some other jackass to want to put something that big on his truck too. i guess what i'm trying to say is it's all personal preference as to what size rim goes on your truck. Pretty much the sky is the limit of your imagination when it comes to vehicle customization. good taste, on the other hand, has a lower ceiling.

National Treasures
The greatest custom trucks are never really finished. It's true. The ones that really push the limits of creativity, ingenuity, engineering, and style end up becoming constant works in progress because they break new ground, venturing into territories of truck customization that few others would dare to enter. This means that these trucks end up getting built, road-tested, and tinkered with, and then, maybe then, they'll get blown apart to be dressed up for show. Lots of them never make it that far, and it's rare that they make it past the initial planning, build phase, and testing to the promised land of paint and interior work. We're cool with that. Most times, it's the unfinished truck stashed in someone's home garage or in a dusty corner of a shop that really appeals to our sense of custom. With so many cookie-cutter customized trucks rollin' today, it's the ones that usually never see the light of day that end up being innovative.

Here are four new rides that fit the bill and have at least a shot of seeing the road and the show circuit one day. Each one carries weight in the world of horsepower, styling, and fabrication. But each one also leads by a different example, bending the envelope of coolness and possibility in a different direction. Some flex big-time body mods, while others are a testament to the skills of the fabricator behind the custom frame work. No matter what the case, each will give inspiration to anyone looking to build a truly killer custom sport truck.

Since its introduction in 2004, the Nissan Titan has continued making converts in the truck world and making the suits in the Big Three squirm in their driver seats. Offered in King Cab or Crew Cab, this fullsize truck turns heads and collects awards for its performance, comfort, and solid hauling capacity. For the second year in a row, J.D. Power named the Titan "Most Appealing Large Pickup" based on owner satisfaction. Consumers Digest made it one of their Best Buys, and Popular Mechanics voted it their first choice two years in a row. And did we mention how hot it looks?

It comes by its front-runner status honestly. Titan's boxed frame adds considerable strength compared to a standard C-shaped rail. Two-wheeldrive models are fitted with Dana rear axles (front and rear Danas on 4x4s) and boast a 1-ton payload with a 9,500-pound towing capacity. The flex-fuel Endurance 5.6L engine is the biggest in its class, pumping out 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque. Electronic Brakeforce Distribution automatically adjusts the four-wheel vented discs based on additional cargo weight. All this means that this hauler goes and stops as good as it looks.

So, what do you do with a vehicle that's loaded with just the right mix of utility, luxury, and style? Make it better, of course! Because our charter clearly reads "Thou Shalt Not Drive Stock," we've tracked down what will soon be one of the baddest Titans on the planet. Jimmy Graham and the team from Scrape-n-Customs in Edgewater, Florida, are no strangers to these pages. They create cover-quality customs on a regular basis such as the stunning S-10 belonging to Jenn Lacey Jimmy's fiance) that's been featured in multiple national magazines. Jimmy's latest automotive adventure is to lay out his new '07 Titan Crew Cab XE and ease the frame to the asphalt while rollin' on 24s and still able to tow Jenn's truck to shows around the country. We rolled into his shop to give you a peek at exactly what's in store.

A longtime Nissan fan, Jimmy bought his new '07 Titan Crew Cab XE with the intention of creating the ultimate shop truck. Once the complex lowering job is complete, the Crew Cab will become the shop tow vehicle, pulling the trailer that holds Jenn's S-10 while providing plenty of room in the cab for the shop staff. All of the mods will be handled in a way that will not change the Titan's impressive 9,500-pound towing capacity.

The first step in the process was C-notching the frame 6.5 inches and narrowing the rearend 2.25 inches on each side to ensure the big wheels fit inside the factory fender lip. Jimmy designed a parallel four-link setup and Watt's linkage for stability. The air suspension uses two 5-gallon aluminum reserve tanks, a pair of Air-Zenith compressors, Air Ride Technologies 9100 sleeve bags rated at 2,000 pounds each, 3/8-inch stainless lines, and ASCO valves. A new stainless steel fuel tank will replace the plastic factory version that hangs a little too low, and the rear crossmember was cut and will be reworked for driveshaft clearance. Jimmy is also creating his own hidden trailer-hitch design that will come through the stock bumper.

The front end uses 4-inch dropped spindles that were custom-made by Max at Bio Kustoms in California. After eliminating the factory spring pocket, Jimmy built new tubular upper and lower A-arms that are 2 inches shorter than stock. The frame was Z'd 1.5 inches, allowing the wheels to travel upward just enough to make front and rear level, both within about 1 inch from the ground. The front end uses RE-7 Slam bags with 3/8-inch lines. The factory sway bar will be retained thanks to relocated mounting brackets. Inner fender panels complete the suspension package. The measured lift is a huge 14 inches of travel with very little camber deflection when the front wheels are tucked into the fenders. Jimmy has a set of 24-inch U2-55s from Velocity wrapped in 295/35R24 Nankang rubber. They are the same diameter as the stock 18-inch Titan tire, so the speedometer and engine computer will read correctly.

