Truckin Vol 39 No 13 - 2013 USA

Call Our Experts 800.509.7298© 2013. AutoAnything, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AutoAnything is a registered mark of AutoAnything, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Prices subject to change. Not responsible for typographical errors.

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© 2013. AutoAnything, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AutoAnything is a registered mark of AutoAnything, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Prices subject to change. Not responsible for typographical errors.


Crafted from heavy-duty hinged aluminum panels and covered in premium-grade vinyl, this ingenious tonneau is like nothing else on the road. You get the look of a classic tonneau, the security of a hard cover and the full bed accessof a folding top—all in one cover.

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- volume 39, no. 13, [ 1 0 ] november 11, 2013 -

Table of Contents volume 39, NO. 13

80

Departments

Blessings and Beatings 16

What’d You Say? 18

New Products 20

Truckin Tough 26

Tool of the Month 30

Radical Renderings 32

Busted Knuckles 34

Custom Dodge Mini-Features 36

Readers’ Rides 132

Good Trucks Gone Bad 134

MAXimum Exposure 134

You Asked, We Answered 137

Twisted 70Doing what GMC

couldn’t

King of the Raptors 80A race-ready, cold-

blooded prerunner

Black Beauty 86Reinventing the classic

flatbed Chevy formula

Features

Novakane 50Lean, Mean, Go-Fast

Machine

Reach For The Sky 58This Ram brings the Wild

West’s undead back to life

Tuxedo Black 64Riding in style no matter

the occasion

64

50

26

58

On the Cover

Continuing our dual

cover theme, this

month’s covers include

a race-ready Raptor,

built to handle the

inhospitable terrain

in and around Baja

California, Mexico, shot

by Editor Dan Ward. The

second cover features a

2008 GMC Sierra with a

new-body Yukon Denali

front clip, built by Alamo

Customs, in Alvin, Texas.

Contributing Tech Editor

Harley Camilleri shot this

at the Heat Wave Truck

Show, in Austin, Texas.

Table of Contents volume 39, NO. 13

126

120

110

92

100Tech

Power Pipes 92

Putting the growl in Ford’s

Coyote 5.0L V-8 thanks to

American Racing Headers

Give Me a Brake 100

Wilwood’s big brake kit adds

stopping performance

& racecar looks

Bringing the Ram to New Heights 110

Prepare your Ram to tackle

any terrain

Good Vibrations 120

Our EcoBoost gets an audio

overhaul from MTX and Stinger

Shows

Texas Heat Wave 2013 126

Texas’ largest car and truck show

on facebook/twitter:Polls, contests, behind-the-

scenes photos, ramblings from

the editors. Get some!

on truckinweb.com:Plenty of web-exclusive content,

information on upcoming events,

forums, blogs, and much more.

70

© 2013 MNA, Inc.

Your weekends just got an upgrade. With BFGoodrich® tires, you get toughness

that’s proven in the deserts of Baja and capable of taking all the abuse you

can dish out. So leaving the blacktop can become the adventure of a lifetime.

They’re your ticket to Playground EarthTM

. Find yours at bfgoodrichtires.com.

ON PLAYGROUND EARTH, THE WEEKEND

BEGINS WHEN THE PAVEMENT ENDS.

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief dan Ward

Feature Editor Maxwell Matthewson

associate Editor Patrick McCarthy

Managing Editor Lorraine Mc Craw

Contributing tech Editor Harley Camilleri

Contributing Editors & PhotograPhErs

Wes Allison, Brandon Burrell,

Phil Gordon, Joe Greeves, Richard Holdener, Barry

Kluczyk, Peter Linney, Ronnie Yeates II

art dirECtion & dEsign

group art director Rob Munoz

archivist Thomas Voehringer

thE truCk grouP on thE WEb

www.truckinweb.com • www.4wdmag.com

www.4wheeloffroad.com • www.dieselpowermag.com

www.fourwheeler.com • www.jpmagazine.com

www.minitruckinweb.com • www.off-roadweb.com

Advertising informAtionPlease call TRUCKIN Advertising Department, (949)

705-3179. Related publications: Classic Trucks,

European Car, 4Wheel Drive Magazine, High Performance

Pontiac, GM High-Tech Performance, Import Tuner,

Lowrider, Lowrider Arte, Mini Truckin’, Muscle Mustangs

& Fast Fords, Off-Road, Popular Hot Rodding, Street

Rodder, Super Chevy, Surýng, Vette, and other specialty

magazines.

REPRINTS: Contacts Wright’s Media @ 877.652.5295

(281.419.5725 outside the U.S. and Canada) to purchase

quality custom reprints or e-prints of articles appearing

in this publication.

BACK ISSUES: To order back issues, visit

www.simbackissues.com

subscriber servicesE-mail to [email protected], or call

(800) 777-5182 or (386) 447-6385, or write to truckin,

P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please

include name, address, and phone number on any

inquiries.

Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses

to IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London,

ON N6C 6B2.

Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to

reputable ýrms offering goods and services that we

believe would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to

be excluded, please send your current address label and

note requesting to be excluded from these promotions

to Source Interlink Media, LLC, 831 S. Douglas St., El

Segundo, CA 90245, Attn.: Privacy Coordinator.

Copyright © 2013 by Source Interlink Magazines, LLC.

All Rights Reserved

Printed in the u.s.A.

Any submissions or contributions from readers shall

be subject to and governed by Source Interlink Media’s

User Content Submission Terms and Conditions, which

are posted at http://privacy.sourceinterlinkmedia.com/

submissions.html.

Advertising

group Publisher steve vonseggern

[email protected]

sales director, enthusiast

Media Scott Timberlake

Advertising sales

representatives

Jerome Dziechiasz,

David Hamilton,

Garrett Harmola

Ad Operations Coordinator Richard Senteno

Administrative Assistant Glenda Mack

to advertise on this magazine’s website, or any of source interlink Media’s other enthusiast sites, please contact us

at [email protected].

sAles OffiCesirvine

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Irvine, CA 92606, (949) 705-3100

lOs Angeles831 S. Douglas St.

El Segundo, CA 90245, (310) 531-9900

new YOrk261 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10016, (212) 915-4000

detrOit4327 Delemere Court

Royal Oak, MI 48073, (248) 594-5999

ChiCAgO(312) 396-0620

tAMPA9036 Brittany Way

Tampa, FL 33619, (813) 675-3500

truCk grOuP

evP, group Publisher Doug Evans

vP, sales &

sales Operations Matt Boice

vP, editorial Operations Amy Diamond

vP, Manufacturing &

Advertising Operations Greg Parnell

senior director,

Ad Operations Pauline Atwood

director, Publishing

technologies Dale Bryson

OffiCers Of sOurCe interlink

COMPAnies, inC.

President &

Chief executive Offcer Michael Sullivan

evP, Chief financial Offcer John Bode

evP, Chief Administrative

Offcer Stephanie Justice

evP, Chief Procurement

Offcer Kevin Mullan

sOurCe interlink MediA, llC

President Chris Argentieri

general Manager David Algire

Chief Creative Offcer Alan Alpanian

svP, finance Dan Bednar

vP, single Copy sales &

Marketing Chris Butler

evP, enthusiast Automotive Doug Evans

svP, new Product

development Howard Lim

Chief Content Offcer Angus MacKenzie

Chief Analytics Offcer John Marriott

svP, Business development Tyler Schulze

evP, sales & Marketing Eric Schwab

digitAl MediA

Chief technology Offcer,

digital Media Raghu Bala

svP, digital Marketing Craig Buccola

svP, digital

Product development Todd Busby

vP, Product Management Geoff DeFrance

vP, digital Advertising

Products & Operations Jung Park

COnsuMer MArketing,

enthusiAst MediA suBsCriPtiOn COMPAnY, inC.

vP, Consumer Marketing Tom Slater

vP, retention &

Operations fulfllment Donald T. Robinson III

Blessings and Beatingsby Dan WarD

PHOTOgraPHy: Dan WarD

We’ve never been afraid to push the traditional truck

mag limits with the selection of our cover trucks—and

this month’s newsstand cover slams convention on its

rearend. Every blue moon, a certain truck comes long

that seems to have universal appeal, and in the ever-competitive full-

size truck battle, Ford’s F-150 Raptor is as hot as they come. Beloved by

people who know little to nothing about desert racing or off-roading, the

Raptor has that “it” factor with enthusiasts and the general public that

every manufacturer dreams of. Our cover Raptor is about as extreme as

it gets—and that’s why we love it.

We know not everyone is in love with a purpose-built off-roader,

however one thing we can all appreciate is the amount of engineering,

fabrication, and hard work that went into such an incredible rig. That

same amount of effort and skill also went into our subscriber’s lowered

GMC cover. Not satisfied with what the manufacturer offered, the owner

sought to make his own factory-looking custom, and the end result is

stunning. Never being satisfied is a terribly wonderful way of modifying

your truck. Dodge fanatics are one such group who are diehard enthu-

siasts and aren’t willing to leave a stock truck alone for long. Starting on

page 36, six fortunate Dodge owners get their fifteen minutes of fame

by way of mini-features. Each truck was built to the owner’s desire and

each are deserving of your attention. We never give up on a creative

idea, no matter how extreme, and we hope you don’t give up on your

pursuit of the ultimate custom truck either.

- volume 39, no.13, [ 1 8 ] november 11, 2013 -

What’d you say?

Got something to

tell us? This is

your spot. Tell us

you like a feature,

want to see more tech stories

of your particular truck, or tell

us we got a new truck test right

or wrong. We’ve dedicated

this one page to anything and

everything you have to say.

Think of it as our Facebook

wall, only it goes to print instead

of being forgotten in fve

seconds. Speaking of which,

we’ll be selecting some of the

best post on our Facebook

wall and printing them here,

so be sure to friend us at

facebook.com/truckinmag.

We can be reached at patrick.

[email protected].

Hi Truckin,

What are the requirements

for getting my truck on the

cover? I’m starting a new build

and want to create something

cover-worthy. Please let me

know.

Thank you,

Pedro Carrillo

Fort Worth, Texas

Pedro,

There’s no formula or

checklist of requirements

for building a cover truck. If

there was, everyone would

do it! However, here are a

few tips to get you on the

right track. First of all, focus

on building a “complete”

truck, where every aspect of

the build is addressed. Make

sure the exterior, interior,

engine bay, and bed are all

clean, tidy, and customized.

Choose parts carefully, and

exercise restraint when

appropriate—don’t just throw

tons of money at gaudy bolt-

ons. Most of all, be a leader,

not a follower. Do something

unique, and take the finished

product to as many shows as

possible. If you do this, odds

are we’ll recognize it and

you’ll end up with a feature—

or even a cover—someday.

Good luck.

Truckin team,

I’ve got an ’05 cat-eye

Silverado, and a friend

recently showed me your

“Slickerado” feature truck

online. It inspired me to ’bag

my truck, and I’d really like to

have a hard copy of the issue.

Is there any way to get copies

of old Truckin issues?

Thanks,

Dan Christensen

San Diego, California

Dan,

We’re glad that truck inspired

you to take your Silverado

to the next level. As far as

getting old issues, head to

SIMbackissues.com. There, you

can buy old Truckin issues, as

well as back issues of other

Source Interlink publications.

Keep in mind that not every

issue is available, but in your

case, the Slickerado issue is

available on the site for $5.99.

Thanks for reading!

by PaTriCk MCCarTHy

SEMA 2013 Updates

Many of you know by now that the

year’s biggest show, SemA, is coming

up in just a few weeks. The bad news

is that most of the show is industry-

only, meaning you can’t get in without proper

credentials. The good news is that we’ll be covering

every aspect of the show in daily updates that you

can check out at Truckin.com. Check the website or

our Facebook page starting Tuesday, november 5th,

and get your daily custom truck fix. You won’t want

to miss this!

Hello guys,

Do you have any idea where I can buy an air lowering kit

with rear C-notch for my ’03 2WD ram 2500 diesel? It’s very

hard to fnd this kind of kit for a 2500! I tried to fnd a kit but

haven’t been able to. Can you help me?

Thanks,

Jean-Francois Chouinard

Quebec, Canada

Jean,

That’s a tough one. Unfortunately, no company makes a bolt-

on air suspension kit for that generation of Ram 2500 at this

point. However, if you can find a custom truck shop that has

a good fabricator, they should be able to make custom ’bag

mounts and a C-notch for you. It may be a little more expensive

this way, but it’ll help your truck be unique, and that’s always a

good thing. Thanks for reading.

by Patrick Mccarthy


New Products

Stopping Power

Who: Hawk

What: Talon performance brake system

Why: Hawk’s new Talon calipers mount in your truck’s stock location for an easy

install and no clearance issues. They also provide up to 55 percent more clamping

force than your factory brakes, so you can stop faster and more safely than ever.

Where: (909) 342-5200, hawkperformance.com

Smart Switches

Who: Slam Specialties

What: MC.1 air-ride switchbox

Why: Microprocessor-controlled for fast,

intelligent response, the MC.1 allows precise

manual control of your truck’s air suspension

at the press of a button. It also has special Coil

Saver Technology to prevent valve coils from

overheating, ensuring a reliable system.

Where: (888) 352-5225, slamspecialties.com

Invincible

Who: Pro Comp

What: 6033 Series wheel

Why: With a tough eight-spoke design and clean

center cap, the 6033 would look great on any lifted

truck. Also, Pro Comp’s three-year chrome finish

warranty and lifetime structural guarantee ensure

it’ll stay strong through years of abuse.

Where: (800) 776-0767, procompusa.com

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New Products


The Sound of America

Who: Flowmaster

What: American Thunder exhaust system for ’67-’72 GM C10

Why: Bring modern exhaust technology to your classic GM truck with Flowmaster’s

patented Delta Flow mufler design. And, of course, the American Thunder system

gives you that throaty sound Flowmaster has become synonymous with.

Where: (707) 544-4761, flowmastermuflers.com

Furious

Who: Vision Wheel

What: V-TEC Fury

Why: Available in either brilliant black with

milled accents or phantom chrome finish, the

Fury looks truly rugged. The phantom chrome

finish also carries an extended three-year

cosmetic warranty for complete protection.

Where: (866) 645-2664, visionwheel.com

Legalized

Who: Hedman Hedders

What: 50-state legal shorty headers for

’99-’09 F-150 and F-250 5.4L

Why: Now you can give your Ford truck

more power and a throaty sound without

hassle from the cops. These headers are

easy to install, include all hardware and

gaskets, and are legal in all 50 states for a

worry-free upgrade.

Where: (562) 921-0404, hedman.com

No More Body Roll

Who: Hellwig

What: Rear sway bar for ’09-’13 Ford F-150

Why: Hellwig’s 1 1⁄8-inch heavy-duty sway bar improves traction and

reduces body roll. If you want to get the most out of your truck and

push it to the limit, a rear sway bar is a quick, easy, and inexpensive

way to improve handling.

Where: (800) 435-5944, hellwigproducts.com

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Truckin Tough


1. US General Pro 700-Pound Capacity Five-Draw-er Tool Cart 95272 $185.00 (with Truckin coupon

$164.99) harborfreight.comIt’s dificult to overstate the incredible value the US General Pro five-

drawer tool cart, represents in the tool world. You get super-strong

14-gauge steel, five storage drawers of varying depths, and gas struts

for the lid, which can support 176 pounds. The bright-red powdercoat

was tough yet looked good, and for under $200, you get a legitimate

mobile workstation and not just a little cart. It was the clear-cut

winner of this shootout.

