The front view of this bad Bow Tie was brought up to custom par using an '03 Cadillac Escalade front clip and a Trenz Manufacturing polished vertical billet grille insert. The bumper was sectioned to allow for additional ground clearance when Juan gets in the mood to tap the switches and drag the rockers. Instead of just bolting the bumper up (as most people do), Mitch opted to get a little crazy and move it in tight - close to the grille and fenders to give the nose of the truck a smoother appearance.
Moving rearward, a one-off custom cowl-induction hood was built at First Strike Design to provide ample breathing room for the 8.1L big-block engine when the truck is laid out and in full show mode. A look at the tail end of Juan's rocker-wrinkling ride reveals the addition of a Sir Michael's steel roll pan and the subtraction of the factory tailgate handle, using a Sir Michaels tailgate handle relocator kit. To get truck show spectators to do a double take at the truck's rearview, Mitch grafted a Cadillac Escalade license plate box into the roll pan for a one-off look. A SnugTop tonneau was placed over the bed to seal out the elements.
After Mitch finished welding, grinding, sanding, and smoothing the truck's envelope, it was time to seal it up with a bright and bold custom paint scheme that would help land the truck on the coveted Truckin' cover. A trip to the paint cabinet yielded House of Kolor Candy Apple Red, Tangelo, Yellow, and Vanilla hues to bring the exterior to life. From the top body line up, Mitch used House of Kolor Candy Apple Red mixed with Red Ice Pearl to give the top of the cab, bed, and hood some definition. Moving down from the bold Candy Apple Red, Mitch applied the House of Kolor Tangelo and faded it into a bright-yellow. The artistic fade was continued using House of Kolor Vanilla just below the yellow, which completes the custom graphics picture in style. Up top, a few Candy Apple Red accent graphic lines were applied and dropped down into the Tangelo to break everything up. Once the trick custom paint scheme was complete, the Candy Apple Red and Tangelo hues were separated with a blue pinstripe to give the graphics some dimension. After the clear was applied, a few hours were spent color-sanding and buffing the contrasting hues to a brilliant shine before the truck was treated to some interior re-styling.
A peek inside this cutting-edge Crew Cab reveals dash and door panel trim pieces coated in Candy Apple Red for a strong contrasting effect. The factory seating surfaces were updated with Katzkin Exotics covers and incorporate dark-graphite leather with billet inserts. A clean and classy cabin is the result of this upholstery blend, which matches the rich looks of the exterior perfectly.
Juan Barron has created one amazing dualie using the professional fabrication, paint, and bodywork skills of Mitch. The truck was completed just before the 2003 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where it was featured in the Meguiar's display. Special thanks goes out to Brent Walker of Brentz Wheels, Mitch Diamond of First Strike Design, Flex-a-lite, House of Kolor, Katzkin, Meguiar's, Roberts Tires & Wheels, SnugTop, Toyo Tires, and Trenz Manufacturing. Also helping extensively with the project were Dave Watkins and Duane Kuiken, who burned the midnight oil during the last few days of construction for Juan's ride to be able to make it to SEMA. An extra special thanks goes out to Mitch's wife, Annie Diamond, for keeping everyone fed and motivated during the truck's 8-month transformation from stocker to shocker, and to Juan's wife, Adrienne Barron, for being so supportive of his passion. This rocker-crushing custom is sure to turn heads and drop jaws for many show seasons to come.