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Wicked Workhorse

Kerry Cunningham's Body-Dropped Dualie

By Travis Noack

Photography by Travis Noack

Sometimes custom trucks end up being created by accident because the owner took a truck they never intended on modifying and went crazy with the welder and their checkbook. Kerry Cunningham of Houma, Louisiana, is one such enthusiast who originally purchased this '98 diesel-powered Chevy Crew Cab dualie to tow his '87 Nissan Hardbody to truck shows far and wide.

The truck was a daily driver until Kerry just couldn't stand the amount of space that existed between the frame and the ground anymore, so he 'bagged the truck to get the frame comfortable with its new asphalt neighbor. Once 'bagged and looking semi-customized, the project snowballed from there, and in just six short months, Kerry had another show truck on his hands; we haven't seen the Nissan out since. The dualie has become Kerry's main extracurricular automotive focus, and with good reason; this truck is as phat as Fat Albert.

As a member of the Down II Earth truck club, Kerry knew that he had to body drop his ride to the earth, slap on a colorful custom paintjob, and fill the cabin with some sick threads to get the kind of props he was looking for. Therefore, the diesel-equipped six-wheel wonder was torn down at Kerry's shop, True Kustomz in Houma, to receive a bit of notching, cutting, torching, and fabricating, enabling the extra-long Bow Tie to sit flat on the tarmac.

Slammed under the nose are Chassis Tech 2-inch drop spindles that start the initial descent toward the Louisiana soil. Severely planting the frame and the body on Mother Earth's floor are Firestone 26C airbags up front complemented by Rancho shocks. Moving rearward, a wicked step notch was fabricated to allow for extra travel of the rear axle when the Firestone 26C rear airbags are deflated. Now filling the front and the rear fenderwells are 16x6-inch Alcoa dualie wheels wrapped with typical thick dualie rolling rubber.

Once Kerry dropped the dragging dualie off the jack, his face wore a smirk of depression; the truck was not low enough to fold the rockers and autograph the asphalt. Since the truck was not hammered to Kerry's standards, it went back under the knife and the Sawzall and received a 3-1/2-inch body drop to get those rocker panels laying flat on the ground. After the suspension and the body were hammered to the maximum, Kerry focused his energy on mildly massaging and detailing the motor to get it up to performance and show spec.

A peek under the Innovative Customs cowl-induction hood reveals a factory 6.5L turbodiesel adorned with accessories coated in Sherwin-Williams Bright Tangerine paint. Dual electric fans keep things cool, and two Interstate Optima batteries provide plenty of cranking power. A 4-inch Flowmaster exhaust system complements the factory turbo, which features enlarged piping and runs 12 to 16 pounds of boost.

With the factory computer reprogrammed, this bright, bold, and body-dropped Bow Tie ran an 18.17-second elapsed time in the quarter-mile at 92 mph. Not bad for an extra-heavy hauler. A B&M Shift Improver Kit helps chirp the rear tires when Kerry's heavy foot and gas pedal hits the floorboards. Now that the chassis and the powerplant were styled and dialed, the body was ready to be smoothed and sanitized before the bright-color mixture was applied.

Smoothing the dualie into the number one stunner began at Kerry's shop along with friend Tyler Scott, who works at Trapp Chevrolet as a bodyman, giving Kerry a shaving, a filling, and a grinding hand. A Cadillac Escalade front clip was swapped in place of the stock front sheetmetal, and it was coupled with a GMC Denali front bumper and a Trenz billet grille to give the face a new attitude.

Moving to the rear, Tyler and Kerry shaved the stake pocket holes, the tailgate handle, and the stock taillights to carry the smoothness to the tail end. A molded-in steel Sir Michaels roll pan coupled with '92 Cadillac taillights rounds out the metal alterations, while an Innovative Customs cowl-induction hood provides clearance for the top of the diesel mill.

Fender flares from a Chevy 4x4 give the truck a wide-body look, while a 40x50-inch Street Beat sliding ragtop provides plenty of cruising rays. After the body was fit with a host of new modifications, Kerry rolled the truck into a self-contained spray booth and coated the heavy hauler with a two-tone Sherwin-Williams Bright Tangerine and Golden Green Pearl paint scheme.

Before the clear was laid and the panels were buffed to a brilliant shine, professional painter and friend Hansgeist laid some sick flames down on the hood that are complemented by a duck mural wearing a cowboy hat.

Once the truck rolled out of the paint both, Kerry and Tyler proceeded with reassembly, and Wicked Workhorse made its way into the capable hands of Kerry's friend, Jacob Authement, where a rocking sound and entertainment system would be installed.

Mounted in the stock dash is an Eclipse 7000D video head unit feeding tunes to Alpine V12 amplifiers and three W6 JL Audio subwoofers mounted in a custom box behind the back seat. A collection of aftermarket mids and separates occupy the door guts, while a Sony PlayStation provides Kerry with a bit of entertainment between detailing sessions.

Surrounding the killer audio goods are some intense interior threads comprised of tan tweed, real cowhide on the seats, and a tweed floor and headliner. Assorted dash and door panel plastics, as well as the inside A-pillars, were removed, scuffed up, and painted orange and green to bring the outside spice inside. Ray's Upholstery in Houma stitched up the seats, while Kerry's friends Gabe Ellender and Travis Chauvin took care of the rest of the fabric work.

Topping the stock steering column is a Colorado Custom Denver billet steering wheel that is chrome-plated for easy cleaning.

Kerry Cunningham has created yet another killer show truck, and quite unexpectedly we might add. Wicked Workhorse has drawn the focus of a lot of eyeballs since its debut, and will continue to drop jaws for years to come. It's 'bagged, body-dropped, two-toned, and sporting a diesel under the hood. What more could a hard-core custom truck fanatic ask for?

Kerry would like to thank his mother and father, DA'Shop, his club Down II Earth, the crew at Trapp Chevrolet, as well as everyone who participated in the build up. This heavy hauler can tow and drag with the best of them.