1

Load Up Your Tools

& Start Wrenchin’!

by Jacob Jackson

PHOTOgraPHy: Patrick Mccarthy

best Mechanic’s

cart Under $250

one of the biggest hassles of working on a car

or truck is the multiple trips to the toolbox to

grab a new wrench, longer screwdriver, extra

sockets, or even a magnet to recover the bolt

you just dropped into the abyss of the engine compartment.

Traveling from shop to shop like we do, a consistent trend is

the mechanic’s utility cart. An installer would look over the

installation instructions, grab a ton of tools, place them on

his cart and then head over to the truck to handle the sus-

pension lift, header install, brake upgrade, or other task at

hand. Not only did it save valuable time going back and forth

to the main toolbox, it also limited the level of frustration

from constantly starting and stopping. Seeing so many dif-

ferent brands and types of mechanic’s carts got us wonder-

ing, which one would be best for the home do-it-yourselfer?

After a few trips to our local tool retailers and a few

clicks online, we ordered five mechanic’s carts topping out

at $250*. Major players are battling in this month’s Truckin

Tough and with several different styles tested, we’re certain

the victor will prove worthy of your hard-earned dollars.

Testing included a combination of objective (number of

drawers, maximum weight, features, mobility) and subjec-

tive (drawer smoothness, overall design, lid functionality)

tests, as well as value, ease of assembly, and warranty. Once

testing was complete, our winner was clear. If you’re tired of

going back and forth from truck to toolbox, or if you simply

want a quality toolbox to store your most-used tools, check

out the results and make your own decision.

Editor’s Note:Toolboxes constantly go on and of sale, and in an attempt to show

a multiple of brands and styles, we took into account the sale price

and allowed those tools that were on sale to be evaluated.

2. US General 580-Pound Capacity Four-Drawer Tool Cart 95659$153.99 (with Truckin coupon $99.99) harbor-

freight.comTaking home the Silver Medal in

this contest was the little brother

to the five-drawer cart the US

General four-drawer cart. With

the Truckin magazine coupon,

we picked up this cart for under

$100. That’s an incredible value

when you realize it comes with

liners for every drawer (including

the bottom shelf and top covered

area), can hold up to 580 pounds,

and it has dedicated storage for

extra-long screwdrivers or pry

bars. We think it’s one of the best

purchases a gearhead can make

for less than $100.

2

5. Torin Work Cart with Top Toolbox TC311 $219.99

northerntool.comGoing into this shootout, we had high

hopes for the uniquely designed Torin

work cart, but after evaluating it, we

had a hard time saying good things

about it. Underneath the sliding top

compartment are two small drawers

that were barely deep enough to hold

wrenches. Speaking of the sliding

top, the two lower drawers cannot be

opened without the top also being

opened, which means if you’re using

the top as a work bench and need to

gain access into the drawers you’re in

a world of hurt. Also, at 350 pounds of

storage capacity, it was the weakest

of the test and the overall dimensions

include the small can holders on the

side, which misleads you into thinking

the box is larger than it is.

5


Truckin Tough best Mechanic’s cart Under $250

3. GearWrench XL Two Drawer Tool Cart 83152

$699.99 (on sale at time of purchase for $249.88) at eastwood.comDon’t let the MSRP of nearly $700 scare you; we picked up this GearWrench XL tool cart

from Eastwood for $249.88. That’s an awesome sale price for a box loaded with pro-grade

features such as lockable thermoplastic rubber casters that can support up to 880 pounds,

drawer lock/unlock lid lever, Trigger Lock drawer system for a natural pull operation, and

Auto Return, which snaps the drawers closed once it reaches the final few inches. The full-

polished lacquer powdercoat was tops in this test, but despite the high-end appearance, it

couldn’t overtake the value proposition of the US General carts.

3

4. Craftsman Three Drawer Ball-Bearing Griplatch Utility Cart 59740 $349.99 (on sale at

time of purchase for $244.88) craftsman.comCraftsman is notorious for seasonal sales and dropping the prices

of its toolboxes and carts way down to home DIYer prices. This

cart impressed us with the Grip Latch drawer mechanism, drawer

lock/unlock lid lever, and overall storage rating of 750 pounds.

What dropped it to 4th Place in this test was damage it received

in shipping, dificulty we faced when assembling it, and the lid’s

inability to stay closed unless it was locked.

4

Tool of the Monthby Jacob Jackson



Sold as a kit or just as the bare tool, we opted for

the complete kit that included two FatPack 18V

Lithium-Ion batteries, adjustable spark guard,

handle, fast charger, and carrying case.

During the late ’90s, the phrase “think outside the box”

was adopted by tech companies and small businesses

alike and became part of everyday nomenclature. A

world without restrictions is an amazing idea, and we

agree that doing things against the mainstream is vital to success.

Take, for instance, a grinder. It regularly gets treated to high temps,

long run times, and the kind of abuse most tools couldn’t handle.

However, a grinder has two primary weaknesses: the electronics get

extremely hot and its usage is limited to the length of its power cord.

Enter the professional-grade Bosch 18V Lithium-Ion 4½-inch small

angle grinder.

Unlike traditional AC–powered grinders, the Bosch cordless

grinder (PN: CAG180-01, $399 at lowes.com) is powered by a heavy-

duty 18V Lithium-Ion battery. With electronic motor protection

and electronic cell protection, both the expensive four-pole motor

and Li-Ion batteries won’t melt down and prematurely give out like

traditional grinders. The compact, low-profle gear design allows for

compact access, and at less than fve pounds, the grinder is easy to

handle for long periods of time.

During our testing, the Bosch 18V grinder wowed everyone who

used it. Powerful, stable, and cool afer extended use, it was hard to

fnd a fault. The ability to get into tight engine bay areas, cramped

exhaust pipe locations, and awkward suspension confgurations

made us appreciate the grinder even more. Bosch includes two

Lithium-Ion FatPack batteries for extended run times, a 45-minute

fast charger, carrying case, and grinding guard. Everything needed to

slice and dice was in the kit and made it more complete than we ex-

pected. It’s not cheap, but thinking outside the box never is.

Slicing and Dicing Without Restrictions

bosch 18V Lithium-ion cordless Grinder

Source:

Bosch

(877) 267-2499

boschtools.com

We were amazed at the

four-pole motor’s power

as it sliced through steel

stock with ease. Bosch

even included a heavy-

duty 41⁄2-inch grinder/cut-

of wheel to make getting

to work easier.

Weighing less than five

pounds, the cordless

grinder is easy to control

for extended periods

of time, which with two

batteries is easy to do.

Radical Renderings


Robert Garcia’s passion for

all things automotive began

at a young age. Growing up

in Long Beach, California,

his father worked as a mechanic, and

his older brothers were constantly

tinkering in the garage. Soon, he was

rebuilding motors on his own, and

eventually went to college to study

mechanical engineering. After 12 years

of creating CAD drawings and working

as an engineer, he noticed that 3D

animation was taking off, so he decided

to go to school again for traditional

and digital animation. This helped him

develop strong 3D modeling skills, and

led to a job at Disney Animation Studios

working on the movie BOLT, as well as

jobs creating photorealistic automotive

renderings for Audi, Chevrolet,

Hyundai, Toyota, and Lexus.

However, this wasn’t enough to

satisfy Robert’s passion for dreaming

up 3D-modeled custom trucks, so he

started making some in his spare time.

RYECHSS Design Lab (pronounced

“righteous”) is his new business

venture that combines his love for

custom vehicles and his passion for

photorealistic 3D renderings. Clients

can tell Robert their vision for a project,

and he will create a 3D model that can

be viewed on a 360-degree virtual

turntable. To commission a rendering of

your own or see more of Robert’s work,

go to ryechssdesignlab.com.

One of Robert’s latest projects, this custom Ford F-100 is dubbed the F-1. Slick

graphics and a clean two-tone make this classic stand out from the crowd.

by PatRick MccaRthy

RendeRings: RobeRt GaRcia

Robert considers his designs successful if he makes people question if it’s a real photo or

not. This slammed 2014 Sierra looks more like a skillful studio photo than a 3D model, so

we’d say he succeeded.

With candy

orange paint,

aggressive

big brakes,

and a tough

stance, this

’07 Silverado

would be right

at home in

the Truckin

corral at SEMA.

Robert even

rendered the

background,

adding to

the image’s

photorealistic

feel.

Busted Knuckles


SteelSlammin’

by Patrick mccarthy

PHOTOgraPHy: Patrick mccarthy

This ’64 C10 Looks Tough Tucking 20-Inch Steelies

as truck guys, we

ofen have a hard

time staying

satisfed with

the status quo. In our minds,

if something is worth doing,

it’s worth overdoing, and we

frequently obsess over the

details of our project trucks.

matt Hodgins, a student at

California maritime Academy

in vallejo, California, shares this

philosophy. never able to leave

things alone, he started gradu-

ally modifying his ’64 Chevy

C10 in his garage, and the result

is the killer blend of classic and

custom seen here.

Afer picking up the Chevy

in 2010 with a Stepside bed

and a mere 83,000 miles

on the clock, matt decided

this old truck needed a new

stance. With this in mind, he

bolted a new set of six-lug CPP

drop spindles to the front end,

including disc brakes for extra

stopping power. Then, the fac-

tory coil springs were replaced

by Firestone 2600 ’bags and

CPP shocks. Initially, the rear

was C-notched, but matt soon

decided to switch to a fully

boxed back half, which he

fabricated from 2x4x3/16-inch

tubing. A custom four-link

with ¾-inch chromoly heim

joints stabilizes the rearend,

and Firestone 3000 ’bags

and CPP shocks fnish of the

rear suspension. Finally, matt

wanted a unique wheel setup,

so he hunted down four 20-

inch Infniti QX56 spare steel

wheels, giving the C10 a tough

look when laid out.

The remainder of this build

is still in progress, and it cur-

rently retains the factory 283ci

v-8 and original vinyl interior.

However, matt has made a few

changes to the powertrain,

adding a modern 700-r4 au-

tomatic in place of the original

four-speed manual transmis-

sion, upgrading the ignition

system, and welding up a new

Flowmaster exhaust that exits

through the bedside. A custom

double-cardan driveshaf runs

to a six-lug Gm 12-bolt rear axle,

which houses shorter 4.10

gears for quicker acceleration.

Finally, matt focused his

attention on the C10’s body,

swapping the Stepside bed

for a sectioned and short-

ened Fleetside longbed. An

lmC Truck steel roll pan was

welded on, and then the truck

was sprayed in black and

grey primer by matt’s

neighbor Gary. Al-

though the truck turns

plenty of heads as-is,

matt tells us he’s

nowhere near

fnished. First

on the itinerary is a Z in the

front framerails for a bigger

drop, and then he plans to

add a big back window to the

cab. Further in the future, he’s

planning on a fresh coat of teal

paint, and a 454ci big-block to

replace the tired factory mo-

tor. We can’t wait to see how

this clean classic Chevy turns

out. matt would like to send a

big thanks to bill at Dynasty

Coachworks for supplying

him with parts, as well as his

friends and family for their

support.


With the Firestone ’bags fully aired out, Matt’s C10 lays hard, and he plans to Z the framerails soon for even more drop. We can’t wait to see that front bumper hit the asphalt.

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

1964 Chevrolet C10

Owner and City/State:

Matthew Hodgins • Vallejo, California

EngInE

Type: 283ci small-block V-8

Induction: Stock

Exhaust: Flowmaster

Fuel System: Factory two-barrel carburetor

Ignition: MSD distributor, HEI coils, Mallory plug wires

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: 700-R4 automatic, custom double-cardan

driveshaft

Rearend: GM 12-bolt with 4.10 gears

ChassIs

Front suspension: Six-lug drop spindles, Firestone 2600

’bags, CPP shocks

Rear suspension: Back-halved and boxed framerails, custom

four-link with ¾-inch chromoly heim joints, Firestone 3000

’bags, CPP shocks

Brakes: Six-lug front disc brake conversion, factory rear drums

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 20x8-inch Infiniti QX56 steel spares

Tires: 245/35R20 Capitol Sport UHP

Under the hood

resides the original

283ci V-8, which

is upgraded with a

700-R4 automatic

transmission and

Flowmaster exhaust.

In the future, Matt

plans to install a

454ci big-block for

some serious power.


It’s a predicament so

many of us wish we

were stuck in—how

to make the most

capable, most comfortable,

and the most powerful Ram

ever, better. For Mario Williams

of the Bufalo Bills, his answer

was simple—take it to the

extreme. As the owner of

several custom cars and trucks,

Mario wanted a truck that was

blacked-out and borderline

stealth. To achieve this lofy

goal, the crew at Extreme

Ofroad, in Katy, Texas, added

a black-powdercoated 10-inch

Full Throttle Suspension lif

kit with black FTS 2.0 shocks,

24x12 American Force Alpha

SF8 wheels, and 38-inch-tall

Nitto Trail Grappler mud-

terrain tires. The Ram was

looking mean as all get out,

but to help it ft Mario’s stealth

request, the team at Extreme

blacked-out the grille, added

black Recon projector lights,

and smoked the Recon LED

taillights. A giant black exhaust

tip keeps the theme rolling.

Inside the Mega Cab, the

Longhorn’s Western-themed

interior was lef alone. A classy

of-road brawler is hard to

achieve, but this all-black Ram

HD is simply elegant.

by Dan WarD

PHoTograPHy: Dan WarD

a Touch of ClassAn Elegant ’13 Ram HD Built to the Extreme

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2013 Ram HD Mega Cab


Mario Williams • Houston, Texas

EngInE

Type: 6.7L I-6 turbodiesel

Induction: K&N cold-air intake

Exhaust: Magnaflow cat-back

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

ChassIs

Front suspension: Full Throttle

Suspension 10-inch with FTS 2.0

shocks

Rear suspension: Full Throttle

Suspension 8-inch with FTS 2.0 shocks

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 24x14 American Force

Alpha SF8

Tires: 38x13.50R24 Nitto Trail

Grappler M/T

The rear view

showcases the quad FTS

black shocks and Mag-

Hytec dif cover.

Extreme

Ofroad, in

Katy, Texas,

had the 8-inch

Full Throttle

Suspension lift

powdercoated

black to match

the menacing

exterior.


The Custom Shop crew applied Brilliant Aluminum Silver paint to the roof,

grille, bumper, running boards, hood scoop, and fender stripes for an aircraft-

style bare-metal look. Airbrushed rivets and Candy Blue accents top it all of.