To provide clearance for the hood, the motor will be lowered approximately 1.5 inches by cutting the motor mounts. All of the original factory controls like ABS, traction control, and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution will be retained, although the modules will be relocated. The brake booster will be moved over 2 inches to clear the wheel when the truck is on the ground. The electrical relay box and engine computer will find new homes somewhere on the firewall. Both batteries will be moved to the rear to free up room in the engine compartment.

The bed will be the final step, with tubs added to clear the tires and the floor raised 5 inches to maintain a stock appearance. Since this will be a true shop vehicle, the bed will probably be protected with Rhino Lining.

Stay tuned for photographs of the finished truck easin' through the weeds but still strong enough to tow a trailer!

The 411
Owner/Hometown:
Jimmy Graham / Edgewater, Florida

Year/Make/Model:
'07 Nissan Titan Crew Cab

Engine/Drivetrain:
5.6L V-8 / rearend narrowed 2.25 inches per side
BY: Scrape-n-Customs, Edgewater, Florida

Rims:
Front & Rear: Velocity U2-55 24x10 with 13mm offset

Tires:
Front & Rear: Nankang SN-3980 295/35R24

Suspension:
Front: Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags / Bio Kustoms 4-inch drop spindles / Scrape-n-Customs tubular control arms / Monroe Reflex shocks

Rear: Air Ride Technologies 9100 sleeve airbags / parallel four-link and Watt's linkage

Accessories: Eight 3/8-inch ASCO air valves / 3/8-inch stainless steel hard line / two Air-Zenith compressors / two 5-gallon tanks

Chassis: Custom upper airbag mounts in the front / step notch / custom bridge for airbag mounts / front clip Z'd 1.5 inches / custom-built 28-gallon gas tank
BY: Scrape-n-Customs

Body Mods:
Molded wheeltubs / the rest of the truck will remain stock on the exterior until it's ready for the custom paintjob to go with the rendering
BY: Scrape-n-Customs

Custompaint:
House of Kolor True Blue Pearl, Chrome Yellow, Black, Pearl, and Kosmic Klear / it will stay factory white for the top color
BY: Todd Fisher of Volusia County Customs, DeLand, Florida

Interior:
Undecided, but will be done by Scrape-n-Customs

Audio/Video:
Undecided, but will be done by Scrape-n-Customs

Club:
Vivid Reality

Special Thanks:
To his friends who've helped with the project, Shane, Will, Jenn, Air-Zenith for the compressors

Rick Freeman has been there and done that. He got his start in custom trucks by slinging Bondo back in the day in his parent's garage in Michigan. These days, he owns Street Beat Customs, an Arizona-based company best known for its line of sliding ragtops. Although the ragtops put his company on the map, these days it's the thriving aftermarket accessory sales that keep him really busy. Rick's still a dyed-in-the-wool truck guy though, so he still finds time to build customs. In fact, his C10 will be appearing in Sport Truck soon, but for now check out the easy and clean mods his company performed to this brand-new Chevy Silverado.

\Whenever someone says the words "work truck," we instantly think of a truck with tools in the bed, scratches in the paint, and an interior littered with soda bottles and Twinkie wrappers. However, this picture isn't always an accurate one.

Travis Reif, owner of The Custom Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada, spends most of his days building customers' rides or cruising the Strip showing off his latest creation. For this build, he chose an '07 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab. The catch was that Travis had only 90 days to complete the project in time for the SEMA Show, where the Dodge was to showcase his and his crew's talent.

Travis has always liked big trucks. He purchased this Dodge Ram because the truck was big enough for his tastes and because its size was just what was needed to help draw attention to his shop. With the help of his crew, Travis launched his Dodge into a realm beyond the typical "work truck." To make the truck bigger, The Custom Shop installed a modified Full Throttle suspension lift that gave Travis enough height to clear 40s without having to install a body lift. King coilovers were used instead of a replacement spring and shock in the front, and the rear was handled by Deaver Spring leaf packs and King shocks incorporated into the suspension setup. Custom-made traction bars sport a deep red finish that blends with other red suspension features, while a few gallons of fresh black paint was applied to the remaining chassis equipment. The look of the black frame with the red suspension components sets off the chrome finish of the 22-inch Ion Forged wheels surrounded by 40x15.5R22LT Toyo M/T tires.

