Project trucks have occupied the pages of Truckin' for years, consisting of both subtle and radical rides restyled step by step for the reader's pleasure. Taking a bone-stock hauler from a mile-high grocery-getter to a slammed, in-the-weeds head-turner is by no means an overnight process and requires finding the right shops and components to ensure a smooth buildup.
Recently at Truckin', the opportunity arose to take a '97 Chevy C3500 dualie, throw a host of aftermarket parts in, toss on a flame paintjob, and fill the cab with a custom interior to create a pavement-pounding six-wheeled wonder worthy of all kinds of street cred. After accepting the arrival of the high-mileage Crew Cab, the first order of business was to make the truck sit low with new rims and rubber under its fenders.
With the project kicked into high gear, the truck was delivered to Mike Martin at Super Stripes Customs, in Henderson, Nevada, to become better acclimated with the pavement, as well as receive a complete body and paint makeover. The dualie's nose was brought down to an appropriate cruising altitude using Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and 3-inch drop coils. Moving to the rear, the Super Stripes crew removed the bed, stripped and painted the frame, and installed a complete Air Ride Technologies AirBar rear suspension kit, featuring a parallel four-link and Panhard bar to center the rear axle. Once the beast was sitting low, chrome 16x8-inch Foose Spank dualie wheels from MHT Luxury Alloys mounted on Toyo P245/70R16 tires were mounted up to finish the low-rolling attitude of the truck. Before a plethora of features were added to and subtracted from the body, and before applying the sizzling flame paint scheme, the drivetrain needed some intense mechanical attention.
Rather than dig into the truck's original engine and install new internal parts, a fresh 454ci crate engine from GM was obtained and slid between the 'rails to ensure years of trouble-free operation. Before the engine was lowered between the dualie's framerails, the front clip was removed, and the frame and suspension were doused using a pressure washer to clean the area before the new factory big-block tenant moved in. Once the suspension and drivetrain mechanics were dialed in, it was time for the body to go under the knife to receive some smooth metal styling.