As you can see, there is nothing hidden under my sleeves.” That line may be a mainstay for magicians, but truck lovers don't buy into the smoke and mirrors of marketing hyperbole and false promises. You want a truck that works hard, plays hard, and looks good doing it. For several years, we've used our in-house 2010 Ford F-350 shop dualie behind the scenes to haul parts, tow trailers, and make long trips with projects in tow. The entire time, there was one large problem constantly looming over the driver—it was 100 percent stock. This no-frills, base-model work truck was the perfect tow pig for someone who isn't into customizing trucks. But for custom truck nuts like us, we hated driving the stock dualie and always made sure to wear sunglasses to hide our identities. After some senior management persuasion, we got the green light to make it look more befitting of a Truckin team hauler.

From the outset of the Blue Bomber project, our goal has been to create a precision-handling truck that we could run at the track on the weekends, while still enjoying comfortable driving during the week. As we have moved closer to that goal, the time has come to finally address the creature comforts that the truck is lacking. We will admit that we are rather spoiled and the rubber floor mat and lack of sound dampening in a brand-new truck did nothing to make us want to sit in the driver seat for any length of time. Thankfully, the rubber was easy to clean during track days, but we wanted an upgrade to our driving experience and relief from the noise pollution.

Our 2011 Silverado, dubbed Project Blue Bomber has been coming along nicely. We have dragged it across the country and back to show off some of its performance potential and still it asks for more. To say we are having a blast with it is a huge understatement. After the installation of the Edelbrock supercharger and our subsequent custom tuning, it became woefully apparent the factory brakes were not up to the task of being repeatedly stomped on during track duty. We'll be addressing that shortcoming here with the installation of performance brakes from AP Racing.

Last month, Project Blue Bomber was at Stillen’s performance center, receiving an Edelbrock E-Force supercharging system for the Silverado’s 4.8L engine. Strapped down to Stillen’s chassis dyno, the 2011 Silverado spun the rollers to the tune of 374.18 hp and 366.36 lb-ft of torque. The one caveat was those numbers were pushed through the original exhaust system. We made zero supporting modifications to allow the engine to properly exhale all the air being forced into it. This month, we chose to change that and the power results were better than expected.

We have touted the huge benefits of engine supercharging in the pages of Truckin for years. With so much gain from so little installation time, forced induction adds the power to play and the torque for towing, all encompassed in one tidy package. As you have undoubtedly seen, we have kept a firm finger on the pumping pulse of every new supercharging system ever released for the fullsize truck and SUV market. For each of the many engine series and their changes, the need for newly designed systems seems to have no end in sight. It’s a subject matter we are excited and passionate about, and we want you to be just as excited. Superchargers have become the go-to method for big power, MPG, and reliability.

We're pleased to introduce our newest in-house project dubbed the Blue Bomber. A stripped-down work model 2011 Chevy Silverado, Blue Bomber certainly has some style and curb appeal as delivered fresh from the dealer's showroom. However, we are looking for a great ratio of handling, speed, and comfort that can be driven on a regular basis to work, to the track, and everywhere in between. Is it a realistic goal? Only time will tell, and right now we're pumped to jump right in and get started with an all-new suspension we sourced from Belltech sport truck suspension systems. With nearly 30 years in truck suspension development under its belt, Belltech has been a staple in the truck market nearly as long as Truckin has.

One of the most obvious benefits to owning a truck is the large open area in the bed to carry and transport items too large to fit comfortably inside the cab. Unfortunately, those items are left exposed to the sun and weather, and are easily removable by unscrupulous individuals if left unattended for too long. A remedy for all those ills is a lockable tonneau to fit your truck. With the added benefit of sleek looks, it's an easy answer for those who don't consistently haul anything in their truck's bed higher than the bedrail.

Stance goes a long way in creating a truck that will turn heads at will. When that stance is completely laid out over 26-inch billet Raceline wheels, then heads will surely look in the direction of your truck just from the shock value alone. But when you want neck-snapping attention, the paint covering your truck's body is the great equalizer. We know all too well the highs and lows of custom paintwork and its associated headaches and triumphs. Having been in this industry for a ridiculous number of years, we have watched fads and crazy colors come and go and come back again. One look that always stayed current and never went out of style was the pure hot rod flame job. When done right, it will stand the test of time no matter what was deemed to be "in" at that moment.

As the owner of an '04 GMC Sierra, I love the slick looks of that body style's front end, however, I can't ignore the bold, broad, and tough looks of the '07-and-newer GMC Sierra front clips. The designers really nailed the big, one-piece headlights and simple, large-opening grille. Looking side-by-side at the old versus the new, it truly is a natural progression from the last body style to the current one. Herein lies the dilemma. What if you have a nice '06 GM truck with a custom interior, suspension, and trick bodywork already, but you want to update the front end to the current look? We're not going to lie and say it's a simple bolt off, bolt back on install, but if you start with the right parts the first time, you'll have a running start to a head-turning machine.

