ON THE COVER
Just Another Titan Dually … Wait, What?
The time and effort it takes for guys like Brian Goude to get a cover shot like this are so under-appreciated!
SOME CUSTOM TRUCKS ARE JUST LEGENDARY IN THEIR OWN TIME, AND YOU’RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THEM. This ’07 Nissan Titan has been in the scene for quite a few years, acting as a rolling business card for builder Jimmy Graham of Jimmy’s Rod and Customs of Edgewater, Florida, and it has received a ton of attention. Originally going under the knife when the truck was barely off the showroom floor, Jimmy sold the truck back around 2013, but he regretted the decision and bought it back not long after. He eventually sold it again in 2017, this time to Graham Hancock, a lifelong Nissan enthusiast. And that’s when the next level of the truck’s transformation got underway.
After getting the truck from Jimmy, our man Graham spent some time getting better acquainted with his new ride before taking things to the final stage. Jimmy had already done all of the major fabrication during his ownership, including body-dropping and ’bagging it, but it’s the dually conversion that really stands out! This was accomplished by adapting Chevy 2500 hubs to work up front and adding a Chevy 3500 dually rear end. The bed started its life as a Ram 3500 bed,
GRAHAM’S VISION FOR THE TRUCK WAS TO FINISH THE THINGS THAT JIMMY DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE TO DO WHILE HE OWNED THE TRUCK. THIS WOULD INCLUDE A WILD CUSTOM PAINT JOB AND A KILLER INTERIOR TREATMENT. TO THAT END, GRAHAM KNEW THAT THE TITAN DESERVED NOTHING BUT THE BEST, NO MATTER WHERE THAT MIGHT TAKE HIM.
but it was reshaped extensively to match the Nissan’s lines and to fit the 24-inch Diesel Wheels slant rollers and 275/35R24 Lexani tires. Even the tailgate was made to look more like something Nissan would have made, albeit with a custom touch.
Graham’s vision for the truck was to finish the things that Jimmy didn’t have a chance to do while he owned the truck. This would include a wild custom paint job and a killer interior treatment. To that end, Graham knew that the Titan deserved nothing but the best, no matter where that might take him.
As it turned out, it would mean taking a long drive to Southern California from Utah to visit Kal Koncepts and Air Syndicate in Bakersfield, long considered the masters of paint and graphics. Dion Giuliano and Craig Fraser, the legendary duo behind some of the wildest paint to ever hit sheetmetal, teamed up to lay down tons of House of Kolor’s finest pigments, starting with a base color named “Gold Dust Woman.” Other HOK hues were then used for the famous Kal Koncepts/air Syndicate-look graphics. The amazing result is a combination of colors that, at first glance, seems at odds with one another, yet somehow works flawlessly together. Some striping, tons of clear and plenty of buff
pads later, and Craig and Dion finally made the call for Graham to come get his truck.
But, instead of taking it back to Utah right away, he made another stop at California Upholstery, a couple hundred miles south of Bako in Bell Gardens. Yards of high-grade vinyl and alligator skin were rolled out and stretched over the factory seats and panels, including the speaker enclosures previously built by Soundwaves of Tampa. The peanut butter-colored materials, including the color-matched dashboard and steering wheel, give a look that’s plenty custom, yet plenty classy at the same time.
With the truck now finished, Graham wasted no time hitting up shows with the Titan’s new look and was even able to get it into SEMA 2019 at the last minute. It’s even been back to Florida for Slamfest! We think it’s awesome that Graham’s Nissan was built on both coasts, yet resides in the mountain state of Utah, making it kind of a custom truck ambassador between east and west. OK, maybe not so much, but it’s still neat regardless.