Working hard is a testament to a person's character. Slackers are rarely promoted past do-boys and the old adage of bringing your lunchbox to work everyday can prove rewarding when it comes time to move up. When we asked Khamla Seelapasay, the builder and owner of this month's cover Nissan Titan, what this truck meant to him, he paused briefly then replied, "this truck is testimony to my hard work, perseverance, and passion for great custom builds." Those words shouldn't come across as boasting, Khamla isn't the "hey everybody look at me" kind of guy, rather those words were the look inside at the character of a man who genuinely loves creating wild rides. Wondering why a Titan is on the cover? Take a closer look at his Lamborghini Nova Blue Titan and if you're not convinced it's a cover-worthy truck, check your pulse.
We asked Khamla why he chose a Titan of all the trucks around and his straight-to-the-point response was "I didn't see many of them at shows and there were only two that were really custom." Seems like a good reason to us. Straying from the norm, a new Nissan Titan was purchased in April of '06 and a game plan was created to really make his ride different. Tearing into the new truck, Khamla and Kase Thephavongsa, his partner at Kustomz Unlimited Inc. in Garland, Texas, began by first removing the factory front and rear Titan suspensions. Up front, a complete suspension from a '00 Chevy fullsize truck was welded into place. McGaughy's 2-inch drop spindles were mounted to tubular Air Ride Technologies Strong Arms upper and lower control arms. A modified sway bar connects the front arms, while Slam Specialties RE8 airbags, along with QA1 adjustable shocks bring the front end down low. The front was now handled, but Khamla wanted a rear setup that would really have people talking.
In the rear, the duo at Kustomz Unlimited got creative when they welded up an entire tubular back-half out of 2-inch DOM and 11/4-inch tubing. Adding to the complexity and custom nature of the truck, an independent rear suspension from a Nissan Armada was welded to the rear tubing. To get the bed to lay hard, custom upper and lower A-arms were fabbed up and a cantilever setup up was created. Using Air Ride Technologies Shockwave airbags, the 'bags push on bars that in turn push on the lower arms and raise the rear suspension. This enables plenty of lift in the rear and also created a tricked-out look. Providing the air, two 5-gallon tanks were plumbed with 1/2-inch air line and connected to GC Outlaw valves. To accommodate the rear setup, a custom 22-gallon fuel cell was created. With one flip of the switch, the Titan's body gently kisses the Texas tarmac.
Under the truck, each component...
Under the truck, each component is detailed to the nines and cleaner than it was when it rolled off the assembly line.