Troy Hamilton Put a New Spin on This Older Build

NEGATIVE CAMBER CLUB MEMBER TROY HAMILTON IS NO STRANGER TO CUSTOM TRUCKS. He’s been building trucks since 1987 and he’s had a few. This time around Troy got this extra cab full-size Chevrolet Silverado, dubbed Blue Hell Redux, in trade. The rig was fully customized from the front end to the audio tunnel. It was originally built by IF Customs 10 years ago and was owned by Eric Dunaway. As the owner of Auto Perfection, Troy rebuilt this truck for the love of the lifestyle and also to promote his business.

The stock motor only had 7,100 miles on its 5.3L engine, and it didn’t need much, so Troy got to work on the exterior and tore the truck down. Some of the existing modifications included molded rain gutters, flush LED taillights and third brake, custom exhaust tip in the roll pan, molded cowl and shaved gas door. Troy added to this by making a half cover with pop-up gas cap for the bed box that houses the major sound system. The most significant change on the body was the Cadillac Escalade front end that had been previously made to fit.

HE HAS RECEIVED A GREAT RETURN ON HIS INVESTMENT, HAVING LANDED SEVERAL NEW CUSTOMERS WHO WANTED CRAFTSMANSHIP ON THE LEVEL OF THIS SHOP TRUCK.”

Back in the day, the truck was built to lay over 24s, which were considered huge at the time. There was actually enough room for Troy to stuff a set of 26-inch Asanti wheels. To make this happen, the rear suspension received a 2-link and was equipped with AirLift Dominator 2,600-pound ’bags. To tuck the 11-inch-wide wheels, the factory rearend was shortened. The front suspension was airbagged, and the front mounts were raised to allow the truck to come down further. The gas tank also had to be raised so it wouldn’t hang below the frame.

Audio was a critical concern for Troy and the primary reason why he wanted to build up the truck in the first place. Dave of Traffic Jams installed a Kenwood KDC-x997 Exelon head unit and a full Rockford Fosgate system that incorporated 6.5-inch components and Rockford Fosgate P1 and P3 subwoofers, all powered by two Rockford Fosgate P500-1 and two P400-2 amplifiers. A 13-inch monitor was placed in the center and a pair of monitors was grafted into each door. Two Optima Yellow Top batteries provide power. For crisp sound and noise cancelling, the whole truck was layered with Dynamat sound deadening material.

With everything ready for paint, Troy used DuPont Daytona Blue to coat the exterior. The paint was also applied to the fully ’glassed panels throughout the interior. The upholstery was done by McFarland Upholstery in Buckley, Washington where the crew used a black leather and blue suede combination that tied the interior to the exterior.

This truck couldn’t have come together without the support of Troy’s shop, Air lift; DuPont; Traffic Jams; Optima Batteries or Ron Chandler, and most importantly, his wife Misty. Since then, he has received a great return on his investment, having landed several new customers who wanted craftsmanship on the level of this shop truck.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Troy Hamilton
2002 Chevrolet Silverado
Washington, UT
Negative Camber

ENGINE

• Original 5.3L V-8
• Custom engine covers
• Custom hammer head air intake
• Dual alternators
• Optima batteries
• Custom exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers
• Factory rearend narrowed 4.5 inches

SUSPENSION

• Shop: IF Customs
• Factory frame modified with rectangular steel for a stock- floor body drop
• Raised front upper control arms
• 2-link with pan hard bar in rear
• AirLift dominator 2,600- pound ’bags
• Procomp shocks
• Brake booster extended forward and inward to clear wheels

WHEELS & TIRES

• Asanti, AF150 26×11
• Diablo 295/30R26 and 305/30R26

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: Auto Perfection in Washington, UT
• 2003 Cadillac Escalade front clip with painted headlights
• Grant Kustoms rear tailgate/roll pan combo skin with exhaust cut-outs
• Shaved door handles, taillights, rain gutters, third brake light, wiper cowl and gas door
• Flush LED taillights
• DuPont two-stage Daytona Blue paint finish
• Custom wheel tubs and notch cover in bed
• Spray-on bed liner
• Custom half-bed cover

INTERIOR/STEREO

• Upholstery by McFarland Upholstery in Buckley, WA
• Stock seats trimmed down and covered in black leather and blue suede
• Custom center console and door panels
• Dash and interior panels painted to match exterior
• Billet Specialties steering wheel
• Custom blow-through speaker box
• Kenwood KDC-X997 head unit
• Rockford Fosgate 6.5-inch Component speakers, P1 and P3 subwoofers and two P500-1 and two P400-2 amplifiers
• 13-inch and 4-inch monitor in dash and 4-inch monitors in each door
• Dynamat sound deadening material
  

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