Double-D Durangoby PaTrICk MCCarThyPHoTograPHy: John Wargo

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2011 Dodge Durango


John Wargo • Flanagan, Illinois

EngInE

Type: 3.6L Pentastar V-6

Induction: K&N cold-air intake

Exhaust: Magnaflow cat-back

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: Five-speed

automatic

ChassIs

Front suspension: Firestone

Ride Rite ’bags, Monroe shocks

Rear suspension: Firestone

Ride Rite ’bags with custom

mounts, Monroe shocks

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 22x10-inch Lexani R-Six

with custom-painted accents

Tires: 305/40R22 Atturo AZ800

A Slammed AWD Family

Hauler on 22s

When it comes to family vehicles, many

parents are content rolling around in

minivans or station wagons. This was

unacceptable to John Wargo of Flanagan,

Illinois, so he built this aggressive SUV at his shop, The

Custom Shop, also in Flanagan. This 2011 Durango was

custom-ft with a set of Firestone Ride Rite ’bags, allowing

it to lay out on 22-inch Lexani wheels. John’s shop then

painted the Dodge in Prospray Ecstasy White Pearl with

Brilliant Aluminum Silver and Candy Blue airbrushed

graphics, a scheme which is echoed by the black and white

two-tone leather interior. We certainly wouldn’t mind

cruising with the kids in this killer family-hauler.

A custom sub box behind the rear

seats houses dual 12-inch Sony

subwoofers and an amp under a

plexiglass window. The box was

also intricately airbrushed with

seams and rivets.


Robert’s truck

was sprayed in

BASF black, red,

and silver hues,

with a bright

yellow pinstripe

accentuating

the transition. A

sport bumper,

billet grille, and

shaved doors

also add to the

Ram’s sleek look.

DescendedInside the Build

Year Make Model:

2004 Dodge Ram 1500


Robert Roberts • San Antonio, Texas

EngInE

Type: 5.7L HEMI V-8

Induction: Volant cold-air intake

Exhaust: Custom with Flowmaster muţlers

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Rearend: Narrowed three inches with

Moser axles

ChassIs

Front suspension: Dominator 2600

’bags, Monroe shocks, McGaughys drop

spindles, raised upper control arms, 3/8-inch

copper hard line, GC valves

Rear suspension: C-notch, Texas two-link

with track bar, Dominator 2500 ’bags, Monroe

shocks, 3/8-inch copper hard line, GC valves

Brakes: Drilled and slotted rotors

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: Bonspeed Tsunami 22x8 front

and 22x10 rear

Tires: Nexen 265/35R22 front

and 285/35R22 rear

We’ve said it before

and we’ll say it

again—one of

our favorite parts

about the custom truck scene is

the people. Friendly, ordinary guys

with nine-to-fve jobs that roll out to

shows on weekends in their project

trucks. Robert Roberts, an aircraf

mechanic from San Antonio, Texas, is

a great example of this group. We met

Robert at Scrapin’ the Coast in Biloxi,

Mississippi, and were immediately

impressed by his clean 2004 Dodge

Ram. With a tri-tone paint job, slammed

suspension, and slick interior, this

quad cab makes for the perfect daily

driven show truck.

This Daily Driven Ram Lays Frame With Ease

by PaTrICk MCCarThy

PHoTograPHy: PaTrICk MCCarThy

A custom alligator-

wrapped center

console houses a

JVC touchscreen

head unit, as well

as two Alpine 12-

inch subwoofers.

The dash and

door panels were

smoothed and

painted silver,

tying in the exterior

theme.


going ToplessT

he 1989 Dakota Sport convertible was built through

a contract Chrysler signed with the American

Conversion Shop, making it the frst American

convertible pickup since the Ford Model A. Roughly

2,500 were sold that frst year, but sales faded away by 1991, and

Chrysler ended production of this unique model. This particular

Dakota convertible is owned by Andrew Simione, an experienced

hot rodder from New Jersey. Even though his drop-top Dakota was

already one of the most unique trucks in Jersey, Drew still wasn’t

satisfed, so the modifcations began. Afer refreshing the 3.9L V-6

with added power, lowering the suspension, and adding a stylish

set of 18-inch KMC wheels, he was satisfed, since his rare truck had

become truly one-of-a-kind. Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

1989 Dodge Dakota SE convertible


Andrew Simione • Jersey City, New

Jersey

EngInE

Type: 3.9L V-6

Induction: K&N air filter

Exhaust: Custom stainless dual with

Magnaflow muţler and high-flow cat

Cooling: Shelby Dakota electric fan,

low-temp thermostat

Engine Management: Jet

performance chip

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Rearend: 8.25 Sure Grip

with 3.91 gears

ChassIs

Front suspension: Drop spindles,

aftermarket shocks, cut springs

Rear suspension: Drop shackles,

aftermarket shocks

Brakes: Drilled and slotted rotors

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: KMC Nova 18x9

Tires: Cooper Zeon 2XS 245/45R18

This Drop-Top Dakota is a Little-Known Factory

Experiment

by SCoTTy LaChenauer anD PaTrICk MCCarThyPHoTograPHy: SCoTTy LaChenauer

The vinyl

top can be

raised into

position,

providing

much-

needed

shelter

from the

harsh New

Jersey

winters.

Drew freshened up the 3.9L V-6 with headers, intake, exhaust, and

some chrome goodies.


Joel isn’t

afraid to cruise

less than an

inch of the

pavement with

an 8,500-pound

load behind him.

When we have a

custom-built show

truck that we haul

from show to show,

we want a cool tow rig for it. At least that

is what Joel Jurado of Lovington, New

Mexico, believes. Hauling his ’bagged

’88-’98 Chevy dualie from show to show

with a standard daily just wouldn’t do.

Joel went ahead and took a perfectly

good 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 and made

it even better. Adding Michigan Metal

Works arms, Slam Specialties RE-8 ’bags,

and an Nfamous wishboned two-link

brought the dualie down to kiss the

ground. A full array of H&S performance

parts and a straight pipe exhaust ensure

the 6.7L Cummins has enough power to

haul his double-axle hauler and Chevy

3500 to any show he wants. Joel could

fnally haul his show truck all over the

Southwest in style.

Hearty HaulerA Custom Dodge to Tow a Custom Chevy

by MaxWell MattHeWson

PHoTograPHy: Brad stillWell

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2008 Dodge Ram 3500


Joel Jurado • Lovington, New Mexico

EngInE

Type: 6.7L Cummins

Induction: H&S FlowMax intake

with K&N filter

Exhaust: Custom straight pipe

Fuel System: Aluminum fuel cell

Engine Management: H&S

Mini Maxx tuner

DrIvEtraIn

Rearend: Narrowed 12 inches

with turned and machined axles

ChassIs

Front suspension: Michigan Metal Works

arms, raised upper control arm mounts, Slam

Specialties RE-8 ’bags, KYB shocks

Rear suspension: Narrowed frame,

Nfamous wishboned two-link, Contitech

’bags, KYB shocks

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 24x10-inch

Slice 323 Duallysportz wheels

Tires: 305/45R24 Lionhart tires

The narrowed MMW arms help the fenders

swallow up the 24-inch wheels with ease.


With 53-inch-tall tires, massive bumpers front

and rear, and 5-inch stacks coming out of the

bed, Nick’s Ram is one of the most imposing

trucks we have seen in a while.

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2006 Dodge Ram

2500 Mega Cab


Nick Ellis • Tarboro,

North Carolina

EngInE

Type: 5.9L Cummins

Induction: aFe Stage 2 intake,

CFM+ carbon-fiber intake manifold

Exhaust: 5-inch Grand Rocks

exhaust with stacks

Engine Management:

DiabloSport

Output: 850 hp, 1,000 lb-ft

of torque

Built by: Nichols Automotive

Tarboro, North Carolina

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: BD Diesel

five-speed auto

Rearend: Stock

with Yukon 4.56 gears

ChassIs

Front suspension: Custom

20-inch lift from Johnnie’s Jacked

up in Stantonsburg, North Carolina,

Fabtech shocks

Rear suspension: Custom 20-

inch lift from Johnnie’s Jacked up

in Stantonsburg, North Carolina,

Fabtech shocks

Brakes: Power Slot rotors

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 20x12-inch Fuel Octane

Tires: Michelin XZL 16.00R20

(53 inches tall)

ofentimes when we build something really cool, the

next thing we build is totally diferent. Nick Ellis of

Tarboro, North Carolina, did the same thing. Afer

selling his ’bagged 1998 Camaro, he wanted to build

something outrageous. Looking at his Ram, we can confdently

say that he accomplished his goal. Sitting on 20 inches of lif and

53-inch tires, this Ram rides high above the North Carolina asphalt.

Combine that with massive bumpers, custom bodywork, and more

than 1,000 lb-f of torque and you have a monster that anybody

would love to drive.

optimusA Giant Amongst Giants

by MaxWeLL MaTTheWSon

PHoTograPHy: PhIL gorDon

Nick didn’t skimp anywhere,

even the interior received a dose

of custom with painted plastics,

custom leather seats, and an in-

dash Pioneer head unit.


Lean, Mean, Go-Fast Machine

NovakaNeby Dan WarD


Iwas about nine years old riding in the back of

my buddy’s older bother’s ’65 Mustang when I

became acquainted with speed. Coming back

from a little league game, he opened up the

289ci V-8 down a Georgia back road and I remember

laughing like only a little boy can when I saw the old

speedo needle creep past 100 mph. From that moment,

I’ve been fascinated with going fast. Fast forward some

25 years and I’m the proud owner of one of the fastest

trucks I’ve ever been in—our very own Project Novakane.

Admittedly, it’s not the fastest pickup in a straight line,

and it doesn’t have Texas Mile top speed, but what it

does have is a rowdy attitude that never apologizes

for smoky donuts, insane full-throttle drifts, and the

occasional backward entrance into the speed stop cones.

It’s everything I loved about going fast when I was a kid,

and no passenger has ever gotten out of it after a couple

of burnouts that wasn’t either smiling or ready to puke.

During my 10-plus years at the magazine, I’ve seen

trends trickle down to the truck scene from street rods

and muscle cars, whether it’s clean and simple paint

styles, high-end interiors, or detailed high-tech engines.

I also saw all of these muscle car owners flinging their

cars around the track at local autocross and race events.

Rather than let the car guys have all of fun, I set out to

design and build a truck that would rival the performance

of these high-dollar machines—but in a pickup. The

formula was simple, find a light regular-cab truck (if 4,200

pounds can be called light), add as much power as I could

afford, and try to make the whole thing handle. It had to

look menacing, it had to sound rowdy, and it needed to

back all of that up with legit power. Once the donor truck

was purchased at a used car lot in Phoenix for $3,900,

Project Novakane was born.

Built in stages within these pages over the last two

years, I’ll give you a quick overview of how the entire

package came together. After enjoying the truck with a

traditional lowering kit for a few months, I reached out to

fabricator extraordinaire Aaron Iha, of Chassis by Aaron

Iha, in Covina, California. A plan was devised to give those

six-figure muscle cars a genuine run for their money

by way of a race-inspired suspension with maximum

wheel travel at each corner to achieve extreme levels

of grip. Boxed CNC-cut upper and lower A-arms work in

conjunction with McGaughy’s 2-inch drop spindles and

QA1 coilovers to drop the front a total of seven inches. The

rear frame was back-halved with a C-notch, matching QA1

coilovers, and Chassis by Aaron Iha’s own triangulated

four-link with adjustable aluminum upper links. Hotchkis

front and rear sway bars ensure the body stays flat when

being pushed hard around corners. AP Racing big brakes

from Stillen bring race-winning technology to each corner

and are force-fed by a Hydratech hydra-boost setup.

Influencing the project’s name, 20-inch BMF Novakane

wheels are wrapped in ultra high-performance Nitto NT-

05 rubber front and rear. Off-road wheels on a lowered

muscle truck was a definite gamble, but we all think

the look fits the theme much like Frank Castle wearing

a Punisher T-shirt. Thanks to a solid and slammed

foundation, the Sierra was now ready to make the most of

the high-powered LS3 engine.


novakane

Sourcing an LSX376 crate engine from Chevrolet

Performance, I topped it of with a Magnacharger

TVS2300 supercharger stufng 12psi of atmosphere

into the LS3’s aluminum heads. Strapped onto

Westech Performance Group’s engine dyno, the

combo made 694 hp and 673 lb-f of torque. With

an ear-to-ear smile on everyone’s faces, the mighty

LS small-block was bolted onto the framerails with

American Racing Headers long-tube ceramic-

coated headers for maximum fow, an ATI eight-rib

serpentine belt conversion to prevent belt slippage,

and the entire combination is controlled by

Holley’s Dominator ECU, Holley LS engine harness,

and Holley’s drive-by-wire system. No chrome or

anything shiny is found under the hood. Keeping

it old-school hot-roddish, most everything in the

engine compartment is semi-gloss black including

the 12-point ARP fasteners throughout the engine.

Three pedals are found inside the truck because

I wanted to row my own gears and the thought of

fourth gear smoky donuts was too enticing. Backed

to the LSX376 is a Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed

with a Ram twin-disc clutch and Hurst short-throw

shifer from Hurst Driveline Conversions. Unbridled

joy is felt every time a new gear is selected and the

tidal wave of torque thrusts the GMC forward like it

was launched from a slingshot.

Chassis By Aaron Iha completely

fabricated a new dash, door panels,

and center console from sheet

aluminum. Corbeau seats with

four-point harnesses keep driver

and passenger secure during high-g

maneuvers.

Autoloc billet push-buttons handle

engine starting and lights.

Autometer gauges provide engine

vitals and a Grant steering wheel is

mounted to an ididit steering column.

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2004 GMC Sierra


Dan Ward • Foothill Ranch, California

eNGINe

Type: Chevrolet Performance Parts LSX376 6.2L

with 12-point ARP fasteners

Induction: Magnacharger TVS2300

supercharger (12 psi), Banks air intake,

LS7 90mm throttle body

Exhaust: American Racing Headers 1⅞-inch

long-tube headers, Chassis by Aaron Iha 3-inch TIG-

welded exhaust, 3-inch Banks Monster muţler

Fuel System: Aeromotive 20-gallon fuel cell

with A1000 fuel pump, Aeromotive fuel pressure

regulator, 60-psi injectors,

Holley A350 fuel hose (-8AN)

Ignition: MSD truck coils, Moroso 8mm plug

wires, DEI heat loom, NGK TR6 plugs

Cooling: Flex-a-Lite dual electric fans, BeCool

aluminum radiator, BeCool antifreeze

Tune: Holley Dominator ECU, Holley LS wiring

harness with drive-by-wire tuned by Eric Rhee at

Westech Performance Group

Built by: Dan Ward

Output: 694 hp and 673 lb-ft (engine dyno)

596 rwhp and 585 lb-ft (chassis dyno)

DrIvetraIN

Transmission: Tremec T-56 Magnum with Ram

10.5 twin-disc clutch, Hurst billet shifter, McLeod

release bearing, Quick Time SFI bellhousing

Rearend: GM 10-bolt with welded and narrowed

axle tubes, 3.73 G2 gears, Eaton TrueTrac,

Dutchman alloy axles, Mag Hytec diŇ cover, Royal

Purple synthetic gear oil

ChassIs

Front suspension: Lowered 8 inches with

Chassis by Aaron Iha CNC-cut upper and lower

A-arms, McGaughy’s 2-inch drop spindles, QA1

double-adjustable coilovers, Hotchkis 1½-inch

sway bar

Rear suspension: Lowered 9 inches with

Chassis by Aaron Iha back-half with C-notch,

triangulated four-link with adjustable aluminum

upper links, QA1 double-adjustable coilovers,

Hotchkis 1-inch sway bar

Brakes: AP Racing/Stillen 14.25-inch disc with

six-piston calipers (F) and 14-inch disc with four-

piston (R), Hydratech Braking hydraboost, Wilwood

adjustable proportioning valve

Wheels & tIres

Wheels: BMF Novakane

20x9-inch (F) and 20x10 (R)

Tires: Nitto NT-05 275/40R20 (F)

and 315/35R20 (R)

The view seen by most muscle cars is nice and clean

thanks to a shaved tailgate handle and welded-in roll

pan by L&G Enterprises. Recon LED taillights alert other

racers when the truck is braking for the turns.