Powering Travis's Ram is the legendary 5.9-liter Cummins Turbodiesel. Of course, a big lifted Dodge can't have a stock engine, so Travis installed an aFe Stage 2 intake manifold kit with a Bully Dog management system that allows him on-the-fly adjustability for pumping up the power numbers. Also included in the performance upgrades is a 4-inch, ceramic-coated, Banks exhaust system that allows the engine to breath better and sound intimidating. The combination of upgrades helps the Cummins engine produce over 400 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque.

On the outside, the Dodge looks just as mean as its performance numbers indicate. Travis had his guys install a set of AMP Research Power Steps and Night Runner black headlights. The graphics begin over the factory red paint, where House of Kolor Black was mixed with a grip of red metalflake and laid down over almost the entire length of the truck. Adding a little more pop to the Dodge's looks is a second set of flames of HOK Pagan Gold sprayed over Orion Silver intertwined with the black flames.

Inside the crew cab, gray leather and suede covers the factory seating, while a set of Auto Meter A-pillar gauges helps keep track of the turbo boost and transmission and exhaust gas temperatures. For tunes, Travis rocks out to a Fosgate-powered sound system with MB Quart replacement door speakers. A custom fiberglass sub enclosure wrapped in suede was mounted behind the rear seats to hold a pair of JL Audio subs. Finishing the interior, Travis modified the center dash bezel to house an Eclipse DVD/nav unit and color-matched some of the plastic pieces to give the interior a splash of color.

With only hours before it was time to hit the road for SEMA, The Custom Shop Dodge was completed. This truck is more than just wheels and tires: Travis and crew opted to showcase their talents and display a rolling calling card for show attendees to see and appreciate. Now that the cat is out of the bag, you can expect to see great things coming out of The Custom Shop's roll-up doors because they already have other projects started and up on the racks.

The 411
Owner/hometown:
Travis Reif / Las Vegas, Nevada

Year/make/model:
'07 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab

Engine/drivetrain:
5.9L Cummins Turbodiesel / aFe Stage 2 intake system / Bully Dog Performance Management Tool / ceramic-coated, 4-inch, Banks exhaust system / custom front and rear drivelines
By: The Custom Shop, Las Vegas, Nevada / Adam's Driveline, Las Vegas, Nevada

Rims:
Front & Rear: 22x10 Ion Forged Terminator

Tires:
Front & Rear: 40x15.50R22LT Toyo Open Country M/T

Suspension:
Front: Full Throttle Suspension 10-inch lift / modified Full Throttle front link arms and steering linkage for additional 2 inches of lift / King 3.0 coilovers with piggyback reservoirs / custom steering-stabilizer bar with two King 3.0 shocks
Rear: Deaver 12-inch-lift leaf springs / two King 2.5 shocks / Firestone 2600 air springs / custom-made airbag brackets / custom-made traction bars
Accessories: Two-way RidePro air-valve assembly / Viair 400 compressor / 3-gallon air tank / 3/8-inch DOT air line / Mag-Hytec front and rear differential covers
Chassis: N/A
By: The Custom Shop

Body Mods:
AMP Research Power Steps / dechromed and painted grille and front and rear bumper / Dodge Ram SRT Night Runner headlights / smoked rear taillights
By: The Custom Shop / Shelton Designs, Las Vegas, Nevada

Custom Paint:
House of Kolor Pagan Gold, Orion Silver, Black, red metalflake, Roman Red, and Silver
By: Shelton Designs

Interior:
Factory seating wrapped in leather and suede / suede headliner / painted plastic trim on dash, door panels, and center console / three-gauge A-pillar pod / Auto Meter Pyro and transmission temperature gauges and boost gauge
By: The Custom Shop

Audio/video:
Eclipse AVN5495 DVD/nav with 6.5-inch-wide TFT display with touch-control screen / two sets of MB Quart PCE-216 6.5-inch speakers / painted Rockford Fosgate T8004 800-watt four-channel amp and T10001bd 1,000-watt mono amplifier / two JL Audio 12W6 speakers / custom fiberglass subwoofer enclosure and amplifier rack wrapped in suede / modified center dash trim
By: The Custom Shop / Shelton Designs / West Lake Audio, Las Vegas, Nevada

Club:
N/A

Special Thanks:
The crew at The Custom Shop, wife Teri, sons Tanner and Tyler

National Treasures
The greatest custom trucks are never really finished. It's true. The ones that really push the limits of creativity, ingenuity, engineering, and style end up becoming constant works in progress because they break new ground, venturing into territories of truck customization that few others would dare to enter. This means that these trucks end up getting built, road-tested, and tinkered with, and then, maybe then, they'll get blown apart to be dressed up for show. Lots of them never make it that far, and it's rare that they make it past the initial planning, build phase, and testing to the promised land of paint and interior work. We're cool with that. Most times, it's the unfinished truck stashed in someone's home garage or in a dusty corner of a shop that really appeals to our sense of custom. With so many cookie-cutter customized trucks rollin' today, it's the ones that usually never see the light of day that end up being innovative.

