The original plan was to remove...
The original plan was to remove the all-black side mirrors with the Escalade's mirrors that are underlined by chrome. But, the blacked-out version won in the end. However, the blacked-out luggage rack on the Tahoe was replaced by chromed versions from the Escalade.
The Chevy's middle-class wheels...
The Chevy's middle-class wheels were swapped for Lexani LX 131 26-inch wheels rolling inside of Pirelli 305/30R26 Scorpion Zero tires. Radiant chrome digits set below the fender side vents advertise the size of the wheels.
The Tahoe taillights live...
The Tahoe taillights live on, but they were blacked out.
After : This is the result...
After : This is the result of all our work. What we didn't mention before was that all of the body components-fenders and such-were painted black to match the body. More had been done to this vehicle, specifically, modifications to the suspension, intake and exhaust, video, and other areas of interest that we may address in an upcoming issue.
From the Driver Seat
This was a relatively straightforward conversion. Granted, the project focused mostly on exterior modifications; aside from some video upgrades, it's not like 714 went in and added the interior appointments that make an Escalade an Escalade. However, the end result is a Tahoe that rolls almost indistinguishably from an Escalade, unless you look very, very close. Interestingly, the reality was that the cost of parts and labor for replacing the Chevrolet body components with Cadillac parts-dogpiled with the price of the aftermarket upgrades-added up to an astonishing amount of money. But, these guys went all out and managed to work out some deals along the way. We didn't factor in the good-guy pricing in the Your Questions Answered sidebar. You can cherry-pick components to disguise your Tahoe in a way that won't send you into the poor house, or you can work out your own deals.
| YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED |
| Time Spent Working | 10 hours |
| Mechanical Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Tools Used | Standard shop tools |
| PARTS USED: |
| FACTORY ESCALADE PARTS |
| Fenders, PN 15243565 and PN 15243566 | $856 |
| Hood, PN 15214287, | $618.93 |
| Headlamps, | |
| PN 15916967 and PN 15871598 | $2,148.96 |
| Foglamps, | |
| PN 10383562 and PN 10383563 | $318.28 |
| Fascia, PN 15862101 | $529.67 |
| Grille and emblem, PN 21995712 and | |
| PN 15126354 | $518.89 |
| Door handles, PN 15915660, PN 15915659, | |
| PN 15868465 | $256.08 (two needed) |
| Luggage rails, |
| PN 15943885 and 15943886 | $399.62 |
| Luggage rail end covers, |
| PN 25787559, PN 25787560, PN 25787589, | |
| PN 25787590 | $140.90 |
| Third brakelight, |
| PN 15847948 | $166.05 |
| Third brakelight housing, |
| PN 15847949 | $150.04 |
| Total Factory-Replacement Costs: | $6,103.42 |
| (Not including paint, labor, or tax) |
| AFTERMARKET PARTS |
| Asanti Escalade Grille Kit, |
| (upper and lower grilles, side vents, rear emblem), |
| PN 103600 | $3,900 |
| Iced Out Emz individual Iced Out lettering for Escalade badges, PN IO-LETTERS | $400 |
| Iced Out Emz 26' badging, 26-FR2-CLR | $198 |
| Lexani LX 131 wheels | $5,300 |
| Pirelli 305/30R26 Scorpion Zero tires | $3,400 |
| Street Scene trailer hitch cover, |
| PN 950-01005 | $80 |
| Total Aftermarket Costs | $13,278 |
| Total Cost | $19,381.42 |
| (Not including paint, labor, or tax) |