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THE NEW RIDE
“I like their ride and horsepower,” he notes. What has made the latest GMC really special out his long line of trucks? “My dream was to just go to the SEMA show,” he relates. “I never thought I would attend it and take a truck there.”
Of course, it often takes one your friends lending a hand to make things happen. In this case, “Thanks to my buddy Fernando Sanchez who owns Da Drop Shop. He’s the one that helped me out on building my dream SEMA truck.”
Commenting on why Jesus has owned so many tricked-out trucks over the years, all he has to say is that, “It runs in your blood.”
As you might expect in Texas, they went with even bigger rims this time, American Force 26 x 14 Shift wheels with a simulated 10-lug look. That was created on a direct bolt-on rim using tap-and-die nut spacers. After fitting an adaptor into the tapped holes, it was finished off with a lug-nut cover.
“I liked that big center cap,” Jesus relates. Wrapping those rims are meaty Fuel M/T tires are big meats, measuring 40x15.50r26.
As for the suspension, the Denali has a
The rearend runs Deaver springs with
5-inch lift so only a 5-inch block is required. The factory rear end is already two inches higher than the front, so when the truck is leveled it all adds up to 12 inches total. Fox 2.0 reservoir shocks dampen the rearend. An ATS diff cover creates a custom look, along with providing more oil and cooling capacity. The front has Fox shocks as well, plus a Cognito cage with cross members and related steering components.
Fernando notes that whole suspension system went together really smoothly, no hiccups. All of the frame and suspension were either painted or powder coated to match the factory hue, Stone Blue Metallic. Ditto on the door handles, interior trim and steering wheel.
“Matching the color was tricky,” Jesus admits “We tried a few different test shoots, and eyeballed them in the sun to see which one looked the closest.”
There’s an old Texas saying about “all hat and no cattle,” referring to somebody who talks big, but can’t deliver. That’s certainly not the case with Jesus and his GMC, since it has an array of other upgrades that are all tough as Texans.
For instance, don’t mess with those Fusion bumpers, as they could push through a herd of longhorn cattle if need be. The aptly named Bushwacker fenders and Gravel Empire grille add to the rugged attitude of the truck, along with Rigid LEDS and a set of four Monster tow hooks.
For more power, PPEI supplied the tunes, so Fernando could enhance the output by about 150 more horses. For better breathing, he also added a five-inch Flo-pro turbo back exhaust, dressed in a chrome powder coating.
But there’s a softer side to this GMC as well, with a Bedrug in the cargo area, and AMP Power Steps that make it easier to climb into the raised cockpit. The cabin glass is tinted to cut down on glare, and the taillights are tinted dark as well, using a bit
All told, this GMC is obviously no work truck, but a weekend warrior, built in just a couple weeks for the SEMA show (along with three others from the Da Drop Shop). Once at the SEMA show, it showed nicely in the Cognito lineup. “A lot of people complimented it with comments like, ‘That’s a sick truck,’” Jesus notes with pride.
Of course Fernando agrees: “It’s a very likeable truck,” he says. “People were really impressed with the color match on the frame. That little detail made it stand out.”
How was the drive from Midland to Las Vegas and back? Even with the tall profile and big meats, “It rides pretty smooth,” Jesus says. Once he returned to Midland, he joined up with a posse of pickups to help with a Toys for Tots fundraiser.
In general, Fernando appreciates working with Jesus on all his pickups, as “He’s really pretty mellow, and lets me do my thing. He gets down to the point.”
What’s the future for Jesus and his project trucks? Stay tuned, and he has plans for another cutting-edge pickup with—get this—28 x 14 rims with 42-inch tires. Some might say that’s a tall Texas tale, but to Jesus, it’s just another lifted truck from the Lone Star State.