Non-Stop Twin-Turbo Big-Billet Action

IF YOU LIVE IN THE LONE STAR STATE OR JUST CRUISE THROUGH FOR SHOWS, THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH ITS IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF BIG-LIPPED BILLET WHEELS. It seems like every pickup has them, from vintage to newer models. It’s enough to hurt a grown man’s feelings if he isn’t rolling on a set in the same ballpark. As much as that feeling of envy can sting, imagine spotting a ’15 Sierra laying frame over them as it makes a monstrous, unfamiliar revving sound as intimidating as it is intriguing.

THE STANCE IS RIGHT ON, THE ROLLING ATTIRE SETS THE BAR WITHIN ITS CLASS, AND WHAT WAS IN STORE IN THE PERFORMANCE CATEGORY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO EXCITE POWER JUNKIES IN ANY GENRE OF MUSCLE-BASED VEHICLES.”

Well, we aren’t talking about a Texas truck, although this Sierra is just as slick and sinister as described. Jose Dominguez is a Sin City resident, and he fell in love with what the boys in Texas were serving up. The ultra-low look with huge wheels squeezed into the fenders, that combo was something he couldn’t get out of his mind. Jose is also drawn to rip-roaring horsepower, and he figured he could combine the best of both worlds with his latest build.

He recruited help from shops across state lines in Mission and Alvin, Texas, to get the true Texas authenticity he was after. “I have friends in Ground Zero, the truck club out in Texas,” Jose told us. “My boy Ivan’s truck was one that I always liked, especially when it was orange. I knew that I wanted to build one just like his sometime in the near future.” Luckily, for Jose, it was the perfect time to start a new build since he had just sold his previous project. With extra time and money on his hands, he went in search of a new vehicle to rip into.

In addition to the inspiration from friend Ivan’s truck, there was another voice whispering in Jose’s ear, directing his path on this latest project. “As much as I was planning to build this next truck for myself, I was also trying my best to make something that my little bro would like,” Jose told us. The last truck that Jose owned had been one of the coolest rides his brother had ever laid eyes on. He was especially fond of it because he cruised around in it with Jose. A customized family vehicle is a special thing, particularly to a young dude, because it’s a symbol of freedom and personal expression. “He was mad at me for selling the last one,” Jose adds, “but I promised I would build something even better and cooler this time around.”

Jose is a young man himself at 20, but the goals he set for this Sierra project closely resembled how a seasoned builder would set up a truck that captured the very essence of a sport truck. The stance is right on, the rolling attire sets the bar within its class, and what was in store in the performance category would be enough to excite power junkies in any genre of muscle-based vehicles. Even though Jose spent a fair amount of time researching the hard work it would take to get the truck to lay frame over 28×10 rear wheels, he wasn’t the least bit concerned for the wellbeing of the tires that would soon cover those wheels. The Precision twin-turbo setup he’d been eyeballing would successfully roast the expensive rubber down to a fine powder with ease, and he was ready and willing to ignite the fire.

Jose didn’t waste any time building up his new truck. He’d been without a custom vehicle for a while, and he wanted to get back behind the wheel of one as soon as possible. “I bought the truck from a GMC dealership right here in Vegas. The next week it was already being torn apart.” The truck was transported to Texas, where Jose had already scouted the shops that would work on his brand spankin’ new Sierra. All Star Customs was selected to configure the suspension to slap the ground effortlessly and clear enough space within the fenders to house 28-inch wheels front and rear. The crew constructed a 4-link setup to get the back to ground level and to comfortably fit the 10-inch-wide rear wheels. The rearend was narrowed to allow them to sink in perfectly.

Aside from the suspension work, Anthony Wilfong and crew at All Star Customs kept the truck in the shop to give the GMC’s exterior a quick yet lethal overhaul. To stare down any opponents looking to step in Jose’s way, the truck was outfitted with an HD hood, front bumper and grille, which is a tough-looking combination. To forcefully back up that stare , however, the truck was going to need more than a rugged appearance and low stance. This is where the second phase of Jose’s build plan comes into play. He discovered Tellez Motorsports, a shop in Mission, Texas, that focuses on all things related to making cool trucks go fast. From stock-height daily-drivers to laid-out show trucks, the company’s bread- and-butter is to build track-capable race engines. The twin-turbo setup has helped the Sierra’s factory-equipped V-8 reach a horsepower count of 650 with 890 lbs-ft of torque. Now that’s some serious bite to accompany this GMC’s bark. Few tend to test Jose when he’s mashing the gas pedal and even fewer look his way after they’ve seen what’s breathing under the hood.

Jose has carefully orchestrated a well-rounded truck build that scores points in every category in the custom playbook. Aside from its pavement-punching abilities and rowdy street demeanor, it also features subtle, elegant upgrades thanks to the upholstery work and the Victory Red color treatment. It’s safe to assume that this pickup outshines Jose’s previous build. With the drive to create something that would appeal to tastes beyond his own, he faced the added pressure of creating a truck that his little brother would be proud to ride in. It would seem that both Dominguez boys are more than thrilled with the outcome. Although this Sierra has the makings of a truck built and bred within Texas state lines, it’ll most definitely be widely accepted wherever its big billet wheels roll.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Jose Dominguez
2015 GMC Sierra
Las Vegas, NV

ENGINE

• Shop: Tellez Motorsports, Mission, TX
• 2015 GMC Sierra V-8
• Precision twin turbocharged
• Custom headers
• Custom exhaust
• Custom stainless mufflers
• 650 hp and 890 lbs- ft torque

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Shop: All Star Customs, Alvin, TX
• Tubular control arms
• Dual VIAIR 480 compressors
• KYB shocks
• Accuair e-Level
• Rear C-notch
• Rear 4-link setup
• Narrowed factory rearend to fit rear wheels

WHEELS & TIRES

• 28×9 and 28×10 Intro wheels
• 275/25R28 and 295/25R28 Lexani tires

PAINT & BODY

• Shops: All Star Customs and Collision Bay Body & Paint, Las Vegas, NV
• DuPont Victory Red
• Body drop
• HD hood and grille
• HD front bumper
• Custom sheet metal bed
• Custom sheet metal front tubs

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Custom leather seats
• Custom center console with painted lid and matching upholstery
• Factory head unit
• JL Audio speakers, JL W7 subwoofer, JL amps
• Optima battery

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Special thanks to Anthony Wilfong at All Star Customs for helping me build the truck and giving me helpful ideas, also to my good friend Noe Vivar for all the help and sweat he put into this project. Thank you to all of my good friends from Ground Zero for not letting me down throughout the build.”

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