Here are four new rides that fit the bill and have at least a shot of seeing the road and the show circuit one day. Each one carries weight in the world of horsepower, styling, and fabrication. But each one also leads by a different example, bending the envelope of coolness and possibility in a different direction. Some flex big-time body mods, while others are a testament to the skills of the fabricator behind the custom frame work. No matter what the case, each will give inspiration to anyone looking to build a truly killer custom sport truck.

This project '53 Ford F-100 has gone way further than Tony Jones ever imagined. Even though Tony grew up around wild customs and is a master pinstriper, he was only going to make a simple cruiser out of it. However, his son, Mike, had a very different outlook on the whole build. You see, Mike is the owner of Chaotic Rods & Customs, a shop that's well known for transforming everyday vehicles into show-stopping marvels. Seeing this truck's potential, Mike couldn't stand the thought of his father building a mild hauler.

Tony's main worry about going all-out on the F-100 was possible damage to it while driving: door dings in parking lots, pits in the paint from road debris, or even worse, someone crashing into it. Since Mike and his crew can fix almost anything, they assured Tony that if something were to go wrong, it could most likely be fixed. This was enough to convince Tony, and he handed over the keys and credit card.

With the truck at Chaotic, the crew threw out the tired old frame and replaced it with a set of rails from a second-generation Chevy S-10. This modern frame was chosen because it is easier to find parts for and is relatively simple to add air ride to. After the crew made some measurements, they figured all they had to do was shorten the chassis by 12 inches and fabricate some body mounts to get the doors on the ground. With the cab going that low, the running boards were ditched while the front fenders and grille had to be moved up. To line up the hood with the front-end shift, it was pancaked and the upper sheetmetal was moved forward.

The rear of the truck is a bit different as the only original parts that were reused are the fenders. The rest was created from raw sheetmetal to form a super-clean version of the original.

Just as the body is still in the works, so is the new motor. The chosen powerplant is a rebuilt 350-cid V-8 well equipped with Jegs aluminum heads, two Holley carburetors, and a Weiand supercharger. Once fully assembled and made operational, this Effie will practically fly down the highway.

Looking at the accompanying photos, you can already see the evolution of an old workhorse into a mean hot-rod pickup. It has taken a lot of work to get it this far, and until recently Tony had not seen it since he let his son take on the build. Even though he was not a part of the build process, several things were tailored for Tony's personal tastes. For example, the top of the cab won't be chopped since Tony is tall and likes to wear a cowboy hat. Also, the sound system will remain pretty basic. In the end, Tony will have a sweet custom ride built just to his liking, and he won't even have to break a sweat to get it.

The 411
Owner/Hometown:
Tony Jones / Tomball, Texas
Year/Make/Model:
'53 Ford F-100

Engine /Drivetrain:
Rebuilt 350-cid V-8 from a '79 Chevy truck / Jegs aluminum heads / two Holley 650-cfm carburetors / Weiand supercharger / handmade headers / rebuilt Turbo 350 automatic transmission / rearend from a second-generation Chevy S-10 / custom-made driveshaft
By: Chaotic Rods & Customs, Tomball, Texas

Rims:
Front: 20x8.5 Boyd Coddington Dictator with 4-inch backspacing
Rear: 22x10 Boyd Coddington Dictator with 4.5-inch backspacing

Tires:
Front: 255/35/20 Nitto 555
Rear: 285/35/22 Nitto 555

Suspension:
Front: Custom upper control arms / Belltech drop spindles / Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags / custom mounting cups / relocated KYB shocks
Rear: Custom two-link with track bar moved inside frame for wheel clearance / Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags / KYB shocks
Accessories: Custom aluminum fuel tank / GC 450 valves / two Viair 450 compressors / 7-gallon air tank

Chassis: '01 Chevy S-10 frame shortened 12 inches / custom body mounts / custom step notch
By: Chaotic Rods & Customs

Body Mods:
Running boards removed to get cab on the ground / front fenders and grille raised / hood pancaked 4 inches and moved forward / handfabricated bed with original fenders / flushmount LED taillight / shaved mirrors, antenna, wipers, bumper holes, and cab seams
By: Chaotic Rods & Customs

Custom Paint:
Plans for PPg Copper with cream flames
BY: Chaotic Rods & Customs

Interior:
Budnik steering wheel / gauge cluster relocated to center of dash / custom bucket seats and center console to come
By: Chaotic Rods & Customs

Audio/Video:
Flip-screen head unit and simple sound system to play country tunes will be installed
By: Chaotic Rods & Customs

Club:
N/A

Special Thanks:
Everyone at Chaotic

Although Tom Glass is in his late 40s, he likes to have fun and drive mini-trucks as if he's still in his 20s. He admits most of the guys he knows that are his age aren't as actively involved in their hobbies as he is, let alone have custom trucks in their garages. Despite his peers' relative lack of enthusiasm, Tom is fully into the scene and has no qualms about owning a low and clean show truck. In case you were wondering, Tom is not going through a mid-life crisis. In fact, he's been customizing vehicles since he was a kid.

