Bringing some of the off-the-hook style present on the exterior of the truck into the interior was last on the customizing list, and the Hard-Chargin' Hemi was delivered to Classic Soft Trim in Commerce, California, for some custom seating updates. The talented sewing crew at CST used the factory seats and created a blanket of color with blue leather in the centers with flames in the seat bases surrounded by carbon-fiber leather outer edges. The Hot Wheels logo was stitched in the seatbacks of the front seats, since Mattel plans to build a Hot Wheel out of our sensational project Ram. Billet door trim panels from Trenz lend some additional detail to the inside looks.
During the summer months, our project Hard-Chargin' Hemi barrels down the freeway with a matching custom 24-foot AfterShock Tremor powerboat in tow. The 24-foot cuddy cabin open-bow cruiser from AfterShock was shown coming together at the AfterShock facility in the May '03 issue in the article titled "Project AfterShock." The white, blue, orange, and gray water rocket is powered by a GM Vortec 496 HP2 Magnum HO big-block delivering an authoritative 425 hp to a Mercury Racing Bravo Outdrive and propels the 24-foot craft to eye-watering, cheek-flapping speeds. Helping any Truckin' staffer who climbs behind the wheel to monitor engine vitals is a complete Smart Craft engine monitoring system from Mercury Racing, incorporating attractive white bezel gauges with an in-dash Smart Craft computer system designed to provide more accurate readings of the gauges. Throttle and forward/reverse controls from Gaffrig make navigating the AfterShock a cinch, while deck hardware and powdercoated billet swim step platforms from Dana Marine finish off the sensational exterior.
Moving to the interior, simple white upholstery with AfterShock logos in the seats does the trick, while tunes are delivered with authority via a Jensen single-disc CD head unit and Jensen six-disc CD changer complemented by eight Bazooka surface-mounted speakers and four 10-inch Bazooka subwoofers. We could not cruise the popular river and lake vacation spots and be seen but not heard. With this full-tilt marine audio system, you will definitely hear this 24-foot water missile coming.
After assembly of the boat was complete, Extreme Trailers of Riverside, California, was contacted to build a custom trailer to haul the boat on. Extreme came through big time with a bright-white trailer laden with frenched LED lighting and polished fenders. Polished side storage boxes provide an area for tools and river gear, while Weld Dakar wheels measuring 17x8.5 inches mounted on BFGoodrich P255/50HR17 tires from Discount Tire Direct round out the shining rolling package.
The culmination of all the hard work put into each of these rides was the 2003 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where this matching combination was a smash hit with all who viewed it. When the staff of Truckin' takes on a project of this magnitude, we go all the way and do not sacrifice quality.