Bullet Liner protects the bed and provides the black backdrop to the aluminum

wheel tubs and 20-gallon aluminum Aeromotive fuel cell with Holley hoses.

More sheet aluminum from Chassis by Aaron Iha surrounds the Chevrolet Performance LSX376.

On Westech’s engine dyno, the Magnacharger-equipped LSX made 694 hp and 673 lb-ft.

Before I even

purchased

the truck I had

a rendering

created by

Nate Shrum.

This helped put

my vision of a

muscle truck

into 2-D life.

After a few bolt-ons, the

Sierra was handling its

own on the autocross

course. Unfortunately the

tired 4.8L couldn’t keep up

with the big dogs, but we

had a remedy for that.


novakaneWith these modifications, the truck was fast and handled

better than any truck I had piloted, however if you look at

the “before” photo, then you’ll understand the body of the

Sierra didn’t have a straight panel on it. The paint and body

pros at l&g enterprises in San Dimas, California, worked their

magic and transformed the body into an arrow-straight metal

sculpture covered in PPg’s envirobase black with flat clear

and stripes unlike any other muscle truck. Theresa Contreras,

l&g’s resident paint artist, masked off Camaro-style bare metal

stripes complete with grinder marks before applying the black

on the hood and tailgate. The look is incredibly sinister and

custom-truck cool. other body mods include a Sir michael’s

rear roll pan, bodyworked Chevy HD hood to fit the gmC,

recon leD lights, shaved tailgate handle, and T-rex X-metal

grille inside an lmC Truck grille shell and lmC bumper. From

head-on, the truck looks so pissed off most motorists look in

their rearview mirrors and engage their blinkers to get out of

the way. For those that don’t move over, I let them hear the fury

of a 3-inch TIg-welded exhaust flowing from a banks’ monster

muffler and Stylin’ Trucks’ through-the-body exhaust tip. It’s an

unforgettable sound.

rather than just covering the bed with a tonneau cover, 714

motorsports sprayed the bed in protective bullet liner, and the

team at Chassis by aaron Iha created aluminum wheel tubs

to clear the 315/35r20 nitto tires and narrowed axle. a large

hole was cut into the bed behind the axle for the 20-gallon

aeromotive fuel cell, while Pro Precision billet battery brackets

fitted with red Top optima batteries flank the fuel cell and help

add some much-needed weight in the bed. Contrasting against

the black backdrop, the aluminum wheels tubs, fuel cell trim

ring, and billet brackets perfectly complement the bare metal

racing stripes and bare aluminum found on the bmF wheels.

Twelve psi of

boost from a

Magnacharger

TVS2300 is

force-fed into

a Chevrolet

Performance

LSX376 engine.

The end result is

694 hp and 673

lb-ft of torque.

L&G Enterprises

spent countless

hours making the

body straight and

then applied the

PPG Black with satin

clear with bare metal

racing stripes.

The interior of Project novakane is all business. once

strapped into the Corbeau lg1 seats and Corbeau four-point

harness, the first thing you see is the fabricated aluminum

dash, autometer gauges working in conjunction with a Stack

race data logger, and grant steering wheel bolted to an ididit

steering column. all of the factory plastic (dash, door panels,

steering wheel, etc.) was ditched in favor of aluminum panels

expertly shaped and welded by Chassis by aaron Iha. rojelio’s

upholstery wrapped the headliner, back cab panel, kick panels,

and a-pillars in black leather for a clean and finished look. no

need for a radio in this ride with the sweet sound of the lSX

engine under your right foot. Slick custom billet switches from

Keep it Clean Wiring control the lights, eCu power, and engine

starter. With the starter push-button depressed, all that is

needed to rock and roll is to select first gear and ease the clutch

out—it’s a rush that never gets old.

Cutting straight to the point, novakane is a dream come true.

behind the wheel on public roads I feel like Ken block ready to

unleash some youTube shenanigans at a moment’s notice, and

out on the track I feel like an assassin ready to infict my will

on the competition. We’ve raced the truck in California, Texas,

and Kentucky, and won several events. It’s been the source of

headaches, late nights without sleep, maxed-out credit cards, and

unadulterated excitement. From the start, this project has been

a team efort, and I’d like to personally thank the following in no

particular order: Harley, aaron, ben, Chris, Dale, Theresa, luis,

Kyle, Sammy, Dr. Jamie, ernie, eric, Steve, bob, blake, brock, Tim,

alan, Kevin, bill, Jesse, nate, Kris, Drew, butch, Justin, max, Jacob,

and matthew. Finally, I’d like to dedicate this truck build to eddie

orozco, a super-talented welder at Chassis by aaron Iha’s shop

who spent many late hours working by my side on the truck and

was seriously injured afer a skateboarding accident.


This Ram Brings the Wild West’s Undead Back to Life

Reach for the Skyby HaRley CamilleRi

PHoTograPHy: HaRley CamilleRi and Dan WaRD


many a Wild West town

owes its reputation for

violence to the discovery of

gold. Miners stormed into

any territory where the precious mineral

could be found, and established rough-

and-tumble mining camps on the fringes of

society. Dozens of saloons, gambling parlors,

and brothels competed for the men’s dollars.

Legendary characters sprouted up across

the land with names like Wild Bill Hickok,

Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holiday. As the towns

grew, so did the legendary gunfghts we’ve

come to know in our history books.

Reach for the Sky

Reach For The Sky

By the looks of this 2012 Ram,

owner Andrew Lowe must have

been touched in some way by those

tall tales of prospector claims and

gunmen facing off at the OK Corral. His

Western–themed rig sports the hollow

eyes of the undead gunslingers, poised

against the brutal and desolate desert

they once called home. Extreme

Customs, in Houston, Texas, claims

the credit for the artistic application of

the DuPont Hot Hues paint that gives

the truck its personality. Road Armor

bumpers and Prestige fender flares

give the truck a commanding look in

case the creative airbrushing doesn’t

turn heads fast enough.

However, the paint is only the

beginning of this truck’s imposing

attitude. It rides tall on a Top Gun

Customz 8-inch suspension lift that

was installed and detailed by the

capable Naivar brothers at ShowTime

Metal Works. Under the 3/4-ton Ram

are three-piece RBP Revolver wheels

that spec out at 24x12 inches. Equally

oversized 38x13.50R24 Nitto Trail

Grappler tires provide traction to get

Andrew across any harsh Texas terrain

he may encounter.

For added tow and go capability,

the 6.7L Cummins was augmented

with an array of performance

upgrades. A CryO2 injection system,

plumbed after the K&N air intake,

brings the inlet air temperature way

down to allow the Holset turbo to

make big boost numbers. MBRP

boost tubes do their best to contain

the 38 psi of pressure. An Edge Juice

programmer with Attitude controls

it all, with the waste gases routed

through a 4-inch stainless MagnaFlow

exhaust with dual outlets.

A full Alpine sound system stands

out as the only interior modification

Andrew felt necessary. The creative

embossing and stitch work integrated

into the factory Longhorn package

left Andrew little need to make any

additional interior alterations, and

it already meshes perfectly with

the wary eyes of the fallen cowboys

along for the ride. If you ever feel the

ominous approach of a dry wind

over your shoulder, and a sudden

silence settling in, it could very well

be Andrew and his clan of undead

outlaws.

Detailing the inner fender liners

with color-matched material works

surprisingly well to bring life to an

otherwise boring portion of the truck.


Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn 4x4


Andrew Lowe • Kingwood, Texas

EngInE

Type: 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel

Induction: K&N intake, CryO2 injection

Exhaust: MagnaFlow 4-inch, dual outlet

Forced Induction: Holset turbo

Engine Management: Edge Juice with Attitude

Output: 475 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque

Built by: Diesel Innovations

DrIvEtraIn

Transmission: Six-speed 68RFE

Rearend: Factory with Yukon 4.10 gears

ChassIs

Front Suspension: Top Gun Customz 8-inch Pro 1

Rear Suspension: Top Gun Customz 5½-inch Pro 1

Brakes: EBC rotors

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: 24x12-inch RBP Revolver

Tires: 38x13.50R24 Nitto Trail Grappler

Ram’s Longhorn interior is a major success

as far as factory interiors go. The earthy

tones and organic designs blend perfectly

with this truck’s Western motif.


Riding in Style No Matter the Occasion

Tuxedo Blackby Dan WarD



a coin has two

sides—heads

and tails. Make

a bet, fip it high

in the air, and receive your

fate. Whether the coin’s heads

requires driving to a fne-dining

restaurant or tails is going

of-roading in a Oklahoma

mud hole, Sean Gallagher is

prepared to make the most

out of either occasion when

piloting his 2011 Super Duty.

Featuring a big custom-plated

suspension and the interior

elegance typically found on

an exotic European sports car,

Sean’s Ford is the perfect dual

threat vehicle. As a professional

baseball player for the Colorado

Rockies, Sean knew what he

wanted when he picked up his

Super Duty, but he wasn’t sure

how to get there. That’s when

he made a call to Jim Lewis, of

Pro Motorsports, in Scottsdale,

Arizona. With the Ford in their

temporary possession, the

team at Pro Motorsports got

to work creating a rig that

matched Sean’s vision.

A stone cold fact is Super

Duty trucks look incredible

lifed. Rather than follow the

mainstream, Jim and the Pro

Motorsports team ordered a

10-inch kit from Rize Industries,

and upon delivery, promptly

sent it out for a one-of

specialty coating. Typically

associated with a new penny,

shiny copper plating now

adorns all of the Rize lif kit

components. Against the

tuxedo black paint, the contrast

is stunning. Choosing

the right options for a lif is

vital to a quality ride, and Pro

Motorsports added only the

best on Sean’s Ford including

single coilover buckets up

front with chrome-plated King

coilovers and bypass shocks,

dual steering stabilizer with

King shocks, Rize rear traction

bars, and dual King bypass

shocks out back. The extra-

large lif easily provides the

clearance for 38-inch Nitto Trail

Grappler M/T tires mounted to

equally large 24-inch BMF M-80

wheels. Now that the ¾-ton was

sky-high, it was time to make

the rest of the body match the

intimidating stance.

Tuxedo Black

To complement the killer BMF wheels, Pro

Motorsports swapped out the factory plastic grille in

favor of a full billet aluminum mesh grille, also from BMF.

Massive solid-steel Trail Ready bumpers replace the

factory units up front and out back. Rigid LED light bars

were stufed in the front bumper, a 52-inch LED light bar

was mounted to the roof, and Anzo USA projector lights

were added to max out the Ford’s rugged looks. Helping

the 6.7L turbo-diesel propel the F-250 down the road is a

full barrage of diesel power parts including a Bully Dog

GT tuner, K&N intake, and Gibson Metal Mulisha exhaust.

Aiding in the everyday drivability, the Super Duty’s

bed now houses a Bedslide and is protected by a Pace

Edwards Bedlocker electric tonneau cover.

Inside the crew cab, Sean has no worries of his truck

not impressing the lucky occupants. Pro Motorsports

removed the original cloth seat covers and coated the

seats in black leather and suede with copper diamond

stitching reminiscent of a Bentley. The headliner also

received the same treatment, and the factory audio was

upgraded with Kicker amps and speakers. A large blow-

through was cut into the back cab wall and two Kicker

12-inch subs provide eardrum-busting bass from the

enclosure located in the bed. Several key plastic pieces

throughout the interior were painted copper, and a new

leather and copper-painted Alliance Tech steering wheel

replaces the factory vinyl unit.

Front to back, top to bottom, Sean’s Super Duty is a

perfect example of customizing with class. With high-end

luxury found inside and an of-road-capable suspension

underneath, Mr. Gallagher should never have to worry

about being unprepared no matter the occasion.

Copper plating adorns the 10-inch Rize

Industries lift kit and helps separate

this F-250 from other lifted 4WDs.

Extra-large King coilovers with bypass

shocks help damp the bumps during

the drive to the baseball stadium.


Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty


Sean Gallagher • Tulsa, Oklahoma

ENGINE

Type: 6.7L turbodiesel V-8

Induction: K&N cool-air intake

Exhaust: Gibson Metal Mulisha exhaust

Tune: Bully Dog GT tuner

Built by: Pro Motorsports

DRIVETRAIN

Transmission: TorqShift six-speed auto

Rearend: 3.55 gears

CHASSIS

Front suspension: Rize 10-inch lift kit with single

coilover mount and King coilovers

Rear suspension: Rize 10-inch lift with optional traction

bars, King bypass shocks

Brakes: Factory Ford hydra-boost

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels: 24x10.5 BMF M-80 in Death Metal finish

Tires: 38x13.50R24LT Nitto Trail Grappler M/T

Nothing flashy just a classy

interior with leather, suede,

copper-colored diamond

stitching, and a few painted

accents including the Alliance

Tech steering wheel.


Doing What GMC Couldn’t

Twisted

bY MaxwEll MaTThEwson

PHoToGrAPHY: harlEy CaMillEri AnD ronniE yEaTEs ii


Everybody wants to change certain parts of oem

trucks to better ft their style or needs. This is why

the afermarket industry is so successful. Danny vera

of Houston had this exact thought when he bought

his 2008 GmC Sierra. He loved the look of the Yukon Denali, but

wanted a truck instead. To solve this, he enlisted the help of a few

select shops to give him everything he wanted in one vehicle.

After picking his truck up at the dealer, Danny wasted

no time getting it closer to the Texas pavement. He took the

truck to medicated metalworks, in Alvin, Texas, to get the

suspension handled. This consisted of belltech 2-inch drop

spindles up front along with relocated control arm mounts.

The ever-popular Texas two-link brings the back half down to

match the front. A quartet of Slam Specialties ’bags gives Danny

the option of cruising his Sierra around the lone Star state or

laying it out on terra firma. rounding out the chassis is a set of

24x9-inch and 24x15-inch Intro Twisted rally wheels wrapped

in Pirelli rubber.

Twisted


Twisted

The custom

sheetmetal

bumper

sitting

just below

the glassy

smooth

tailgate

shows what

Robert Meza

of Alamo

Customs is

capable of.


The next stop was Alamo Customs, also in Alvin, where paint

and body expert Robert Meza took over. Opting for a refreshed

front end, Danny had Robert install a new-body–style GMC

Yukon Denali front clip on the Extended Cab. Moving around

back, the tailgate handle and taillights were shaved, and a pair

of LED strips was installed under the tailgate to notify following

drivers of Danny’s intentions. A one-off sheetmetal bumper

replaced the factory version and shows exactly what Alamo

Customs is capable of. After shaving a few more nonessentials,

the entire truck was coated in a custom-mixed emerald green

paint followed by a tricolor graphic. After multiple coats of clear,

the attention was turned toward the interior.

