While it is no secret the vast and robust truck market is on a slight decline-due to the ever increasing fuel prices-building not one but two totally matching truck and boat combinations might not be the most economical venture to pursue. When the plan was formulated back in early 2007, however, fuel prices hadn't escalated to where they are now. And the marketing plan that was built around garnering lots of media companies, as well as numerous Truckin' advertisers and SEMA partners, was simply too good not to fulfill these unique projects.
Also, by the time our readers are seeing these great looking truck and boat combinations, they should be popping up in attendance at numerous truck- and marine-related events across the country to showcase the massive crossover potential between the aftermarket truck industry and the marine industry. That was the original goal throughout the build. The reverse color-matched trucks and boats, in theory, could be separated. So, if one truck needed to go specifically to a truck-related event without the boat, it could. If the boat went to a marine-related event, we could simply place the opposite truck in front of it and everything would still match-albeit reversed.
The theme for both builds was to partner with General Motors, which we did through our friends in the Vortec Engine division, who were able to supply us with a brand-new black '07 Chevy Silverado and an '07 GMC Sierra that was built by Street Scene Equipment (SSE). Both vehicles were instrumental in the development of new products for the aftermarket, when the trucks were launched in late 2006. The journey from stock to full-custom was a wild one, but the end results were worth it.
The '07 Chevrolet Silverado was sent over to Fabtech Suspension in Chino, California, to have them develop a prototype 7-inch coilover suspension system. At the time, some parts already existed through other suspension manufacturers. But Fabtech wanted it done right, so what better way to showcase a proper suspension lift than through a truck with overwhelming eye-candy potential, which was also destined to see a ton a road miles at shows across the country.