But cosmetics are only half the story. The Denali has a complete Brembo brake upgrade using pizza-sized 15-inch cross-drilled rotors with a four-piston caliper set in front and a two-piston caliper in the rear. Suspension mods begin with Hotchkis front and rear anti-sway bars and a Ground Force 2/3 drop that works in conjunction with the factory Delphi ride control. Ground Force retained all the advantages of the factory setup by designing a special module for their upgrade. Normally, the computer would sense the truck had been lowered and pump the shocks back to the stock ride height. The Ground Force module fools the computer into disregarding the lowering job, while retaining all the rest of the sophisticated ride control advantages.
Under the hood, the hot 6.0 L V-8 was already strong, but the new Whipple supercharger, combined with the stainless steel B&B after-cat exhaust, takes it to another level. In addition to the mellow performance rumble, the almost-500hp package produces seamless acceleration, as well as a mile-wide smile on the face of whomever is behind the wheel.
Inside, the factory Bose stereo system with XM satellite radio and six-disc changer keeps the driver's smile going. Ed leaves the high-quality General Motors engineering in place, choosing to augment the factory audio with aftermarket visual pieces. An Audiovox DVD player with TV tuner and wireless headphones is the video source that feeds the pair of 6-inch Audiovox headrest monitors. While the back-seat passengers are enjoying their individual screens, the large 13-inch drop-down monitor in the rear is perfect for tailgate parties. Subtly frenched into the headliner, the big screen almost disappears when not in use. The factory black-cherry accents are augmented by a matching black-cherry steering wheel from Alliance Technologies, and Ed added more custom pieces to the dash. There is even a built-in, hands-free cell phone connection that supports the Nextel walkie-talkie. A Python Security system and OnStar protect the Denali and its contents.
What does Ed do once a project is complete? He keeps the trucks about a year and then contacts people on a waiting list, eager to buy one of his luxurious creations. What's the price? The Denali begins with a sticker price of about $52,000. Ed adds a set of 24s, along with the performance, handling, stereo, and visual upgrades for a final price of $75,000. For more information on these radical SUVs, contact California Custom Sport Truck in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, (954) 981-7223.