Before leaving Alamo, the dash and door panels were

smoothed and painted. That’s right, the door panels look

leather-wrapped, but that was a trick Robert had up his sleeve.

He painted the door panels to match the future upholstery

then sprayed flat clear over them so they look covered in

leather. The seats were wrapped in adobe brown Ultra Leather

by Miguel’s Upholstery in Houston. Miguel also wrapped the

headliner in brown suede and laid brown carpet over the

floor. Before finishing up the interior, Custom Car and Audio, in

Richmond, Texas, came in and installed a pair of Massive Audio

amplifiers, two Alpine 12-inch subwoofers in a large fiberglass

enclosure, and eight JBL 6½-inch component speakers.

Danny made

sure that no

stone was left

unturned,

which included

having much of

the underhood

plastic painted

as well as

having a

sheetmetal

cover built for

the battery

and radiator

overflow tank.


Best Interior is one of the awards

that Danny routinely wins at the

shows he attends.

Twisted

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2008 GMC Sierra


Daniel Vera • Houston, Texas

ChassIs

Front suspension: 2-inch Belltech

drop spindles, relocated control arm

mounts, Slam Specialties RE-8 ’bags,

Belltech shocks

Rear suspension: Texas two-link

with Panhard bar, Slam Specialties

RE-8 ’bags, Belltech shocks

Brakes: Stock

Wheels & TIres

Wheels: 24x9-inch and 24x15-inch

Intro Twisted Rally

Tires: 295/30R24 and 405/25R24

Pirelli Pzero Nero

Danny absolutely loves his truck and loves that it turns heads everywhere it goes. Afer all the

work that went into his truck, it’s no wonder that it has won an award at every show it has been

to. Danny wanted to send a special thanks to Robert and the guys at Alamo Customs, Medicated

Metalworks, Miguel’s Upholstery, and Custom Car and Audio for all their help on the build.

Looking at the front of the truck, you wouldn’t know that you were in fact staring head on at a Sierra.

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by Maxwell Matthewson

PHoTograPHy: Boyd Jaynes, Maxwell Matthewson, and dan ward

of the RAPtoRsKing

in the ongoing pursuit to build better

vehicles, we find ourselves always

trying to outdo one another. Whether

it’s lifted or lowered, truck owners and

builders will find a way to be different. In the

lowered scene, the goal is to tuck more wheel

than the next guy. For lifted guys, they want

to be able to go anywhere and do anything in

their trucks. One of these lifted truck guys is

Chris Ross of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

You may remember Chris from the Issue 13

cover of 2012. His flat-black F-150 Raptor was

featured alongside another equally impressive

Raptor on the beaches of Baja California. After

a year of tinkering, tuning, and testing, Chris

found the solution to the suspension and

frame flex problems Raptor owners have been

facing. With a long list of upgrades planned,

Chris dropped the truck off with the talented

team at Stewart’s Raceworks, in Santee,

California, for a full rebuild. That may sound

extreme, but once you see what Chris has done

and what the truck is capable of, you may

change your mind.

Craig Stewart started the build by ridding

it of all of the bolt-ons that it originally had.

The front suspension was replaced with

Raptor Performance Group (RPG) spindles,

custom upper J-arms, and lower control

arms that accept dual Fox shocks. Retaining

the factory width, 300M halfshafts from

RCV keep the Raptor’s four-wheel-drive fully

functional. The back of the truck is another

story. The Stewart’s Raceworks’ team started

by chopping off the frame from the cab back. A

whole new back half was created with trusses

and a full cage for strength and rigidity. Giving

the custom Foddrill Motorsports rearend over

20 inches of travel is a one-off Raceworks

four-link. Fox triple-bypass coilovers and

shocks provide a smooth, comfortable ride

in even the roughest of roads, while 39-inch

BFGoodrich Baja T/A tires wrapped around

17-inch Vorsprung wheels give the Fox shocks

added support.

All of that suspension is useless without

a powerplant that can push the 6,300-pound

truck down the road. Boosted engine

performance came by way of a Roush Phase

2 supercharger to give the factory 6.2L motor

a healthy shot in the arm. Add to this a set

of Stainless Works long-tube headers and a

Magnaflow exhaust and you’ve got over 600

ponies coursing through the Foddrill full

floater rear. Helping to plant this power is

a pair of Wavetrac limited slip differentials

front and rear. These offer maximum traction

without compromising turning performance.

The ever-thirsty engine is fed from a massive

75-gallon fuel cell, which is large enough for

Chris to go deep into the Baja landscape and

still get home safely.

A Race-Ready, Cold-Blooded

Prerunner


Don’t let the exterior fool you. The interior is full of the requisite creature

comforts: leather and suede seats, brushed aluminum and suede accents, My Ford

Touch with SYNC, Lowrance race GPS, and many other features.

Now Chris had a race-ready

prerunner Raptor, but there was one

problem, it was naked. To remedy

this, Chris made a call to Racecar

Prototypes, in Hawaii. They sent

out a full fiberglass front clip and

bedsides. These were then sent to

Kirk Shanoian of raptoraddict.com,

to receive a coating of BASF Blood

Candy red paint. After the panels were

attached to the truck, a set of custom

bumpers were bolted on along with

Raptor Retrofit HID headlights, 12

Baja Designs lights, and a 51-inch Onyx

light bar mounted to an actuated light

bar that will turn the darkest of nights

into day.

To make the truck as safe as it

is capable, Craig Stewart built a full

rollcage in the cab. He integrated this

cage into the bed cage and underhood

cage for maximum structural integrity.

Keeping Chris planted in the seat

during high speed passes are a set of

Schroth five-point harnesses. Finally, a

full Stilo race communications system

was installed giving Chris the ability

to keep in contact with someone no

matter where he is.


In the unfortunate

event of a rollover,

the passengers are

kept safe by five-point

race harnesses and a

full rollcage built by

Stewart’s Raceworks.

Giving the Raptor enough travel

to swallow up the 39-inch BFGs

is a custom back half with triple

bypass Fox shocks, hydraulic

bumpstops, and splined race-

style sway bar.

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

2011 Ford F-150 Raptor


Chris Ross • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

ENGINE

Type: 6.2L V-8

Heads: Cast aluminum

Cam: Single overhead

Induction: Roush Phase 2 2300 supercharger

Exhaust: Stainless Works long-tube headers, Magnaflow 3-inch exhaust

Engine Management: Custom Roush tune

Output: 500 rwhp and 530 lb-ft

Built by: Hennessey Motorsports

DRIVETRAIN

Transmission: Ford 6R80

Rearend: Foddrill Motorsports full floater with 5.13 gears

CHASSIS

Front suspension: RPG upper J-arms, and dual-shock lower control

arms, RPG spindles, Fox triple bypass coilovers, Fox bumpstops

Rear suspension: Custom Stewart’s Raceworks four-link, Fox triple

bypass shocks

Brakes: EBC rotors and pads

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels: Vorsprung by RPG 17x8.5-inch

Tires: BFGoodrich Baja T/A 39x12.50R17

Hidden under the spare tire and aluminum race jack is a

massive 75-gallon fuel cell that feeds the blown 6.2L engine.

Somewhere under the burly engine cage is a supercharged

6.2L. Hopefully Chris never needs to replace his spark plugs.

Upon receiving his truck, the first thing Chris did was

romp on it to see just what it was capable of— he was not

disappointed. Now he has a truck that can handle just about

anything thrown at it. Chris wanted to send a shout out to all

of those who helped on the build, and he looks forward to

working with everyone again in the future. For more pictures

and videos of Chris’ Raptor, visit truckin.com.


Black Beauty

by Patrick Mccarthy

PHoTograPHy: isaac Mion


the moment someone utters the word

flatbed, images of a tired, dented work

truck sputtering down the highway spring

to mind. Sure, flatbeds may be functional,

but they’re nowhere near as sexy as a smooth metal

fleetside or stepside, right? Dick Hoffman of Denver

would disagree, and after seeing his gorgeous take

on the classic flatbed Chevy design, we’re right there

with him. This ’48 pickup proves once and for all that a

flatbed can be sleek, sensuous, and absolutely stunning.

This truck started life drastically different from what

you see here, since it was originally a 1½-ton flatbed

model. owner Dick Hoffman entrusted Denver–based

shop Color on Wheels with the build, and they quickly

got to work converting it into half-ton configuration.

The process began by fabricating an all-new custom

frame from steel plate, complete with a Heidts Superide

independent front suspension and polished coilovers

on all four corners. Heidts tubular control arms hold

new drop spindles and 14-inch Wilwood big brakes up

front. out back a triangulated four-link suspends the

new 9-inch Ford rearend, which is outfitted with moser

axles, 3.73 gears, and 13-inch Wilwood discs. Completing

the rolling chassis is a set of 18- and 20-inch staggered

billet Specialties wheels wrapped in bFg rubber.

before dropping a cab and bed onto the new chassis,

a 350ci v-8 was heavily massaged to power the classic

Chevy. With a forged 383ci stroker rotating assembly,

ported and polished aluminum heads, an aggressive

cam, FaST fuel injection system, and Sanderson

long-tube headers, this small-block pumps out more

than 500 hp at the crank. bolted to a built 700-r4

transmission, this setup provides more than enough

power to smoke the 10-inch-wide rear tires at will.

Finally, the cab was dropped back in place. The

decision was made to keep the ’48 cab with its split

window design, but newer ’54 frontend parts were

installed for a sleeker look. In the rear, custom fenders

and a roll pan were formed to accommodate the flatbed

configuration. leD taillights and a wide center-exit

exhaust tip were added for modern styling, and it was

all topped off by a stunning brazilian cherry wood bed.

brushed aluminum accents and a matching cherry

wood toolbox finish off the bed, leaving an ideal mix of

classic and custom styling cues. Inside the cab, black

wool carpet, leather headliner, and a glide leather

bench seat was installed by auto Weave upholstery, in

Denver. vintage air a/C and a lecarra leather-wrapped

steering wheel make the driver’s seat a nicer place to be,

while an alpine stereo system with custom under-seat

sub box handles audio playback.

after countless hours of hard work and fabrication,

this classic Chevy was finally complete, and it looks

truly stunning cruising the Colorado highways. The

owner wants to thank the build team at Color on

Wheels, as well as everyone else that had a hand in

seeing this project through to completion.

Reinventing the Classic

Flatbed Chevy Formula

Black Beauty

Combining a ’48 split-window cab with the more modern ’54 frontend

creates a subtle new look. You’d never know this sleek Chevy was

originally a 1½-ton work truck.

“This ’48 pickup proves once and for all that a fatbed can be sleek, sensuous, and absolutely stunning.”

Matte grey Billet

Specialties wheels

with polished

accents provide just

the right amount

of contrast for the

truck’s clean black

paint scheme.

Inside the Build

Year Make Model:

1948 Chevy Pickup


Dick HoŇman • Denver, Colorado

ENGINE

Type: 350ci V-8 with forged 383ci stroker rotating assembly

Heads: Ported and polished aluminum

Cam: Comp Cams

Induction: FAST four-barrel throttle body

Exhaust: Sanderson headers, Color

on Wheels custom exhaust

Fuel System: FAST EFI system, 36-pound injectors, Walbro

fuel pump, 27-gallon aluminum tank

Ignition: Moroso plug wires

Engine Management: FAST

Output: 525 hp, 525 lb-ft of torque

Built by: DC Racing Engines • Denver, Colorado

DrIvEtraIN

Transmission: Built 700-R4

Rearend: 9-inch Ford with narrowed Moser axles, 3.73 gears

ChassIs

Front suspension: Custom-fabricated frame, Heidts

Superide IFS with polished stainless coilovers, Heidts drop

spindles, Heidts tubular control arms

Rear suspension: Custom back half, Heidts Superide

polished stainless coilovers, triangulated four-link

Brakes: Wilwood 14-inch front disc and 13-inch rear disc,

braided stainless lines

WhEEls & tIrEs

Wheels: Billet Specialties Bonneville G, 18x8-inch front

and 20x10-inch rear

Tires: BFG Traction T/A, 245/45R18 front and 295/35R20 rear

A polished Lecarra

steering wheel and

Classic Instruments

gauges ofset the

otherwise subtle

interior styling.

Under the Chevy’s hood resides

a heavily reworked 383ci V-8.

Producing more than 500 hp,

this fuel-injected small-block

provides plenty of modern

thrust for this vintage pickup.


PHOTOgraPHy: Maxwell Matthewson and patrick Mccarthy


when Ford

announced the

new Coyote

engine would

be inserted under the hood of

F-150s, the forums were buzzing

with speculation. now that it has

been out for a few years it’s time

for us to see how the aftermarket

has responded with tried-and-

true bolt-ons. Hunting for power,

we tracked down new long-tube

headers and stainless exhaust kit

from American racing Headers.

The headers (Pn F150l34W/C,

$1,665) feature 1¾-inch diameter

primary tubes, a 3-inch Y-pipe

with high-flow catalytic

converters, and new bolts to

replace the factory manifold

studs. The after-cat exhaust (Pn

F150CTbK11, $1,295) is a 3-inch

design with resonator and high-

flow muffler. It also has all of the

necessary clamps and hardware.

To do the install, we set aside a

lift in our Irvine tech center, and

a solid eight hours.

The installation of

the headers was fairly

straightforward on paper, but

given the fact that the Coyote

motor is a lot wider than

previous truck v-8s, it was

more difficult than anticipated.

All said and done, the new

exhaust added nine rear-wheel-

horsepower and six lb-ft of

torque. This isn’t a monster

number, but as with all long-

tubes, the eCu needs to be tuned

to handle the better breathing

and at press time we didn’t have

a chance to put a custom tune

in the computer. once we’ve got

the truck tuned and back on the

dyno, you’ll be able to see the

new results, as well as be able

to hear the exhaust system in

action at truckin.com. If your

new F-150 is equipped with the

5.0l v-8, give American racing

Headers a call to give it an

aggressive truck growl and reap

the reward of more power while

you’re at it.

1.

1. The first step, as always, was to remove the inferior factory

parts. While they worked just fine on the truck, to get the power

we wanted, they had to go. Using a 13mm ratcheting wrench, we

loosened all of the clamps holding the exhaust in place.

Power Pipes

Putting the Growl in Ford’s Coyote 5.0L V-8 Thanks to American Racing Headers

Source:

AmericAn rAcing HeAders

(631) 608-1986

americanracingheaders.com

power pipes


2. Even though

the truck is

brand new,

the hangers

still had to be

persuaded to

free their grip

with a little

application of

WD-40, pliers,

and a prybar.

2.

3. Again using the

13mm ratcheting

wrench, we unbolted

the ball flange at the

end of the Y-pipe.

3.

4. On the new Ford trucks, the mufler is connected to the head-pipe

via a notch and key-style fastener. There is a clamp as well, but you

must twist the pipe to get it of.

4.5. Moving on to the Y-pipe, the oxygen sensors were disconnected

from the wiring harnesses.

5.

power pipes

6. Next, the

Y-pipe was

disconnected

from the

exhaust

manifolds

with a 13mm

deep socket

on an 8-inch

extension.

6.

7. In order to drop the Y-pipe from the

truck, the transmission crossmember

had to first be removed. After

supporting the transmission with a

jack, four 18mm nuts that held the

crossmember to the frame were

loosened and the two 15mm nuts

that held the crossmember to the

transmission support were unbolted.

