WHAT’S AN OXYMORON? It’s a figure of speech where two seemingly opposite words are joined, like deafening silence, lead from behind or jumbo shrimp. The ’07 GMC Sierra that Benny Botello of La Porte, Texas built is both over the top and subtle, and that juxtaposition of two polar opposites is what makes this truck so special. If it looks familiar, that’s likely because it’s been on the show scene for a bit now, albeit with a slightly different look.
It previously had a black base with silver graphics. It also sported a Cadillac Escalade front clip as well as the original Sierra nose, so it’s understandable that people might be confused. For this most recent version, Benny decided to team up with Daniel Reyna of Reyna Bros Designs to turn his concept into reality. He wanted a new school exterior with an old school interior.
Let’s start with the inside and that old school motif. Red interiors were all the rage in the ’80s, and they’ve made a solid comeback in recent years, particularly with custom trucks. Making a dramatic color change to your interior isn’t easy, what with all of the plastic parts that need a new hue, but Benny had a great team in place to handle the transition. Dave Flint at Pristine Custom Paint dyed all of the plastics and vinyl components so that everything matched the ultra leather upholstery perfectly. For seating, things are definitely old school with a bench seat from a 1986 Silverado and seatbelts from a 1976. But to give him some comfort, Julio Tornero of Interior By Design worked some custom sculpting into the mix, and everything was just right.
The resulting interior is completely red, from the top to the bottom, with the exception of a few billet accessories like the Raceline Wheels steering wheel bringing the shiny. As for the outside, clean is the name of the game. Very little is shaved on the truck, just the gas door, door handles and tailgate handle were smoothed out, while a roll pan rounds out the weld-on modifications. The Earth Metallic basecoat gives the truck a grounded quality, and when combined with the orange and red graphics, it all pops nicely against the subtler base. It’s not overdone like many paint jobs of the past, and instead, everything complements the truck instead of overwhelming it.
The stance doesn’t hurt, either. For that, the truck already had a stock-floor body drop complete with mandrel-bent frame rails and a Z’d front clip from its last incarnation. Now, Raceline Wheels Sniper 6s in 26×10 form are stuffed into the fender wells, tucking nicely while keeping the truck on track. (Incidentally, these were the first set of billet wheels that Raceline Wheels had produced at the time.) This truck is a study in contrasts that, when properly assembled, works out perfectly. Is it perfect for Benny?
Right now, sure. But now he has two options: sell it or build it a third time. Which way will he go? Only he knows for sure, but whatever is next up on his build list, we’re sure it will be another show-stopper.
TRUCK SPECS
OWNER: Benny Botello 2007 GMC Sierra La Porte, TX Club Affiliation: Aftermath
ENGINE Built by Shawn Robinson 2007 GM LS 4L60E Automatic transmission Comp Cam 219/233 109 LSA Lunati valves, lifters, springs and guides Comp pushrods and rockers March Performance water pump and pulleys Tuff Stuff 105-amp alternator LS2 intake manifold Stainless steel headers Magnaflow mufflers Billet aluminum valve covers MSD 8.5mm wires Relocated coil packs Engine painted black pearl Custom driveshaft Hydraulic brake booster and Jegs master cylinder
CHASSIS & SUSPENSION Justin Brill at Medicated Metalworks Stock-floor body drop Z’d front frame clip and 3/4 frame with mandrelbent frame rails Custom control arms shortened 1.25 inches DJM dropped spindles Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags front, Firestone airbags rear Rear 2-link with chrome shocks 11-inch narrowed shortened rearend with 3.73 gears and Moser axles Custom stainless steel fuel cell built by owner
WHEELS & TIRES 26×10 Raceline Wheels Sniper 6, polished 305/30R26 Kumho
BODY & PAINT Graphics by Pat Maxwell of Maxwell Auto Designs Basecoat, clearcoat and buffing by Bryan Reitz at RF Customs PPG Earth Metallic, Sunburst Orange and Mazda Red Metallic GMC Denali grille GMC HD hood Grant Kustoms roll pan Sheet metal bed floor Electric sunroof Rhino Linings colormatched bed liner Moved the bed forward .75 inch Shaved gas door, tailgate handle and door handles
INTERIOR Interior dyed by Dave Flint at Pristine Custom Paint Custom seat work by Julio Tornero at Interior by Design Ultra leather upholstery 1986 Chevrolet Silverado bench seat 1976 Chevrolet Silverado Raceline steering wheel Pristine Custom Paint
SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “I want to thank everyone who has ever worked on my truck for helping me out with this build, from the shops to the dealerships that helped me out with parts. I want to thank my sponsors: Rhino Linings for hooking me up with a color matched bed liner and Raceline wheels for hooking me up with my set of billets and matching steering wheel. My dad Benicio Botello, Reyna Bros, Jose Galvan, Shawn Robinson, Emmanuel Zavala, Russell Rodriguez and Abe Solis.”