2016 Chevy Silverado | BLACK WIDOW

This 2016 Chevy Silverado is a Dream Come True for Hector Marmolejo

Texas iron worker Hector Marmolejo sure remembered his childhood dream truck—this squeaky clean black and red 2016 Chevy Silverado you see before you—and believe it or not, it only took him three months to complete.

“I had great hands who assisted me all the time,” Hector says. “They made it the easiest part of the build.”

The exterior modifications on the Silverado include front tub work and beadrolled seams, thanks to the crew at Drops R Us in Pasadena, Texas. It’s painted a shiny, slick PPG Black all over the outside, with PPG Eggshell Red on the truck bed, inside the cab and under the hood; Robert Meza of Alamo Customs in Alvin, Texas, is responsible for the stellar paintjob.

Speaking of under the hood, the engine in this truck—which was built by Drops R Us and tuned by KHP Performance—is a 2016 Chevrolet 550 horsepower 5.3-liter L83 V-8. Other bottom-end modifications include LS7 lifters, double springs with Comp Cam rockers, a Vengeance Racing Stage 3 camshaft, On 3 Performance headers, a Black Widow exhaust system, a 3-inch exhaust, On 3 Performance 76mm turbo kit and an air-to-air intercooler.

The Silverado’s 2016 Chevrolet transmission has been modified to a stage 3 package by Jr’s Transmission out of Pasadena, Texas. The torque converter is an FTI Performance 3200 with billet lockup, and it has a B&M transmission cooler. Jr’s Transmission added a narrowed Moser axle, 16-inch Wilwood brakes front and back, and 16-inch rotors front and back with 6-piston calipers. The crew also crossed drilled the rotors.

To let this lady lay low, the 2016 Chevrolet frame has been notched in the rear, with airbags installed to get off the ground. For front springs, Hector chose Firestone 2600 bags; for the rear shocks, he picked Ridetech. The chassis also has custom front control arms and a rear two-link with wishbone setup, all done by the crew at Drops R Us. It also includes Ridetech’s Ride Pro X air management system and two Viair compressors. The truck rides on Durun 255/30/26 tires up front and Durun 305/30/26s in the rear. They’re wrapped around Billet Specialties Chicayne wheels, 26×9 inches in front and 26×10 inches in the rear.

Inside the cab is the most eye-catching feature of this Chevy: the black widow.

“The most unique feature about my truck are the black widow spiders embroidered into the headrests,” says Hector. “The seats are stock rewrapped red leather and vinyl by Arjonas Upholstery in Pasadena, Texas.”

He has Black Widow instruments and gauges (no surprise there), as well as Rockford Fosgate amps with two shallow-mount 12-inch subwoofers, and Rockford Fosgate mids and highs, which are perfect for when he cranks the tunes while cruising or at a local show, like the On D Gas Truck Shootout in nearby Houston.

Hector would like to thank his brother Jose Pena, the Drops R Us crew, Julian Escamilla, Baby Huey and Aaron Garcia/Littleman.

Hector’s advice for others wanting to build a similar truck: “Build it yourself.” Wise words from someone who clearly knows what he’s doing.