7.

8. With the transmission crossmember

out of the way, the Y-pipe came

straight down out of the truck. With

more room to work, we used a 7/8-inch

wrench to remove the oxygen sensors

from their bungs.

8.

9. Finally, we were able to remove the

exhaust manifolds. This sounds easy,

but first we had to remove the starter.

Next, we removed all of the bolts from

the header studs with a 15mm deep

socket. With mere millimeters to

spare, there just wasn’t enough room

to remove the manifolds. To get the

manifolds out of the truck, the manifold

studs had to be carefully removed

from the block using a Torx socket on a

universal joint.

9.

10.

10. The new stainless headers ofer

a streamlined design to give the hot

exhaust air a free path to exit the truck.

They also feature 3/8-inch flanges,

merge collectors, and a true two-into-

one design.

12.

12. We immediately filled the new

void on either side of the engine with

the new ARH headers. Again, this

was easier said than done. Plenty of

wiggling and prodding was needed to

get them into place.

13.

13. With even less room than before,

we slowly and carefully threaded each

stud into its hole in the block. With

them all in, we tightened the bolts down

from the center out, in a zig-zag pattern

to ensure even torque. We did say that

the kit came with new bolts to replace

the studs, but we decided that to keep

as much factory parts as possible.

11. After almost two hours

of knuckle busting, the

studs were removed and

the manifolds were out

of the truck. Here you can

see how big of a diference

there is between the

factory manifolds and the

American Racing Headers

long-tubes. It’s truly a

night and day diference.

11.

power pipes


14. As with

the headers,

the American

Racing exhaust

provides an

unobstructed

exit for the

air leaving

the engine.

The resonator

and mufler

work together

to deliver an

appealing

rumble, without

the in-cabin

drone that

other exhaust

systems cause.

14.

15.

15. To begin the install of the stainless

exhaust system, the new, two-piece Y-pipe

with catalytic converters was lifted up into

place. Using the supplied 14mm nuts and

bolts, the ball joint exhaust flange was

tightened down.

16.

16. The new head pipe with resonator was

then bolted to the Y-pipe.

17.

17. The last piece to go on was the over the

axle pipe with the tips welded to it. This was

afixed with a standard exhaust clamp.

18.

18. To finish the install, we screwed the oxygen sensors into place and

reattached them to the wiring harness in the truck. 19.

19. After: The polished dual exhaust tips looked great and the rumble

sounded even better. it is important to note that with long-tube headers,

the factory ecU needs to be tuned to achieve proper performance.


PHOTOgraPHy: Maxwell Matthewson

- volume 39, no. 13, [ 1 0 0 ] november 11, 2013 -

Give Me a Brake

Customizing a truck is a multi-

step process. The first step is

usually the inexpensive, easy

bolt-ons like intakes, grilles,

and even a tuner. Next comes the lift or

lowering kit and big wheels and tires.

Adding these oversized wheels and tires

looks good, but the OEM brakes were

never meant to be able to handle the extra

unsprung weight. Too many people forego

upgrading the brakes because of fear of the

unknown, cost, or any number of reasons.

Upgrading your brakes shouldn’t be

a daunting process. That is exactly what

Wilwood thought when they came out

with their big brake kit for the 1999-to-

current GM 1500 pickups and SUVs. The

kit is simple to install, returns factory-like

stopping performance to big-wheel-

equipped trucks, and looks far better

than stock. We took a trip to the Wilwood

headquarters in Camarillo, California, to

catch the install of this kit on a 2011 Chevy

Silverado, check it out.

Wilwood’s Big Brake Kit Adds Stopping Performance & Racecar Looks

Source:

WilWood EnginEEring

(805) 388-1188

wilwood.com

3. The front kit (PN: 140-8992, $2486.39) comes with everything needed for install including: six-piston calipers, caliper mounting brackets, massive 16-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors with hats, pads, and all of the nuts, bolts, washers, and spacers. Not shown in the photo, but included in the kit, are stainless steel replacement brake lines.

1. The factory brakes seem miniscule behind the large 24-inch American Racing wheels.

2. Starting up front, the removal of the factory calipers was simple and accomplished by unbolting them from the spindle.

1. 2.

3.

Give Me a Brake


4. With the factory caliper supported out of the way and the rotor

removed, our tech installed the bolts through the caliper mounting

ears on the spindle. The instructions suggested starting out with one

thin shim washer during initial fitment testing.

4. 5.

5. The caliper-mounting bracket was then attached to these bolts.

The bracket wasn’t tightened all the way down until all the clearances

were checked.

7.

7. Before sliding the caliper onto the mounting bracket, two spacers

and one shim washer were used for proper clearance between the

rotor and caliper.

8.

8. Once all of the clearances were checked and rechecked, the caliper

mounting bracket and caliper were tightened to the appropriate

torque specifications.

9.

9. After inserting the pads into the caliper, the center bridge pad was

bolted into place.

6.

6. To assemble the rotor and the hat, 12 bolts were installed from the

back with red Loctite to guarantee a long lasting hold. Here you can

get a feel for the size diference between the stock rotor and the huge

16-inch Wilwood two-piece rotor.

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Give Me a Brake


10.

10. The final step for the front was to install the stainless steel braided brake lines in the factory location.

11.

11. Moving to the rear, the caliper was unbolted from the axlehousing.

12.

12. Included in the rear kit (PN: 140-9838, $2038.39) are all of the necessities for completing the install: four-piston calipers, caliper mounting brackets, 14¼-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors with hats, pads, and all of the nuts, bolts, washers, and spacers. Also included are braided stainless brake lines. As you can see, this photo shows black calipers. Wilwood ofers a variety of powdercoat options.

13.

13. Just like up front, the rear hat and caliper were bolted together using the included nuts and bolts and red Loctite.

14.

14. A small piece of the brake dust shield needed to be trimmed prior to installing the caliper mounting bracket or rotor.

15.

15. Installing the new pieces is as simple as bolting the bracket to the axlehousing using the included shims and sliding the rotor over the lug nuts.

Give Me a Brake

16. With all of the clearances checked, all of the bolts were tightened.

16.

17. As with the

front, the final step

was installing the

brake pads and

the braided brake

lines. The brake

calipers were then

bled, starting with

the passenger-side

rear and working

our way around.

17.

18. The new brakes decreased stopping distance while improving the overall look of the

truck. Before the upgrade, the truck was definitely struggling to bring the big 24-inch wheels

and tires to a halt, whereas after the install, the stopping distance was decreased by 73 feet

and there was no brake fade after repeated panic stops.

18.

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877-224-1699

www.p-s-t.comcall for a free catalog

ORDER TOLL FREE OR ONLINE

by Harley CamilleriPHOTOgraPHy: Harley Camilleri


Bringing the ram to New Heights

For many of you,

what we’re about

to tell you isn’t

really a secret.

For others, it may come as

a shock, so please don’t go

rioting in the streets. Having

looked back over this year’s

issues, it’s easy to see that

we really like the ‘09-’14 Ram

1500s. With their fresh skin,

coil-sprung rear suspension,

and three cab choices, there

isn’t a lot of room to find fault.

Our main complaint stems

more from our addiction to

customization, for which

there seems to be no cure. To

calm our nerves and make

us feel better, we keep on the

path to sanity by continually

turning out cool trucks to

show you what’s available for

your rig.

With a 2012 Ram 1500

Quad Cab 4X4 at our disposal,

we decided to upgrade it

via a mild suspension lift,

knobby rubber, and a set of

slick wheels. The goal was to

create something that rode

nice during the daily grind,

and was able to whisk us

away to far off destinations

yet could still maintain the

utilitarian nature of the truck.

Thanks to the folks at Rough

Country suspension and

Dick Cepek tires and wheels,

we accomplished exactly

that. Ram trucks just seem

to sit higher and have better

fender clearance by design,

so it didn’t require much lift

to clear some decent tires. As

a matter of fact, making room

for the 35x12.50R20LT Dick

Cepek Mud Country tires

enveloping Dick Cepek Gun

Metal 7 wheels only required

a 4-inch suspension lift from

Rough Country. Not too tall,

but just right for normal

usage.

Handling the installation

of this Rough Country kit

on our Ram was Industrial

Motoring in Anaheim,

California. The crew at

Industrial have what it

takes to get any job done

right. Depending on the day,

Industrial’s guys can be found

pumping up the power on a

long-travel Raptor, lifting a 3⁄4-

ton turbo-diesel truck, adding

glitzy wheels to a new BMW,

or getting a Ferrari 458 to

hug the ground over a set of

racing coilover shocks. Now

that’s a shop we can enjoy

ourselves at!

Prepare Your Ram to Tackle Any Terrain



1. From the factory, our Ram came coated in Mineral Gray

paint, and rode on silver-painted 20-inch wheels. It was clean,

but definitely needed a shot of adrenaline.

1.

2. The remedy

was this 4-inch

suspension kit

designed by

Rough Country.

It consisted

of two front

crossmembers,

matching

diferential

brackets,

taller steering

knuckles,

longer sway

bar endlinks,

performance

rear shocks,

and plenty

more.

2.

3. With the truck in the air at Industrial

Motoring, the front brakes were removed to

gain access to the front drive axle nuts.

3.

4.

4. Longer sway bar endlinks were included

from Rough Country, so the stock ones were

tossed into the spare parts bin. 5.

5. Once the steering and ball joints were

disconnected, the factory knuckles were

removed from the Ram.

6.

6. Both front strut assemblies followed suit.

7.

7. Industrial zipped the hardware of and pulled

the lower control arms from the Ram’s chassis. 8.

8. The Rough Country kit relocated the front

axle to maintain proper geometry. To prepare

for this, the cross-brace under the diferential

had to go.

9.

9. After unbolting the front driveshaft, the front

axle was supported on a jack so the attaching

hardware could be removed, and the axle was

lowered out of the way.

10.

10. We know that most people wouldn’t

choose to cut their new truck’s frame,

but it was a necessity and it was only a

few small pieces. Rough Country even

included templates to make the cuts exact.

11.

11. Industrial chose to slice of the ofending

axle mount using a reciprocating saw.



12. With the included alignment blocks

and fresh hardware, we slipped the rear

crossmember into its new home.

12.13. The front axle slid right into the new Rough

Country mounting brackets.

13.

14. Compensating for the driveshaft

diference was this aluminum spacer. It was

sandwiched between the front driveshaft

and axle flange with longer bolts.

14.

15.

15. To ensure that other drivers know

where your new lift kit came from, the front

crossmember was adorned with a laser-cut

RCX logo.

16.

16. Each of the lower control arms was

located into the mounting pockets on the

new crossmembers. Factory hardware and

alignment cams will ensure anybody can get

the frontend into spec.

17.

17. A fabricated 4-inch spacer was cinched to

the top of each front strut before they could

be reinstalled.

18.

18. Even with the added height of the spacers, mounting the struts back on the Ram was a breeze.

19.19. Thankfully all the new trucks have gone

to the sealed unit bearings for the front

hubs. Three bolts per side made easy work

of swapping the stock knuckles for the taller

knuckle in the lift kit.

20. Once the front CV axles were aligned

into the unit bearings, the knuckles were set

between the control arms, and the ball joint

nuts tightened up.

20.



21. Instead of longer brake lines that would

have required more work, the original brake

hoses were easily relocated with simple

brackets.

21.22. Rough Country’s 4-inch lift kit left the

sway bar in its original mounts on the frame.

Instead of changing the mounts, longer

endlinks spanned the increased distance.

22.

24. Compression struts were an option for

the suspension system that we couldn’t

live without. They stifen the new, taller

crossmembers rearward in case of hard front

suspension impacts.

24. 25. The compression struts required drilling

one hole in each side of the transmission

crossmember to create a mounting point.

25.

23.

23. Completing the front was this skidplate

to save the front diferential from of-road

obstacles.

26. It was a really tight fit, but thankfully a

custom hardware tab was made especially

for these mounts.

26.

27. Industrial

Motoring

wasted

no time in

tearing into

the rear

suspension.

The shocks

were tossed

aside, as new

ones would

be replacing

them.

28. After the

removal of

the sway bar

endlinks, the

rear axle was

lowered a bit

to release

the rear coil

springs.

29. It couldn’t

get any easier

than these

new upper

coil spring

spacers.

30. Raising

the axle back

up set the

factory coils

right into

position.

27. 28.

29. 30.



35. Dick Cepek’s Mud Country is

one tough tire. With its extra wide

footprint and “DC” Sidebiters tread

pattern, of-road excursions are

nothing to be feared.

Sources:

Dick cepek

(330) 928-9092

dickcepek.com

inDustrial Motoring

(877) 724-5538

industrialmotoring.com

rough country

suspension systeMs

(800) 222-7023

roughcountry.com

31. To match the front, longer sway bar endlinks made installation

a snap.

31.

32. We were impressed with Rough Country’s rear Performance 2.2

shock absorbers with the integrated jounce bumper.

32.

33. Spacers were bolted to the axle to act as taller bumpstop pads.

33.

34. The

distinctive

seven-spoke

design of the

Dick Cepek

Gun Metal

7 was what

caught our

eye. The

fact that

the inner

gray color

was nearly

a perfect

match for

the Ram was

icing on the

cake.

34.

35.

by Patrick Mccarthy



Good Vibrations

although it’s true that factory

sound systems have

significantly improved in the

last decade, they still leave

much to be desired, especially for those of

us who are used to high-dollar audio gear.

This was also the case with our EcoBoost

project truck, as its factory Ford speakers left

much to be desired. However, we didn’t want

to tear up our dash to install a new head

unit, so we called up the experts at MTX.

They provided us with two sets of Thunder

Axe component speakers, a TH90.4 four-

channel amp, and a ThunderForm 10-inch

underseat subwoofer. For wiring, we turned

to Stinger, who supplied high-quality RCA

cables, amp wiring, a power distribution

box, and Stealth Roadkill sound-damping

mat. We also chose this time to upgrade our

battery to an Interstate MT7 AGM battery

with 48-month free replacement. With all

of our new goodies in the bed, we drove

out to Audio Innovations, in Glendora,

California, where their experienced techs

put it all together. To see how these simple

upgrades drastically improved our F-150’s

sound without changing the OEM head unit,

read on.

Our EcoBoost Gets An Audio Overhaul From MTX and Stinger

1. MTX sent us two complete sets of Thunder Axe component speakers (P/N: TX6, $229.95), each of which included two 6.5-inch woofers, two 25mm tweeters, and two adjustable crossovers. Our stock Ford speakers never stood a chance.

1.

Sources:

Audio innovAtions

(626) 335-8691

audioinno.com

interstAte BAtteries

(866) 842-5368

interstatebatteries.com

MtX Audio

(800) 225-5689

mtx.com

stinger electronics

(800) 477-2267

stingerelectronics.com

2 .

2. To access the factory speakers, we began by removing all four door panels from our Super Cab F-150, and then set them aside.

STYLEwhere

FUNCTIONmeets

ADRENALINE

818020"

800.776.0767 Sharewww.ProCompUSA.com

PHANTOM

518217", 20"NEW

VAPOR

518317", 20"N

EW

Good Vibrations


3. With the door panels of, the factory speakers could be unscrewed

from the doors and disconnected.

