Hummer H3 - Golden Ticket

Hummer reached down and embraced a much broader audience with the release of the H2's baby brother, the Hummer H3. In doing so, a Hummer went from exclusivity to mainstream with one platform launch. Rugged good looks, a proven drivetrain, and the appeal of the Hummer brand all helped to drive sales of the smaller H3. When choosing a vehicle to customize, Chris Hall, owner of Fat Boy Customs, in Las Vegas, looked no further than an H3. Seeing too many stock versions riding around the strip, Chris decided to change the scenery with a wild and vibrant Hummer.

Starting with the suspension, Chris pulled the bone-stock Hummer into his Fat Boy Customs' shop and quickly installed a 4-inch Rancho lift. Using Rancho 9000 shocks, the H3 had added ground clearance and a smooth ride. Wheels and tires were the next to be installed and when it came time to place an order, Chris went big. Bolted onto each corner are 24-inch Lexani LX-7 chrome wheels with black inserts. The beautiful wheels are mounted inside rugged Toyo Open Country M/T 37x13.5R24 tires. Combining street wheels with off-road tires, the H3 easily stands out in a crowd. The excitement of driving around with the 24s and stock red paint quickly wore off and Chris looked to turn some heads on or off the road.

Taking the short trip to Super Stripes, in Henderson, Nevada, Mike Martin took possession of the Hummer and went to work making it golden. Using House of Kolor Lamborghini Gold, the top of the truck received the golden hue with a lighter shade breaking up the red. Pinstriped in black, the H3 was instantly a head-turner. Adding even more unique appeal to his ride, Chris added a T-Rex upper and lower mesh grille, Star projector headlights, IPCW LED turn signals and taillights, and TFP billet door handles. There was no mistaking his ride now, but Chris knew he needed some bangin' tunes to really set off the H3.

Inside the Hummer, Ryan Frausley of Fat Boy Customs, wrapped the seats in black leather with ostrich inserts, wrapped the center armrest in ostrich, and replaced the headliner with a Fat Boy Customs' logo-embossed ostrich leather headliner. Greg Smith, of Awesome Accessories, then stepped in and added NESA 8.8-inch headrest monitors to each headrest and installed a Pioneer AVIC D-3 head unit in the factory location. The D-3 controls two US Amp Xterminator amplifiers that power two 12-inch RE subwoofers in a preformed Bassforms box. Bass is not an issue in this golden ride.

Driving down the strip in style, Chris had himself one killer H3 and the velvet ropes for the VIP instantly flew open. Now if there were only something to do at night in Vegas to make all that neon reflect off the gold paint? Sounds like trouble to us.