Tom's father was a really big do-it-yourselfer, and it's from him that Tom picked up the skills to wrench. Tom started off working on trucks and eventually went on to a career in the automotive field-at first on the mechanical side and later on in retail parts sales. He gained years of experience in the industry, so when a good friend asked him to help with the start-up of an audio shop he was well up to the task.

As a way to help promote the upstart shop, Tom set up booths at and attended many auto shows. At these shows, Tom met Alan "Farva" Jackson, who owned an audio-heavy '00 Chevy S-10. It caught Tom's attention for two reasons: First, he loves mini-trucks. Second, it sported the same audio equipment he was selling. The latter really piqued his interest in that he envisioned the truck as a mobile showroom of Memphis Car Audio equipment. All that gear was mounted in custom fiberglass panels, and the interior's center console boasted nine amplifiers for the excess of speakers in the cab and subwoofers mounted in a blow-though enclosure.

It wasn't just the Chevy's interior that caught Tom's eye (and ear)-the truck had clean exterior features as well. The first thing he noticed was the frame-scraping stance achieved with a set of airbags on all four corners along with drop spindles up front and a triangulated four-link in the rear. The body itself was also transformed with a GMC Envoy front end and a cleanly shaved bed. The factory pewter color was painted Viper Blue to distinguish the vehicle as custom.

When Tom first saw the truck, Farva had just recently swapped out the original four-cylinder engine for a 4.3L V-6 from an S-10 Xtreme. Though the kinks involved in this swap hadn't yet been worked out, Farva needed to sell the S-10 in order to fund his "Blazerado" project. Tom opted to buy the truck and get it back to optimum operating condition. The deal was perfect for him because not only would he get to own a clean show truck, he would also have a great marketing platform for the audio shop.

Once Tom had the keys, he got the S-10 running smoothly by changing the rearend gears to a set of 3.23s. One kink unkinked. Another kink was that the truck tended to shut down at highway speeds. Tom figured out that all he needed to do was change the speed sensor on the transmission for a proper match. After fixing these driving issues, Tom added a few performance parts to give the 4.3L more kick. Then, it was finished with steel-braided hoses and a billet dress-up kit.

With everything fixed up, Tom now drives this truck to all shows within a couple hundred miles of his hometown. It does well as it's an all-around clean truck with a gnarly sound system. It just goes to show that you're never too old to own a nice ride.

The 411
Owner/hometown: Tom Glass / Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Year/make/model:
'00 Chevy S-10

Engine/drivetrain:
4.3L V-6 from an S-10 Xtreme / COMP Cams camshaft kit / MSD coil / Taylor plug wires / Injen polished cold-air intake / Hypertech power programmer / JBA headers / 300-amp alternator / stainless steel exhaust with Flowmaster muffler / Stinger battery / stainless steel braided hoses / Billet Specialties dress-up kit / automatic transmission / factory rearend with 3:23 Richmond Gear gears
By: Wicked Kustoms, La Vergne, Tennessee / Owner

Rims:
Front: 18x8 Center Line Dagger with 4.5-inch backspacing
Rear: 18x9.5 Center Line Dagger with 4.5-inch backspacing

Tires:
Front: 225/40R18 Kumho
Rear: 265/35R18 Kumho

Suspension:
Front: Belltech drop spindles / Firestone 224c airbags / custom mounting cups
Rear: Pete & Jake's triangulated four-link / Firestone 224c airbags / Gabriel shocks
Accessories:Air Lift engine-driven compressor / backup Viair 450 compressor / SMC valves / 12-gallon air tank / gas tank raised
Chassis: Rear C-notch / shortened transmission crossmember
By: Wicked Kustoms

Body Mods:
'00 GMC Envoy front clip / billet upper and lower grilles / Street Scene hood and mirrors / shaved antenna, fuel door, upper of front bed steps, tailgate handle, taillights, rear steps, and Grant Kustoms roll pan / LED taillights / tonneau cover
By: Tommy Boshers, Pulaski, Tennessee

