Making the Most of Free Time

We all have our own idea of the perfect dream build, the truck that we think about when we can’t sleep at night, or that fills our daydreams when work drags. Matt Hodgson’s dream project lived in his mind relatively unchanged for a very long time. His passion for hot rods, custom cars and above all, mini-trucks, began when he was just 14 years old. Matt told us his parents were “cool enough” to merge their family vacations with trips to truck shows for his sake. He was obviously one lucky kid.

With his family’s support, Matt first leapt into the game with a daily-driven 7/9 static-dropped S-10, and he was off and running. He never stopped pursuing his idea of the perfect project, and in 2007, he sold his ’bagged Tacoma in order to purchase an ’06 GMC Canyon, the base for his long-time dream truck.

With his ideal platform secured, his nine-year journey began. Working as a graphic designer for GearWrench, Matt’s aesthetic taste was highly developed, and ultimately guided him to a perfectly executed blend of classic hot-rodding and modern street truck form. He dubbed his project build Downtime because it’s the name of his own graphic design business, and to signify the moments he was able to focus on the build.

The first step in completing the truck was to address the necessity for a modified chassis. Matt was set on having the extremely talented Shepherd Chassis of Harwood, Maryland, finish the framework. The result is a completely custom dual rail chassis built by John Shepherd himself. The frame measures 11 inches longer than the GMC factory intended to accommodate the addition of a 6-foot bed. Every inch of the frame behind the firewall is customized. The extensive work allows no daylight between it and the ground when the truck is completely aired out. With an extreme emphasis on cleanliness, Matt worked with John to use the custom frame to mount and house the air suspension components. The product is a fully usable 6-foot bed that appears OEM, rather than a mild floor raise. To top it off, the frame is coated in Titanium Gray Chrysler factory paint.

The rear suspension has been converted to a custom 4-link configuration. Belltech shocks work to smooth the ride in conjunction with Slam Specialties RE-7 ’bags. The rest of the air is pushed through 3/8-inch lines that run from the rear ’bags to the Asco manifold valves and dual 3-gallon tanks. Dual VIAIR compressors are mounted to the frame beneath the bed floor. The front of the frame has had similar work done; it was narrowed 4 inches, and custom mounts were fabbed so that the Slam Specialties RE-7s could achieve the ultimate low. The GMC sports a squared stance using the infamous 22×9-inch GM “Transport” wheels. The wheels were made especially unique by being bored to fit the Canyon’s hubs and paint-matched to the truck’s interior combo. The rollers are backed with factory disc brakes fed by stainless braided lines run through the custom frame tubes. Powering the GMC is a rock solid 2.8L four-banger mated to a five-speed transmission. Power makes its way though a custom driveshaft (for the longer frame) to the rearend, which has also been narrowed 6 inches. The motor uses a custom intake manifold to accommodate an OEM hood at fully aired-out height.

Sitting on top of the custom chassis, rolling attire and power plant is world-class body and finish work. The factory body was dropped to further the level of full-scale customization.

One of the most interesting additions to Matt’s slammed GMC, however, doesn’t come at its lowest point, but rather, at its highest. The factory roof was fitted with a panoramic ragtop grafted from a BMW 318ti California Edition. The rare rooftop drops back at the flip of a switch to create the ultimate aired-out Cali-cruising style. The front bumper was smoothed and the valance painted, while the rear was replaced with a Grant Kustoms skin to form a half tailgate that still opens at the proper height with the raised bed floor. Under the hood are custom inner tubs finished with a checkerboard pattern to complete the old-school vibe.

The door handle pockets (a pretty neat old-school trick), tailgate handle, third brake light and bed body line have all been shaved and smoothed for a perfectly clean surface, which was carefully covered with Brilliant Green Metallic for a beautiful, nuanced finish. The exquisite bodywork was completed by Brad Wurzbacher at Lucky 7 Rod Shop and painted by Mike Bischoff. The final touches came via Kobbie’s Kustoms hand-laid pinstripes. Custom body accessories include headlights with clear reflectors, candy red taillights and a chrome grille with a billet insert.

The last piece of the puzzle to complete project Downtime was the top-shelf interior work, also completed by Brad at Lucky 7. The factory dash was wrapped in tan vinyl, and the center console was trenched. The headliner was covered in matching tan, contrasting well with a medium brown carpet. The front seats were two-toned with whisper camel and cognac vinyl. The rear bench was perfectly matched and can fit three car seats, which makes weekend cruises an adventure for Matt’s whole family. The dash features a custom-built shift column cover and custom steering wheel adapter fitted to a painted 1966 Impala wheel. A Kenwood head unit sends sound to Kappa Infinity equipment located in all four doors. Like the exterior, the last bit of retro magic inside was Kobbie’s pinstripes.

Matt’s years of personal commitment, combined with his industry work as a graphic designer, have been fully realized in his finished project. Though the process seems at first glance like a long one, no corners were cut, and Matt was able to work closely with the finest shops and builders he could find to bring his vision to fruition. The process allowed Matt, his wife and kids to relive some of his best childhood memories, turning family road trips into family show trips. The body-dropped GMC has made it more than 45,000 miles without a trailer, and Matt couldn’t be happier with the journey. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

Owner

Matt Hodgson
2006 GMC Canyon
Bel Air, MD
Low Rollers

Engine

• 2.8L Chevy four-cylinder
• Five-speed trans
• Narrowed rearend
• Custom driveshaft
• Custom intake manifold
• Twisted Minis mufflers

Chassis & Suspension

• Shop: Shepherd Chassis, Harwood, MD
• Custom chassis from firewall back
• Front end narrowed 4 inches
• Dual rail frame lengthened 11 inches
• Custom 4-link rear suspension with Belltech shocks
• Slam Specialties RE-7s at each corner
• Dual 3-gallon tanks and dual VIAIR compressors mounted to the frame
• Asco manifold valves
• Chassis painted Chrysler Dark Titanium

Wheels & Tires

• 22×9 GM Transports bored to fit and painted to match
• 235/30R22 Nexen Tires

Body & Paint

• Shop: Mike Bischoff and Brad Wurzbacher, Lucky 7 Rod Shop
• Body dropped
• Shaved door handle pockets, tailgate handle, third brake light and bed body line
• Raised bed floor
• Smoothed front bumper
• Grant Kustoms rear skin
• Tailgate cut in half
• GM UK Brilliant Green Metallic
• Hand-laid pinstripes by Kobbie’s Kustoms
• Custom ragtop from BMW 318ti California Edition
• Suicide rear doors

Interior & Stereo

• Shop: Lucky 7 Rod Shop
• Tan vinyl-wrapped dash
• Frenched center console seams
• Tan headliner and medium brown carpet
• Two-tone camel and cognac seats
• Custom shift column cover
• Custom steering wheel adapter
• 1966 Impala steering wheel
• Kenwood head unit and equalizer
• Kappa Infinity speakers

Special Thanks the From Owner: “God first and foremost, without whom none of this would be possible. My wife, Amber, and kids, Brady, Charlie and Olivia. My parents for helping me drop off and pick up the truck often states away to have work done. John Shepherd, Mike Bischoff and Brad Wurzbacher for all their hard work. Kenneth Frank, Matt Haggard and Mark Doran for helping in times of need, and my Low Rollers Truck
Club family.”

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