Deep Black, Smooth as Glass and Laid Flat Sierra

At first glance, Francisco Garcia’s ’02 GMC looks like any other clean black truck laid out over a polished set of billet wheels, until you stick your noggin between the doors, in the bed and under the hood and pull your focus close to the trick and slick paintwork. Only then is the depth of detail readily apparent, punching you square in the face like a schoolyard bully. The truck was purchased in 2004 with the eventual goal of building it into the head-turning stunner you see here. From 2004-07, it served as a nice driver until the show truck bug bit Francisco hard and soon the truck was in pieces. According to Francisco, he wanted to build “the baddest truck in town” and did so thanks to help from friends in his club Krucial Koncepts and the crew from Bad Habit Customs in Fresno, CA.

Friends Jose Fernandez and Jesus from Krucial Koncepts helped with the teardown, while Bad Habit Customs got started on a full custom mandrel-bent chassis complete with a 3-link with wishbone and chrome link bars. Slam Specialties airbags and Fox shocks regulate ride height out back, while slam Specialties airbags up front hammer the streamlined nose to the CenCal tarmac. Filling the massaged fender wells are 24-inch Intro Twisted Vista billet wheels mounted on Toyo Proxes 295/30R24 tires.

The factory V-8 LS inhales through a K&N intake system and exhales through a Flowmaster Stage 2 exhaust system while consuming the octane mix from a custom aluminum fuel cell mounted under the bed. An Optima deep cycle battery gets the whole performance party started. The engine is dressed with Cadillac engine covers and doused in candy red paint.

Once the chassis, suspension and drivetrain were in custom check, Francisco turned his attention to the bodywork and paint to take the truck to a whole new level. The crew from Bad Habit Customs took the stance down another few notches with a 4 ¾- inch body drop. The facial features of the truck were adjusted with a 2001 Chevy HD hood modified to fit the Sierra grille shell, complete with mesh insert. A bevy of ¾-inch steel plate was welded on the cab rocker for protection when the truck is set down to stun or rolled just a shade too low. An AVS roll pan cleans things up out back, and a shaved tailgate and door handles clean up and sharpen the factory lines. The inside of the bed was refined with sheet metal bordering the walls and floor capped with custom wheel tubs to house the 24s.

After the metal was modified, Jose Fernandez at Fat Cat Body & Paint laid down the brilliant deep black paint job topped with custom pinstriping and silver leaf stretching from tip to tail and also spreading detail inside the bed. The custom center console and speaker box also feature the paint detail running through the rest of the truck.

To finish things off, the interior was filled with the ultimate blend of street rod and sport truck styling with a smoothed and black-coated dash, custom center console and polished billet steering wheel. The factory seats were relieved of their headrests and covered in a combination of bronze leather and saddle suede. The door panels are broken up with smooth black armrests and custom speaker pods. The same pinstriping theme was carried throughout the interior onto the console and assorted black landscape.

This full custom GMC is the result of chasing a dream to have the baddest truck in town and was made a reality at the hands of some talented craftsman and dedicated club members. Francisco can roll through the streets of Salinas down low and hold his head high in this stunning GMC. ST

---

TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Francisco Garcia
2002 GMC Sierra Salinas,
CA Krucial Koncepts

ENGINE

• Factory 4.8L dressed in paint and polish
• K&N air intake
• Flowmaster exhaust system

SUSPENSION

• Custom mandrel-bent frame
• 3-link wishbone with chrome links
• Slam Specialties air springs
• Fox shocks

WHEELS & TIRES

• 24-inch Intro Twisted Vista
• Toyo Proxes S/T 295/30

BODY & PAINT

• 2001 Chevy HD hood fit to Sierra Grille
• AVS roll pan
• Shaved door handles, shaved tailgate, smoothed and sheet metal bed
• Black with custom pinstriping and silver leaf

INTERIOR

• Custom smoothed and painted dash
• Custom center console and speaker enclosure
• Billet steering wheel
• Bronze leather and saddle suede

---