Custom Paint:
Spies Hecker Viper Blue
By: Carlton Hunter, Nashville, Tennessee

Interior:
'89 Acura Integra bucket seats reupholstered in Symphony suede and Landau black vinyl / smoothed and painted dash / reupholstered door panels with fiberglass speaker pods on bottom / custom-made center console to hold amps for stereo / blow-through box for subwoofers / Trenz billet steering wheel, shifter handle, and rearview mirror / A/C controls relocated to glovebox
By: Kaze Williams of Audio Visions, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Audio/video:
Eclipse CD8053 head unit / two 4x6-inch Memphis Car Audio speakers / two 6.5-inch Memphis speakers with tweeters / 8-inch Memphis speakers with tweeters / two 6x9-inch Memphis speakers / 150-watt Memphis amp for speakers / three 300-watt Memphis amps for speakers / two Memphis 8-inch subwoofers / four Memphis LVS 12-inch subwoofers / four Memphis Studio 1,000-watt Class D amps for subwoofers / Memphis 300-watt amp for subwoofers / AAMP of America professional Stinger wire / four Optima YellowTop batteries in bed
By: Kaze Williams

Club:
Vaperz

Special Thanks:
Alan Jackson, wife Teresa and daughter Traci for their support, Vaperz, Wicked Kustoms, Audio Visions, Tommy Boshers, and Carlton Hunter

Though there are many styles or themes in which you can build your truck, it's hard to fine-tune your long-term build for one single look. Styles change with time, and it's difficult to address this in the middle of a build. If you do make updates, then you have to make sure they flow with the work that has already been done. The best advice is to remember the term KISS. It stands for Keep it simple, stupid; and it might be the most important thing to remember when building a custom truck.

A perfect example of this rule of thumb is Mike Abney's '93 Chevy Silverado. It is cleanly built down to the smallest detail, and it has everything done in just the right way. It's one thing to paint a truck in a single color, but if that color isn't a vibrant one the vehicle may go unnoticed. Check out Mike's truck. It has a mute cream basecoat and a candy red on top to set it off. The candy red also helps draw attention to the whole truck, where the paint creates a consistent theme throughout.

The two-tone scheme coats the clean bodywork that was done to simplify the exterior of the truck. On the cab, Mike shaved the third brake light and rear seams. After the doors were shaved, a set of aftermarket mirrors was bolted on. At the rear of the truck, Mike got rid of the Fleetside bed in order to stand out with a Stepside. Once on the truck, the new bed received a welded-in Grant Kustoms roll pan with Toyota Supra taillights since the the factory taillights had been shaved. The tailgate was also shaved, and it received a license-plate box. The older-style original front clip was modernized with one from a '99 Escalade and fitted with a modified '03 GMC Sierra bumper.

To accent the stylish body, Mike chose to go low by first getting the frame flat on the pavement. To raise it up to a driveable height, he added a set of airbags with mounting cups in the front and airbagged the rear via a two-link and Panhard bar. The frame-scraping stance was a nice look, but Mike knew the truck would look cleaner if the frame became invisible. The solution was to give the Chevy a traditional 2-inch body drop. This brought the truck to a shockingly low stance and made for an overall better appearance.

One of the coolest mods on Mike's Silverado is the integrated '59 El Camino dash. Mike wanted to throw people off when they looked inside the cab, plus he really likes the look of older dashes in newer trucks. He found this particular dash rusting away at the local junkyard, and after the necessary repairs were made Mike mounted it up and made fillers to fit it in just right. Then, custom door panels were made, and Mike crafted some pieces to flow them into the dash. Nothing was sacrificed in the swap to the older dash: The radio, light, and A/C controls were relocated to a new custom console. To finish the interior, the seats and panels were upholstered to match the exterior paint. Then the little details like dyeing all the plastics and installing numerous pieces of billet were tackled.

This truck was neither an overnight success nor easy for Mike to work on. Throughout the build, he struggled with the limited workspaces of his parents' garage and friends' driveways. The project was begun in the mid '90s and only recently completed, and in such a long span, the truck could have easily become outdated before it was even complete. In a wise decision, Mike followed the KISS principle, and in doing so he has ensured that his truck will remain stylish for years to come.

The 411
Owner/hometown:
Mike Abney / Weatherford, Texas

Year/make/model:
'93 Chevrolet Silverado

Engine/drivetrain:
GM 350-cid V-8 painted to match exterior two-tone / chrome valve covers / billet underhood dress-up kit / GM 700R4 automatic trans / driveshaft shortened2 inches / painted factory rearend
By: Owner

Rims:
Front & Rear: 20x8.5 Center Line Dagger with 5.5-inch backspacing

Tires:
Front & Rear: 255/35R20 Kumho

Suspension:
Front: DJM drop spindles / Firestone 224c airbags / Ekstensive Metalworks airbag mounting cups / Toxic shocks
Rear: Ekstensive Metalworks two-link with Panhard bar / Firestone 224c airbags / Toxic shocks
Accessories: Two nitrogen bottles with Ekstensive Metalworks mounting brackets / Thomas compressor / 9-gallon reserve air tank / 3/8 Firestone valves
Chassis: Ekstensive Metalworks step notch / chassis painted to match exterior
By: Owner

