Red. It's a bold, in-your-face color, not intended for the mild-mannered and shy people on the planet. Driving around in a red truck draws attention and when behind the wheel of a huge Chevy Kodiak C4500, heads snap in double-taking fashion as you cruise by. When Frank the Tank wanted a new daily driver, he combined two forces of nature that would send the streets of Miami into a custom truck frenzy.
As the owner/operator of Red's Miami, the claimed "World's largest truck and auto customizing center," Frank is no stranger to taking a brand-new ride from showroom clean to in-your-face custom. Bringing an '08 Chevy Kodiak C4500 back to the shop, Frank wanted the works, and the crew didn't waste any time gawking at the huge rig. Step one was to modify the suspension and get the tall truck closer the sizzling Miami pavement.
Telling us that "Kodiak's don't sit this low, even in you 'bag them, we had to do a lot to get the stance right," Frank had his crew notch the oil pan for added clearance, raised the transmission, shortened the driveshaft, and then C-notched the frame. Six Slam Specialties airbags bring the truck down thanks to a pair of Viair 480 compressors and to even out the cab and bed, the rear portion of the frame received some extra steel.
Speaking of the bed, this Kodiak features a C3500 dualie bed from an '08 one-ton Chevy. Frank tells us, "I wanted it to look like a standard pickup that you could drive every day." It does look like a truck-just larger in every way. Other body mods include the sheetmetal rockers/steps, in '07 Tahoe headlights, and one-piece mesh grille. Once the emblems were shaved, the truck was covered in Chevy Victory Red paint. Setting off the truck is a set of paint-matched 24-inch Diesel Wheels' Zreck wheels wrapped in 325/45R24 Toyo tires.
Moving to the interior, Frank went with a luxury theme and had the dash, door panels, and seats wrapped in black leather with red stitching. Red suede inserts on the seats brings the vibrant hue inside the large cabin. Fiberglass door panels were fabricated for each door and were filled with JL Audio components. Making the cab like a Miami nightclub, three JL Audio flat subs were placed under the rear bench seat and each JL speaker receives extra juice from three JL Audio HD amps. Controlling the audio, a Kenwood head unit also serves as the DVD player and navigation source.
Rolling in this truck is sure to leave the Miami nightlife even hotter than before, and once the sun comes back up, one trip in this the bright red Kodiak will get the party started all over again.
Custom-painted Diesel Wheels...
Custom-painted Diesel Wheels Zreck wheels, 24 inches strong, are wrapped in Toyo tires and provide the rolling party under each fender.
Every part of the interior...
Every part of the interior was wrapped in leather and stitched in red.