Last month, we delved deep into Project Tarmac, a 2012 F-150 being built by the talented father and son duo of Ron and Casey Scranton, of CGS Motorsports. We showed you the custom suspension work, rearend being narrowed, and those huge wheels and tires being stuffed under the bed, but this month we're cracking into the unique bodywork and one-off interior. Taking a welder and cutoff wheel to Ford's iconic and über-popular F-150 isn't something for the faint of heart, but for these two custom truck aficionados, it was a must to make their truck really make people scratch their heads.

When prepping your truck to hit the marshes and backwoods in search of adventure, lighting is an important issue to address. Things that go bump in the night have the very real potential to leave you stranded deep in the boonies with no cell phone service to speak of. Having plenty of bright accessory lighting won't guarantee you a safe journey, but it will eliminate the excuse that you didn't see the obstacle in your path. Having your friends laugh at your expense is no fun after being stuck, cold, and alone.

We cannot seem to help ourselves. As much as we would like to fight the urges that are inside of us, we cannot leave well enough alone sometimes. Case in point … Project Lead Sled. Up to this point, it has received multiple exterior makeovers, suspensions, and wheels. You have, no doubt, read about nearly every one of them on these pages. Where we managed to be sensible this whole time was under the hood. The Ram’s 5.7L Hemi made us mostly happy, but with the huge 26-inch wheels and corresponding 33-inch-tall tires, the extra unsprung mass had zapped more ponies than we wanted to admit. Magnacharger assured us they could restore our Hemi’s power potential and in the process, made some real ponies. Enter the steroid known as forced induction.

We're guilty of it as much as you are—you see a nice truck with paint, suspension, and some audio and you say, "That's a nice custom truck." My desktop dictionary defines the word "customize" as modifying according to individual requirements. Casey Scranton, the owner of this '12 F-150, doesn't "customize" like the average truck enthusiast. He and his dad, Ron, own CGS Motorpsorts, and have been taking pickups to the next level way back when they created Caddy Hack, a former cover truck in 1999 that dropped jaws with the best of 'em. Fast-forward to 2012, and the father and son combo have one of the most custom F-150s in the country. Over the next few months, we'll show you the major steps involved in transforming this Ford into a classy, tire-shredding hot rod with a bed. Take a look at this no-holding-back level of commitment, as we hope you'll be inspired to take your own truck to the next level.

One of the things we love to see is a custom truck completely flat on the ground with a killer set of wheels that look literally sucked up into the fenders. The stance can be hard to achieve, with some trucks being more difficult to work on than others. The main issue in achieving that in-the-weeds look is the diameter of the wheels and tires chosen. Fitting fairly diminutive 20-inch or 22-inch wheels under a fullsize truck does not require anywhere near the amount of modifications that a 24-, 26- or even 28-inch wheel and tire combination would need to clear.

It's not always best to admit, but many of the lifted suspension installations we do in the magazine see more time on the road commuting and looking cool than they do getting tossed around in the dirt. Unfortunately, the form has taken the center stage with function merely a backup singer in the song. It's high time to change that. Many of you have trucks that get used for their designed purpose, and see just as much time on as off the road—basically, a true balance of work and play. We are turning the focus your way with this new project.

After making our 2000 Silverado project truck sit nice and low with the help of an airbagged suspension, the next step was to take the truck from Master Image Customs to Unrestricted Auto Trends in Lake Elsinore, California. Jake and Al Provoost, along with Angel Esqueleto were going to make the body as smooth as it was the day it rolled off the production line and look even better than the engineers could have ever imagined. This was a massive undertaking, as the truck was a former work truck and the body had seen better days. It hauled everything—concrete, rocks and wheelbarrows—from jobsite to jobsite with little care in the world as to what it looked like. With less than two months before its debut at the SEMA show, a lot of work still had to be done.

Last month we showed you the first of a series of articles on our latest buildup, a 2000 Silverado dubbed Project New Guy. Master Image Customs in Montclair, California, took care of the front suspension in a couple of hours, even installing new wheel hubs and SSBC rotors and calipers. With that complete, it was only a matter of tearing apart the rear suspension and bolting in the KP Components cantilevered four-link and Watt's link kit, along with the SSBC rear brake kit. For our 22-inch wheel and tire combo, the KP kit was a perfect choice to drop the rear nice and low. Follow along to see how easy it is to install a full rear suspension slamming your frame on the ground and making it ride like a Cadillac.

I was hired to work as the Associate Editor of Truckin’ in early September of 2010. For the first three months of working at the mag, I was truck-less. That was until I picked up the perfect project truck, a 2000 Chevy Silverado that had been used as a work vehicle, and for $3,000, I couldn’t beat it. It was in sad shape, which made the need to fix it up taste that much sweeter. After talking with Editor Dan Ward, I decided that I wanted to build a daily driveable ’bagged show vehicle.

Power is fun, sexy, and one of the first desires for all hot rodders and custom truck enthusiasts. It takes your breath away and it helps knock out the cobwebs in your head after a long 9-5. Power can also be dangerous, especially if you accelerate so fast that your brakes can’t slow you back down. Out of control with you holding on for dear life, your truck can easily be turned into a 5,000-pound missile if you don’t plan ahead. As a wise man once told me, “Plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” If you’ve been wondering how to make your truck safer, stop better, and keep yourself out of precarious situations, we have the solution for you—hydraboost.