3.

6. The crossovers were mounted to the doors using perforated steel

strips and self-tapping screws. Then, they were connected to new

wiring that was run through each door to the rear of the cab.

6.

8. Next, the new 6.5-inch MTX speakers were wired to the crossovers

and secured to the doors with more self-tapping screws.

8.

7. For the rear doors, the crossovers had to be mounted facing

outward to provide enough clearance for the door panels.

7.

4. Before applying our Stealth Roadkill sound damping, we needed to

peel the black rubber insulation of each door and throw it away.

4.

5. The Stealth Roadkill sheets were trimmed to size and applied to the

bare metal door panels. Holes were cut to reveal the speaker openings

and window switch wiring.

5.

www.lrgrims.com

COMING UP

BIG

BLACK

MILLED FINISH

ALSO AVAILABLE

IN CHROME

LRG

STYLE

NUMBER

Good Vibrations


11.

13.

10. 9.9. An adjustable high-to-low converter was wired in-line to reduce the signal level from the Ford head unit before it gets to the MTX amp. This prevents clipping and distortion caused by sending too loud of a signal to the amplifier.

10. With the speakers and crossovers handled, it was time to mount the tweeters. We chose this spot on the door panel, drilled holes for the wires, and screwed the tweeters in place.

12. Setting the box in place under the seat, we simply plugged in the included power wire and two Stinger RCA cables from the factory head unit.

12.

13. The MTX subwoofer enclosure has its own mono amp, but we still needed an amp for our component speakers. This MTX 360W RMS four-channel unit (P/N: TH90.4, $349.95) fit the bill perfectly.

14.

14. We placed the amp under the rear bench seat across from the sub box, and then screwed it securely to the floor. We had no loss of seating space.

11. To add some thump to our system, we picked up this MTX ThunderForm vehicle-specific sub box (P/N: F150EX09FB10A-TN, $649.95). With a built-in 200W RMS mono amp and 10-inch Terminator woofer, it’s designed to fit snugly under our truck’s rear bench seat.

15. This Stinger power distribution block was connected to the sub box and amplifier, and fuses were installed for each. Then, a Stinger power wire was run along the doorsill and into the engine bay.

15.

16. The Stinger power wire was attached to the new Interstate MT7 AGM positive battery terminal, and the in-line fuse was zip-tied out of the way.

16.

17. Wiring was run under the carpet to all four crossovers, RCA cables were run to the head unit, and a ground wire was soldered to the floor. Black zip ties secured everything neatly in place, and the install was complete.

17.

Enthusiasts United

to Advance

Automotive Freedoms

enlist now!

semaSAN.com

What’s Your Passion? Check Out the One-Stop Hub for Everything Enthusiast

Visit: simappstore.com


Over the last 20 years

numerous truck shows

have come and gone.

There are big ones, small

ones, good ones, and bad ones. But year

afer year there is a show that continues

to bring out quality trucks—Texas Heat

Wave. Held at the Travis County Expo

Center, in Austin, Texas, this year marked

the 24th anniversary of the show. The

show saw a record number of pre-

registries, proving that the truck scene is

alive and well in the Lone Star state.

This year’s show was held on July

27th and 28th, and it lived up to its name

as the mercury reached triple digits,

but that didn’t keep spectators from

attending. According to the ever-reliable

Facebook, some people waited up to

two hours in line to get into the show

on Saturday. Besides the multitudes of

custom cars, trucks, bikes, and boats on

display, there was a burnout contest,

helicopter rides, monster truck stunts

and rides, bikini contest, live music

from Texas–based rapper Trampia, a

hydraulic contest, and USACI sound of.

If you missed this year’s event, you are

going to want to start saving up to attend

the 2014 show.

Texas’ Largest Car and Truck

Show

Texas Heat Wave 2013

by MaxWell MaTTHeWsOn

PHoTograPHy: Harley CaMilleri, MaxWell MaTTHeWsOn, and rOnnie yeaTes ii

We have seen really bad airbrushing and we

have seen really good airbrushing. It’s safe to

say, this falls into the latter category.



Even though they just came out, there were already 2013 Ram HD

trucks on display. This one was in the Nitto tire booth and was built

by the Naivar Brothers from Showtime Metal Works in Austin, Texas.

In case you

haven’t seen it

yet, Bill Carlton

of Ekstensive

Metalworks

built himself

a new-body–

style two-door

Tahoe out of

a Suburban.

There isn’t

anything this

man can’t do.

A lot of guys have turned to

modifying ¾- and 1-ton trucks, but

there are still guys lifting ½-ton

trucks. Check out the feature on

this F-150 coming soon.

Texas is the land of

V-8s. Or at least it was

until the EcoBoost

showed up. At the

burnout contest, this

EcoBoost–powered

2013 F-150 showed us

how it is done.



This insane Ram 2500 from Extreme Ofroad and Performance,

in Katy, Texas, took home the Best of Show 4x4 award.

Alamo Customs came out with the truck from the cover of Issue 1 of

this year on display.

New! VHX Series

8 0 0 . 5 93 . 97 2 1dako tad ig i t a l . com/ TR

Arrowcraft Products5022 Leafdale Blvd.Royal Oak, MI 48073

(248) 280-0210www.arrowcraft.com

To find what fits your car, call

1-800-313-5451

Win free gear For a chance to win Crutchfield’s

Great Gear Giveaway go to

crutchfield.com/tkn

Car Audio Experts• Huge selection of top brands

• Free install gear for most cars

• Free shipping on most orders

Readers’ Rides by Patrick Mccarthy

to get your truck featured in Readers’ Rides, email a high-resolution photo of your truck to [email protected]. Send

in a front 3⁄4 or profle shot of your truck, and make sure it’s big enough. For a digital fle, try to make it at least 1MB. Don’t use

your cell phone! We print at a much higher resolution than a website, which means that sending links to photos posted online

won’t work. Also, please make sure that the whole truck is in the frame, don’t cut of the front or back of the truck. Remember,

this is your pride and joy. Do your best to make your truck look its best. Also, make sure to include plenty of information about you and

your truck. The more information, the better the article. If you want to get your ride noticed by posting it on our website, go to rides.

truckinweb.com. Upload up to 20 photos of your vehicle, along with detailed descriptions.

Get Low

Who: Jose Avila

What: 2006 Dodge Ram 1500

WheRe: Walla Walla, Washington

Mods: AccuAir e-Level air suspension, tubular lower control arms, frontend narrowed 4 inches, rearend narrowed 5 inches,

custom four-link, fenders rolled and reinforced with steel rod, custom Lowboy Motorsports rear tubs, bridge, and roll pan,

relocated fuse box and battery, Lowboy Motorsports custom fuel cell, 24-inch chrome wheels, Kenwood stereo


Go Big

Who: Andrew Daniel

What: 2009 Dodge Ram 2500

WheRe: Tantallon,

Saskatchewan, Canada

Mods: AIRAID cold-air intake, Bully

Dog GT tuner, illuminated doorsills,

LED interior lighting, Alpine M50 amp,

Alpine S10 subwoofer in custom box,

custom spiderweb headache rack,

six IPF 6-inch lights on a removable

lightbar, Tough Country Legend front

bumper with four PIAA 520 lights, Iron

Bull rear bumper with taillight guards

and PIAA lights, Recon smoked third

brake light, Warn VR12000 winch

and wireless remote, Superlift dual

steering stabilizers, Zone Ofroad

5-inch lift kit with Fox shocks, 20x9-

inch Fuel Boost wheels with 35x12.50

Nitto Mud Grappler tires

MAXimum Exposure

Parting Shot By julio garcia vargas

By Maxwell Matthewson

PHOTOgraPHy: courtesy oF chrysler

- volume 39, no.13, [ 1 3 4 ] november 11, 2013 -

i am a huge supporter of customizing vehicles. When I bought my newest truck, the first thing I did was de-badge it and

tint the windows. Shortly after, it received a lowering kit and custom wheels. This was all while it still had paper license

plates from the dealer on it. I love owning a vehicle that makes people turn their heads and stare. Pulling up to a light

and having the guy next to me look over, admire my vehicle, and give me a thumbs up is an amazing feeling.

A couple months back, we showed you the new Ford F-150 Tremor, an Ecoboost-powered, regular cab, street shredder

with 4.10 gears. Ford knows that the sport truck scene is still alive and kicking. Just after Ford announced the Tremor, Ram

announced a “sportier” version of their popular Ram 1500 Hemi Express. This new version, called the Black Express, comes

de-badged, with projector headlights, black exterior trim, and black chrome wheels. I am glad that the automakers are real-

izing the potential of sport trucks and hopefully they continue this

trend. What are your thoughts on this? Send them over

to me at [email protected].

we’ve all seen them: terrible, horrendous, ob-

noxious bumper stickers on trucks. We have

compiled a list of the worst bumper stickers

around. We have also included some of the

best bumper stickers we have seen, just in case you want to re-

place your honor student sticker with something better. Think

we forgot one, or want to give us a piece of your mind, send an

email to [email protected].

WorSt Calvin peeing

This one has got to be the most played-out bumper sticker ever. Enough already.

presidential Campaign stiCker

The election is over. Take it of!

Family stiCkers

No one cares about your family.

Honor student stiCker

Congrats on creating smart ofspring, you still suck at driving.

My dog is smarter than your honor student.

He’s also smarter than you…ditch this sticker.

BESt one less prius

Because Priuses suck!

truCkin deCal

Obviously this should be the first sticker on your truck.

Coexist witH guns

A cool recreation of the coexist sticker.

anti stiCk Figure Family

Again, no one cares about your family.

THE SUPPRESSOR™Acoustical Mat

COOL & QUIET

THERMO GUARD FR™

HEAVY DUTY

SPRAY ADHESIVE

CONTROL HEAT & SOUNDIMPROVE DRIVER COMFORT

MAT ROLLER

Call 800-274-8437 or visit www.thermotec.comfor a free catalog, technical support or a distributor near you.

You Asked, We Answered

TRUCKIN (ISSN 0277-5743), Volume 39, Number 13, is published every four weeks by Source Interlink Media, LLC, 261 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York NY 10016.

Copyright © 2013 by Source Interlink Magazines, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and additional mailing ofces. SUBSCRIPTIONS:

U.S. AND U.S. possessions $36.00 for one year (13 issues). Canadian $49.00 and all other countries $62.00 (including surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S.

funds only. Single copy price is $5.99. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections

to: TRUCKIN, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

Coming Next

MonthIssue 1, on sale

November 12th

Tru

ck

in m

ag

az

ine

, co

nti

nu

ing

to

be

th

e w

orl

d’s

be

st.

You Wanted to Know:

A couple months back,

Ram unveiled a new

concept truck, the

Rumble Bee Ram. We

posted this picture and

asked you what you thought. Here

are some of the responses:

2013 Show CalendarOctober 5-6 Off Road Expo • Pomona, California

October 18-20 Last Resort • Jennings, Texas

November 5-8 SEMA • Las Vegas, Nevada

by JuliO Garcia VarGasPHOTOgraPHy: Team Truckin

Hey guys,

I have a 2008 Dodge Ram

1500 that I want to ’bag

on 22-inch wheels. Is there

a company that makes

the front control arms for

this application? Any help

would be appreciated.

Thanks,

mike choate

abilene, Texas

Mike,

That is a great question. These trucks are becoming increasingly popular as their

price comes down. The answer to your question is yes, there are companies that make

control arms for your truck. One we would recommend is the ’04-’08 Ram front kit from

Ekstensive Metal Works (ekstensive.com). The kit uses the factory ball joints and comes

with everything else you need. It is part number #F2001 and costs $800.

Marshall Muse

I hope they do unveil a Rumble Bee,

and I hope that it prompts Ford to

release a new Lightning, and let the

Horsepower Arms Race ensue!

Michael Roa

It better have a supercharged 6.1L

Hemi.

Austin Munro

A Rumble Bee truck shouldn’t have an

electronic shifter!

Truckin,

I have been a long time reader and I have a

question that I hope you have the answer

to. I recently bought an ’08 Silverado and

am having trouble finding a cat-eye billet

grille shell. I had an ’06 Sierra and bought

one through one of the companies in your

magazine about 11 years ago. If there were

any way that you could help me find one

for my new project it would be greatly

appreciated. Thanks and keep up the

awesome work.

anthony Hyatt

ashford, alabama

Anthony,

I think I know why you are having trouble.

The 2008 Silverado trucks did not have

a “cat-eye” front end, they have the NBS

front end. If in fact you do have a Silverado

that has the slanted headlights, it is a

2003-2007. Either way, there are many

companies that make billet grilles for

either of those trucks.

More power is a goal for many

truck owners and builders. The

problem is once your engine

makes more power, something

else always breaks. One of

those pieces is far too often the

transmission. Next month we

show you how we solved this

predicament on our 2011 Chevy

Silverado project “Blue Bomber.”

Check back to make sure that once

you have fulfilled your power

goals, your trans can handle it.

"I decided to use only 6 of the 8 LED light units on my pickup bed rails, and separated the other two for use as underhood lights. That worked out great! It’s now a lot easier to find things in my well-lit truck bed (beneath my fiber-glass tonneau cover) and to check on things in the engine compartment as well. This is a great product. I would recommend these to anyone." - William C. (Chesapeake, VA)

"Great Illumination!"

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6” HID OFF ROAD LIGHTS

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DON’T GET LEFT IN THE DARK!

U-BAR PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS

Illuminate your driving experience with the power of Anzo USA Headlights. These powerful beams are engineered using the state-of-the-art CAD technology that ensures impressive style and fit. Featuring the new U-Bar halo for a truly unique look that’s sure to turn heads. Availabile in black or chrome. 1-year warranty.

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FEATURING THE NEW

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STEELCRAFT BULL BAR

Reinforce your front end with the rugged protection of the Steelcraft Bull Bar. Built from 3” T304 stainless steel tubing, this beefy bull bar boasts a removable skid plate and comes in a black powder coat or polished stainless finish. 5-year warranty on the black and a lifetime on polished stainless steel.

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STEELCRAFT GRILLE GUARD

The Steelcraft Grille Guard is forged from rugged T304 stainless steel for premium strength. The one-piece construction and integrated removable brush guards shields your front end from damage on or off road. 5-year warranty on black. Limited Lifetime Warranty on Polished Stainless.

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Westin has gone to great lengths to create the best all-around cab-length step bars on the road. Custom-designed to fit your specific truck or SUV, Westin Nerf Bars are sure to give a boost to tired legs and your vehicle’s looks, too. Installing your new bars is easy. Westin includes a custom mounting kit and everything you need for a painless installation.

CUSTOM NERF BARS

ADD SOLID STYLE AND PROTECTION!

ALSO AVAILABLE IN POLISHED

HDX GRILLE GUARD

Put a barrier between you and some of the road's bigger mishaps with the Westin HDX Grille Guard installed on your front end. Custom made for your specific vehicle, this brush guard packs a power-ful punch with features like a 2" tubular design and a Full Punch Plate Center Grille.

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2


SIDE VIEW


T-CONNECTORS5TH WHEEL HITCHES TRAILER BALLS & BALL MOUNTS

Discover how much easier and safer your towing experience could be with a CURT brake controller.