Body Mods:
Two-inch traditional body drop / '99 Escalade front clip with modified '03 GMC Sierra bumper / shaved antenna, door handles, third brake light, cab seams, fuel door, taillights, tailgate handle, stake pockets / Grant Kustoms roll pan with Toyota Supra taillights / custom license plate box in tailgate / custom notch cover in bed with Plexiglas to show rearend / Street Scene mirrors / smooth wiper cowl / spray-on bedliner
By: Owner

Custom Paint:
House of Kolor Candy Apple Red, PPG Silver, and PPG Cool Vanilla
By: Owner / Steve "Fella"

Interior:
'59 El Camino dash modified to fit / Dolphin gauges / Billet Specialties Classic steering wheel, pedals, and misc. billet pieces / custom center console / factory seats reupholstered in red and cream suede / other plastics dyed cream / custom door panels with '59 El Camino handles, '57 Bel Air armrest, and vintage trim / tan carpeting
BY: Owner / Cal Top Shop in Fort Worth, Texas (upholstery)

Audio/video:
Alpine CDE-9841 head unit / Pioneer 4-inch speakers / two JL Audio 10-inch subwoofers
By: Owner

Club:
N/A

Special Thanks:
Wife Dawn, Mom, Dad, grandparents, Steve Abney, Zack Nicholson, Steve "Fella," Red, Jeff, Rusty, Jimmy, Cal Top Shop, FinishMaster, Summit Racing, Chuck's Muffler, and Dolphin Gauges

National Treasures
The greatest custom trucks are never really finished. It's true. The ones that really push the limits of creativity, ingenuity, engineering, and style end up becoming constant works in progress because they break new ground, venturing into territories of truck customization that few others would dare to enter. This means that these trucks end up getting built, road-tested, and tinkered with, and then, maybe then, they'll get blown apart to be dressed up for show. Lots of them never make it that far, and it's rare that they make it past the initial planning, build phase, and testing to the promised land of paint and interior work. We're cool with that. Most times, it's the unfinished truck stashed in someone's home garage or in a dusty corner of a shop that really appeals to our sense of custom. With so many cookie-cutter customized trucks rollin' today, it's the ones that usually never see the light of day that end up being innovative.

Here are four new rides that fit the bill and have at least a shot of seeing the road and the show circuit one day. Each one carries weight in the world of horsepower, styling, and fabrication. But each one also leads by a different example, bending the envelope of coolness and possibility in a different direction. Some flex big-time body mods, while others are a testament to the skills of the fabricator behind the custom frame work. No matter what the case, each will give inspiration to anyone looking to build a truly killer custom sport truck.

Richard Martella doesn't build custom trucks. He finds and raises great cows and sells them from his dairy farm. He's good at it, and the prospering business has allowed him to build two radically modified Chevy C10s.

The first build didn't go so well. In fact, after the first truck was "finished," he ended up with a crooked custom that appraised for exactly $8,000, which was really unfortunate since he had just paid more than seven times that amount to have it built. Although the buildup transpired right in his hometown and he had the time to check out his truck while the work was being done, since he didn't really know what he was looking at he couldn't see the obscene acts of customization happening to his ride. He ended up with a truck that was literally crooked: The roof and hood were chopped and welded back onto the truck more than a quarter inch from where they should be. A quarter inch doesn't sound like much, that is until after a truck is painted and you stand back and really stare at it-then it stands out like a dude wearing plaid pants to his brother's wedding.

Richard was despondent but not completely deterred from hoping to own a great C10. After all, it was the truck he had wanted since he was a kid. The desire was still strong to have a special truck to cruise in on the weekends, with his wife there to enjoy the good times.

At the suggestion of a friend, Richard contacted Bob Grant at Grant Kustoms in Oroville, California. Bob's shop was nowhere near Richard's hometown, but he made the trek there with a fresh and stock C10 in tow just to see what Bob was all about. After talking about the new vehicle and what happened to the old one, he left the truck in Bob's capable hands with a few simple instructions and went back home feeling confident. Richard made a huge leap of faith after getting burned on his first custom truck build. He trusted Bob enough to green-light another build without a budget while giving Bob free rein to do whatever he wanted to the truck. Bob's got to be a hell of a salesman because that's more trust than most people give to family members, especially when you consider the time and money Richard had already lost on his first project. The current build has been ongoing for over three years now, but Richard says he's more than happy with the progress and work thus far.