It sounded impossible to anyone who enjoyed sleeping, seeing their families, or who didn’t enjoy donuts and energy drinks. What it consisted of was building a back half from scratch, installing an engine and transmission, wiring and plumbing said engine, installing the brakes along with the front suspension and hydraulic brake assist unit, and narrowing the rearend, cutting the bed and front fenders for clearance, running the truck on a chassis dyno and tuning the truck, and assembling pieces as they came in from paint and body. All of this needed to be accomplished in only six days so that Project Novakane could compete at THROWDOWN. Deadlines suck.

Say it with me, “Six speed.” Doesn’t it just roll off of your tongue? When you think of a performance car or truck, what are the first few things you think of? High-horsepower engine. Check. Impressive handling. Check. Manual transmission. Absolutely. We couldn’t possibly put on a skirt and opt out of a manual transmission when it came time for us to back our blown LSX376 engine with a tranny. That’s like calling a stock pickup a muscle truck just because you slapped some SS stickers on it. Project Novakane’s persona is that of unadulterated fun. Performance is the first and only thought, not afterthought, and for that reason, we contacted Hurst Driveline Conversions for one of its Tremec T-56 Magnum kits. Hurst Driveline Conversions is one of the nation’s top Tremec dealers and they have plug-and-play manual transmission kits for popular Chevy muscle cars and ’60-’72 Chevy C10s, custom setups for street rods, and basic kits containing the major components for a late-model truck like our ’04 GMC Sierra. Dozens of upgrades are available once the initial kit is decided upon and your project truck will have everything it needs once the order is placed with Hurst Driveline Conversions.

In a perfect world, you add a few vital bolt-ons to your engine and it says “thank you” by way of producing more horsepower, more torque, and improved mileage. Welcome to the perfect world. Last month, we showed you the complete engine assembly of our GM Performance Parts LSX376 crate engine, complete with MagnaCharger TVS2300 supercharger, American Racing Headers long-tube headers, Lingenfelter heavy-duty tensioner with billet pulleys, and ATI Racing 8-rib pulley conversion. With the engine ready to rock and roll, we loaded it up and drove over to Westech Performance, in Mira Loma, California, to see just how much power our Gen IV small-block would muster.

Project Novakane suffered a temporary lock down after the birth of my son. Life got in the way of going fast, and that’s why you haven’t seen any updates in a few months. But now we’re back on schedule and ready to assemble the heart of our beast. A quick recap is in order; you’ll remember us pulling out the worn-out factory 4.8L and ordering a boost-friendly GM Performance Parts LSX376 crate engine. That 6.2L LSX engine is going to be fitted with a MagnaCharger TVS 2300 supercharger, American Racing Headers long-tube headers, an ATI Racing 8-rib pulley setup, LS7 throttle body, complete ARP bolt kit, and new sensors/OE parts from Summit Racing. In the last Novakane installment, we showed you the necessary parts to make your GM truck engine swap go more smoothly and what parts we recommend upgrading for optimum performance. In this issue, we’ll show you how everything goes together in preparation for our break-in and engine dyno appointment in next month’s issue. For photography and illustration purposes, we’re going to show you the engine’s assembly on an engine stand, this way you’ll be able to get a clear idea of what our new engine will look like before we drop it in our ’04 GMC Sierra. If going fast gives you tingles and jingles, check out our LSX376 engine buildup and don’t miss next month where we’ll see just how much power our combo makes.

Apair of roller skates without the wheels is just an ugly pair of shoes and similarly, we couldn’t exactly call our ’09 Suzuki Equator "Project Drift King" if it didn’t have a stellar suspension that could withstand the beatings we had planned. Thankfully, a creative plan was devised to turn the not-so-easy-to-lower Equator/Frontier platform into a real beast of a midsized pickup. Back when phantom dualies were all the rage in the early’90s, coilovers were booming because of the Pro Street roots many of those custom trucks shared. Coilovers are a great upgrade to most suspensions because they allow proper fine-tuning and can be easily adjusted to meet different driving/track conditions. For Drift King, we called up QA1 and ordered a set of their trick double-adjustable shocks along with the proper length and rate coil springs. This combo would allow us to manipulate the Equator’s ride height and handling characteristics for picture-perfect drifts.

They Call It Powdercoating, But What Is It?
Powdercoating media is a thermosetting powder substance that is made up of polyester epoxy and acrylic resin, combined with various cross-linking compounds. What all that fancy terminology means is a durable, show-ready coating that protects all types of metals. The powder particles are so fine they resemble talcum powder. The spray application uses a fluidized bed as a feed hopper to hold the powder and fluidize it so that it can be pumped to the tip of the spray gun using compressed air to transport it from the feed hopper. The spray gun is designed to create an electrostatic charge known as corona charging, or by frictional contact with the inside of the gun barrel, called tribo charging. Positively charged particles are then attracted to the negative ground metallic parts causing static cling. Grounded powdercoat parts are then put into a baking oven to heat the powder particles causing them to transform into liquid form and then cure.