Outfit your truck for all of your heavy-duty hauling needs. Easy single-handle operation. 5-year warranty.

Built strong with CNC forming and machine welding. Available in classes I-V to fit all of your towing jobs.

CURT hitches provide more than just versatile good looks; the smart design prevents rust by sealing the main body to keep out the elements. An open back-end design provides easy cleaning. Robotic welding produces a precision fit and strong construction to ensure that your hitch stands up to the job for years to come.

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YOUR SOURCE FOROUTDOOR ADVENTURES!

Haul up to 4 bikes in your pickup’s bed.

Truck Bedz air mattresses are designed to fit directly into your truck bed. 12-volt pump included.

Crafted from puncture-resistant cloth with support coils and optional wheel well inserts. 1-year warranty.

TRUCK BEDZ AIR MATTRESS THULE BED RIDER TRUCK BIKE RACKADVANTAGE SPORTS RACK

TRUCK BED BIKE RACK

AIRBEDZ TRUCK BED AIR MATTRESS

The Bed Rider comes with 2 Thule Low-Rider fork blocks for loading-up your bikes fast. Lifetime Warranty.

You don’t have to completely rough it to enjoy the great outdoors. Clearing the campsite and pitching that complicated tent are so last season. Truck tents from AutoAnything are an easy way to transform your truck into your own 5-star hotel at the campsite. Designed to fit almost every year, make and model vehicle. AutoAnything carries everything to make your adventure out in Mother Nature comfortable. Plus, thanks to our top-quality brands, like AirBedz and CampRight, you know you’re always getting the best in the industry.

TRUCK TENTS

“Great Product!”

“This tent is well built and very easy to assemble it can be setup by one person in less than thirty minutes. I haved used mine several times for weekend hunting trips and am very happy with its performance.” - Kevin S (Fenton, MO) ‘10 Chevy Silverado

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YOUR TOWING HEADQUARTERS!

Hoist your truck’s snout and eliminate that awkward front rake with a Traxda Leveling Kit. Custom designed for a perfect fit on your rig, this kit boasts simple bolt-on installation with no drilling or modification necessary. It’s a quick, easy and affordable way to get the lift you need for your new big wheels. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

READYLIFT LEVELING KITS

When you want the gnarly look of 33” tall tires without the expense of a lift kit, a ReadyLIFT Leveling Kit is exactly what you need. Using either torsion keys or shock extensions, this simple kit sends your rig up to 3” high—enough room for that trick wheel package without wrecking your smooth ride. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

THEREÕS NO FASTER OR MORE ECONOMICAL WAY TO RAISE YOUR RIG THAN A READYLIFT LEVELING KIT.

AFTERBEFORE

TRAXDA LEVELING KITS

DAYSTAR COMFORT RIDE LEVELING KITS

When it comes to off-road style, those pencil-pushing egg-heads at the factory don’t know squat. So, trust the Daystar Comfort Ride Leveling Kit to eliminate the rake, level your rig’s profile and deliver the aggressive off-road style you’re looking for. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

FIRESTONE IN-CAB SYSTEM

Take your air suspension to the next level with a Firestone In-Cab Air Sys-tem. By adjusting your air shocks from the comfort of your cab, Firestone lets you handle any load and any road on the fly. Depending on your needs, Firestone offers Level Command and Dual Command kits.

FIRESTONE AIR BAG SUSPENSION KIT

Firestone Air Suspension gives you the power to fine-tune your sus-pension’s firmness. Custom made for your vehicle, this air suspension kit is designed to keep your load level, improve steering control and braking, level headlight beams and even reduce tire wear.

BELTECH LOWER KITS

For a complete stem-to-stern drop, slam your ride with Belltech. Custom configured for your soon-to-be low-rider, this kit includes everything you need to shave a few off your rig’s front and rear ride height. Available withour without shocks.

DROP YOUR RIG FOR SUPERIOR CONTROL & RACE-READY STYLE!

GROUND FORCE LOWER KITS

Drop what you’re driving and get your roll on! This complete performance kit is fine-tuned to drop your truck’s latitude for a serious boost in attitude. Ground Force precision designs all components to ensure a perfect fit to your rig’s undercarriage. Available with our without shocks.

GET YOUR RIG ON THE LEVEL!










Dump your stock shocks and take your suspension to new levels of comfort, handling and safety with our performance shocks. From Rancho to Skyjacker, we have the shocks you want. Whether you’re planning to hit the trails or hot-lap the track, our wide range delivers the stability you demand without destabilizing your savings.

RANCHO SHOCKS

Outfit your rig for any road, track or trail with top-of-the-line Rancho shocks. With 50+ years of engineering experience under their belt, Rancho has mastered the art of fine-tuning shocks to handle the roughest terrain with ease. Pick from mul-tiple performance levels with varying stiffness to handle harsh impacts and improve handling. Lifetime Warranty.

SKYJACKER SHOCKS

Whether you’re heading down to the jobsite or racing across the desert in the Baja 500, Skyjacker shocks dish up the support your rig’s suspen-sion needs. Entry-level Sky-jacker shocks boast velocity-sensitive valving that senses your speed and adjusts for the best results, and their pro shocks use cutting edge wafer valving for the ultimate per-formance. Lifetime Warranty.

UPGRADE YOUR TRUCKÕS COMFORT, HANDLING AND SAFETY!

PRO COMP SHOCKS

There’s only one way to face the badlands like a real man—that’s mano-a-mano. And, with a set of Pro Comp Shocks absorbing the punches, you and your off-road machine are guaranteed the spoils of every backcountry battle. Precision engineered and custom valved for truck Pro Comp shocks dramatically improve on- and off-road performance. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

BILSTEIN SHOCKS

Bring precision German engi-neering to your stateside ride with a set of Bilstein shock absorbers. Delivering the stability you need to conquer the Autobahn, paired with the comfort you crave for your morning commute. By per-fecting the mono-tube gas pressure shock absorber, Bilstein revolutionized the shock absorber industry. Life-time Warranty.

Call or visit us online for our complete selection of performance off-road shocks.

SKYJACKER LIFT KITS

Complete with all the top-quality parts and accessories you need to get up to a 9” lift (depends on ve-hicle), Skyjacker delivers the clear-ance it takes to conquer any on- or off-road obstacle with ease. The sky’s the limit when you take your truck or SUV to a higher profile with Skyjacker! Limited Lifetime Warranty.

READYLIFT LIFT KITS

Get the extra boost you need to clear those monster meats with a ReadyLIFT Lift Kit. Designed to make room for large wheels and tires without compromising your rig’s drivability or the need for permanent modifications—so you can return to stock

anytime. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

DAYSTAR LIFT KITS

The Daystar Comfort Ride Lift Kit lifts your truck without lifting your wallet. Delivering up to 4” of lift and engineered to work with stock components, this budget-friendly kit improves on- and off-road performance without affecting ride quality. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

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High-performance brake rotors pick up where your stock brake rotors leave off. Utilizing the same cutting-edge designs found on racecars–drilled, slotted and even drilled and slotted–performance rotors turn factory brakes into lean, mean stopping machines. And, with the biggest names at the lowest prices, AutoAnything makes sure you stop on a dime and get nine cents change!

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DBA 4000XS SERIES ROTORS (Drilled & Slotted) PRICE TOO LOW TO PRINT

VISIT US ONLINE FOR OUR COMPLETE SELECTION!

Hills, heavy loads and towing can make any factory brake system weak in the knees. Put some power back in your pedal with the Power Stop Truck & Tow Brake Kit. A set of custom matched rotors and pads gives you command over any terrain.

POWER STOP TRUCK

& TOW BRAKE KITS

Don’t just stop—Power Stop! Engineered for serious performance, aggressive style and simple installa-tion, this kit includes drilled & slotted rotors and a set of performance pads, all custom matched for you by the braking brains at Power Stop.

POWER STOP BRAKE KITS

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The unique slotting design helps to vent the layer of gas, dust and debris that forms between the rotor’s surface and the brake pad. This provides a cooler and cleaner brake rotor to help provide better bite and less chance of brake fade. Power Alloy Castingdesign provides superior resistance to cracking caused bythermal stress, extends reliability, and maximizesstrength. Call or visit us online for our huge selection.

Great all-around performance with low dust and noise. Applications to cover almost any vehicle.

Recommended for towing and/or hauling heavy loads. Low noise.

Posi-Quiet brake pads are 100% scorched at the factory, eliminating the need for extensive break-in procedures that many aftermarket brake pad suppliers require. All pads have precision-cut backing plates and noise shims to virtually eliminate noise caused by vibration.

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Ditch your restrictive stock pipes and move up to a powerful per-formance exhaust system. Big power gains, a throaty growl and improved fuel economy—that’s what a performance ex-haust system delivers. And, each performance exhaust system is custom-bent for your vehicle.

Bolt up Borla’s Performance Cat-Back exhaust sys-tem and take aim for the winner’s circle. Increase horsepower, torque and even fuel economy.

Engineered for unrestricted flow and a throaty growl, Magnaflow Cat-Back Exhaust Systems are all wrought from prime 409 stainless steel for lasting durability.

Feel, see and hear the amazing difference a cus-tom-designed Flowmaster performance exhaust makes. Backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Make a hefty deposit into your power and tone account with a Banks performance exhaust system. Backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE PIPES!Shop AutoAnything for the Perfect Exhaust System!

Witness the evolution of performance. Aside from sub-stantial power and torque gains, the Edge Evolution CTS provides a wealth of information about your vehicle’s performance. 2-year warranty.

Flatten the hills and lighten your load with the only program-mer brand that’s tuned to tow in any power level! Hypertech gives you horsepower and fuel savings without cranking-up EGTs. Checks trouble codes, adjusts for tire size and more.

Ever feel like your engine can do more? Your vehicle is stronger, faster and fiercer than you might imagine, and a programmer is the key to throwing open the floodgates to full-throttle power. Tap into secret horsepower, torque and MPG in less than 10 minutes. And there’s no worry about voiding your manufacturer’s warranty, because all of our power programmers return your engine to the factory settings once unplugged

Want your truck to drive faster, shift better, pull stronger and save fuel? Stick with Superchips—the #1 seller of programmers—and go from stock to squealin’ with a simple plug-in tuner.

®

PLUG-IN POWER & FUEL SAVINGS!


Beefed-up power, crystal-clear display and a per-sonal driving coach—the Bully Dog Triple Dog GT Tuner has it all. Easy installation. 1-year warranty. Now available for HEMI & JEEP!

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* * * *

Ford Power Stroke 6.4L

(‘08-’10) Part#57-2576

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FORCE-FEED YOUR ENGINEA FRESH BLAST OF OXYGEN!

Tap into pure speed with a fast-flowing AEM intake. De-signed to blast power-boosting air right into your engine for greater combustion efficiency. Lifetime Warranty.

aFe Cold Air Intakes use custom-designed pack-ages to fit your specific needs—power-enhancing filters, tubes and steel heat shields. 1-year warranty.

GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICEFREE Shipping

POWER YOU CAN FEEL!Replace engine-asphyxiating OEM parts with high-flow cold air intake kits, performance filters and helix-bore spacers. They're like a breath of fresh air that'll get your engine pumping. You'll discover gains in horsepower, torque and even fuel economy.

PERFORMANCE AIR FILTERS

Boost power and torque† with a K&N Cold Air Intake. Custom engineered with a famous K&N Fil-tercharger cone filter and crosslink nylon intake tract. 10-year / 1,000,000 Mile Warranty. Easy installation.

COLD AIR INTAKES*

The washable and reusable pleated and oiled cotton gauze filtration medium runs up to 50,000 miles be-tween cleanings, depending on highway conditions. 10-year / 1,000,000 Mile Warranty. Installs in minutes.

†Estimated horsepower and torque gains based on specific or similar vehicle dynamometer tests. Results will vary. For more information, look up vehicle and/or testing protocols at knfilters.com. *57 Series Intakes are 50-State Legal. Intake systems beginning with 63/69/77/RK are street legal in most states. Some of these parts are not legal for use on certain vehicles in California, or other states adopting CA emission standards. Visit us online for CARB status on each part for a specific vehicle.

F-150 5.4L ('09-'11) .......................Part# 33-2385

F-150 5.4L (‘04-’08) .......................Part# 33-2287

Tundra 4.7L ('07-'12) .....................Part# 33-2387

Ram 5.7L ('03-'12) .........................Part# 33-2247

Silverado 5.3L ('99-'12) ..................Part# 33-2129

...Plus 100s More! Call or Visit Us Online.

F-150 5.4L (‘09-’11) .......................Part# 57-2575

F-150 5.4L (‘04-’08) .......................Part# 57-2556

Tundra 4.7L (‘07-’11) ..................Part# 63-9031-1

Ram 5.7L (‘09-’12) .........................Part# 63-1561

Silverado 5.3L (‘09-’12)..................Part# 63-3070

...Plus 100s More! Call or Visit Us Online.From FREE Shipping$ 251 99

From FREE Shipping$ 6499

INCREASE YOUR TORQUEAND HORSEPOWER!

†

From FREE Shipping$ 181 95

From FREE Shipping$ 15888

In place of your restrictive stock parts, Airaid in-takes release instant gains in power, torque and fuel economy. Lifetime Warranty.

Nothing produces power like cold blasts of clean, cool air flow-ing through an Injen Air Intake. Every Injen intake is custom engineered to deliver real performance. Lifetime Warranty.

GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICEFREE Shipping



New Volant-HV Filters with Donaldson PowerCore®Filtration Technology provides an additional15-20% increasein CFM over the original.

GM/Chevy/Cadillac 4.8/5.3/6.0/6.2L (‘09-’13) Part#154536


Ram 1500 5.7L (‘08-’12) Part#160576


Overflow bottle included


MORE POPULAR VOLANT AIR INTAKES

Chevy/GMC/Cadillac 4.8/5.3/6.0L (‘99-’06) .........Part# 151536 $31046

Chevy/GMC 4.8/5.3/6.0L (‘07-’08) ..........................Part# 152536 $31046

Titan/Armada 5.6L (‘04-’13) .................................. Part# 128566 $28706

Tacoma 4.0L (‘12-’13) .............................................. Part# 185406 $32842

Ford F-150 5.4L (‘09-’11) .........................................Part# 191546 $35726

Jeep Wrangler JK 3.6L (‘12-’13) ............................. Part# 176366 $32842

See Site for Complete Selection of Intakes & Filters

Increase horsepower, add torque, even improve yourfuel economy with the Volant Cold Air Intake System!The rocket scientists at Volant have truly outdone themselveswith this one. The Volant intake breathes in oodles of performance-enhancing air. What's more, it takes less than an hour to install using standard household tools to replace the old, suffocating factory air box.

F-150 3.5LEco Boost (’11)Part#195356

Tundra/Sequoia 5.7L including FlexFuel (‘07-’13) Part#18857


“This is a great intake system. I’ve owned other brands and this was by far the

easiest to install and looks amazing. Overall I’m very happy with the intake!”

- Michael I. (Davie, FL)

Great Looks and Performance!

VOLANT COLD AIR INTAKES


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Truckin Vol 39 No 13 - 2013 USA

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Transcript of Truckin Vol 39 No 13 - 2013 USA