The body mods put this truck on our cover. Richard admits that he doesn't know much about trucks and says it's better to let the builder decide what should be done. His only stipulation was that he wanted to drive this truck and not just show it. with that in mind, the Grant Kustoms crew stretched the C10's cab, which is notoriously short on legroom, to give Richard plenty of room inside. The other body mods aren't all that subtle, but their execution is so clean that non-C10 enthusiasts might not spot them right away. The bed has been reshaped to give the rear profile a rounded look that matches the chopped and reskinned cab. The hood and fenders have also been molded together to allow Grant to add inner fenderwells to the bodydropped truck. The hood opening was then recut to match the hand-fabbed grille and shell. Look again and you'll probably notice the cowl is missing but also that the hood and fenders have been peaked upward to flow with the truck's natural upper body line. The list of body mods keeps going for days. From the inside of the bed, which has been smoothed and bead-rolled, to the interior, which received a modified Chevy Impala dashboard and custom console, this truck is as custom as it gets.

Richard's Chevy isn't all show though. Grant Kustoms also crafted a tube chassis that is shorter in height than the stock one, which allows the body to sit right on the tarmac when the air is released from the suspension. This combination gives the truck a ridiculously low stance and a smooth ride. The ride gets even wilder when you factor in the 400-plus horses of LS1 power under the hood that is transferred to a 9-inch rearend via an Aod transmission.

We know Richard can't wait to mash the go-pedal in this bad boy, and we can't wait to see how it all comes together next year when he's finally out cruisin'.

The 411
Owner/Home Town
Richard Martella / Hanford, California

Year/Make/Model
'67 Chevy C10

Engine/Drive Train
Corvette LS1 / electric fuel pump / headers with 2.5-inch collectors / Currie 9-Plus rearend / 4L60E automatic overdrive transmission / Optima YellowTop battery / lengthened stock driveline
BY: Grant Kustoms, Oroville, California

Rims
Front: Boyd Coddington 20x10 Junk Yard dogs with 2 inches of backspacing
Rear: Boyd Coddington 20x12 Junk Yard dogs with 6 inches of backspacing

Tires
Front: 285/30ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport
Rear: 335/30ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport

Suspension
Front: '72 Chevy C10 front crossmember /chrome-plated, tubular A-arms / 3-inch drop spindles / Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags / Bilstein shocks
Rear: Parallel four-link with Panhard bar / Slam Specialties RE-6 airbags / Bilstein shocks
Accessories: GC 350 1/2-inch valves / two viair 380 compressors / aluminum fuel cell / four-wheel disc brakes
Chassis: Custom-made 2x4x1/4-inch mild-steel tube chassis that's been smoothed and capped
BY: Grant Kustoms

Body Mods
Cab stretched 5 inches / front end pinched 3 inches / reskinned doors / reshaped roofline with 2-inch chop-top / deleted cowl / custom hood and fenders / custom grille and shell / custom wheeltubs, firewall, and inner fenderwells / Jeep Commander headlights / reshaped rear of the bed / custom cut-down Led Nissan Frontier taillights / stock floor body drop
BY: Grant Kustoms

Custom Paint:
N/A

Interior
'59 Impala dashboard blended into custom doors / custom center console for gauges and air controls that surrounds bucket seats / reskinned headliner
BY: Grant Kustoms

Audio /Video
N/A

Club
N/A

Special Thanks
The guys at Grant Kustoms, Zac, Matt, Robert, usty and Bob, Max at Bio Kustoms, Jeff Cooper, teve Nielsen, Slam Specialties, KP Components, C valves, and Suicidedoors.com

National Treasures
The greatest custom trucks are never really finished. It's true. The ones that really push the limits of creativity, ingenuity, engineering, and style end up becoming constant works in progress because they break new ground, venturing into territories of truck customization that few others would dare to enter. This means that these trucks end up getting built, road-tested, and tinkered with, and then, maybe then, they'll get blown apart to be dressed up for show. Lots of them never make it that far, and it's rare that they make it past the initial planning, build phase, and testing to the promised land of paint and interior work. We're cool with that. Most times, it's the unfinished truck stashed in someone's home garage or in a dusty corner of a shop that really appeals to our sense of custom. With so many cookie-cutter customized trucks rollin' today, it's the ones that usually never see the light of day that end up being innovative.

Here are four new rides that fit the bill and have at least a shot of seeing the road and the show circuit one day. Each one carries weight in the world of horsepower, styling, and fabrication. But each one also leads by a different example, bending the envelope of coolness and possibility in a different direction. Some flex big-time body mods, while others are a testament to the skills of the fabricator behind the custom frame work. No matter what the case, each will give inspiration to anyone looking to build a truly killer custom sport truck.

Hugo Martinez, a longshoreman from Covina, California, has been an avid truck guy for some time now. Going to