Gotta give it to Texas...

[BMRbrnSNRbrd]

...they know how to set trends. I was flipping through the latest (Dec.) issue of Truckin' and realize three of the featured trucks were built in Texas and two were done by the same shop. Both of those trucks have something that I've NEVER seen before...you have to admit it's a true custom as it's not just slapping 28s on your Impala.

Erasmo Carlos, of Houston, is a member of Ground Zero truck club, and after being surrounded by customs of all makes and models, he grew tired of modifying his GTO and opted to give owning a truck a try. He told us, "The '67-'72 C10 was my dream truck and that’s what I had to have." Due to the overwhelming popularity of the classic C10, tracking down a solid starting point proved to be more difficult than first expected, but after finding a clean example that cost a little more, Erasmo took the project to his friends at Da Shop in Baytown, Texas, where the truck would receive a whole new look. While in the care of Da Shop, the team worked the original sheetmetal straight, and rather than shave the body clean, Da Shop left the factory emblems, trim, lights, and bumpers for a retro look. Before the paint was sprayed, the bed was fully sheetmetaled with large wheeltubs and a bridge cover, and the hood was reworked to open in a forward-tilting fashion. PPG Mint Green and white was then applied to the C10, which isn’t too far from the original GM colors. A quick drive was then made to Drops ‘R Us, in Houston, for the suspension work. Jose Pena, owner and fabricator at Drops ‘R Us, didn’t waste any time getting the C10 setup for a look that is becoming his bread and butter. After a new frame was built for the truck, the body sat 4 inches lower, and combined with drop Slam Specialties’ airbags, the C10 was in the weeds. Out back, a narrowed Ford 9-inch with 4.10 gears was bolted to a four-link and equipped with matching Slam ’bags. You can always tell when a truck has left Drops ‘R Us because it will have huge wheels out back, and this Chevy is no exception. Raceline Imperial wheels, sized 24x15 are mounted inside 405/25R24 Pirelli tires and tuck hard inside the bedsides. Up front, 22x10-inch Raceline wheels are shod in 265/30R22 Pirellis and to give the billet wheels some added flair, Da Shop painted the center spokes of each wheel matching Mint Green. Stopping the classic Chevy are CPP disc brakes up front with red painted calipers and Wilwood discs out back. It takes some serious power to smoke those ultra-wide tires as you can see Erasmo doing in the lead photo, and being from Texas, an LS engine swap was in order. Erasmo built an LS1 for the truck complete with .588 lift Comp cam, a cylinder head port and polish, and Pace long-tube headers. A Cadillac engine cover provides an OE look and rolled trailer fenders add show appeal to the engine bay. Noe’s Transmission, in Pasadena, Texas, prepped a 4L60E transmission for the LS engine and with a stomp of the accelerator, the C10 lights up the rear tires with ease. Inside the nearly 40-year-old doors lies an interior that is both user friendly and show-ready. Dakota Digital gauges are mounted inside a billet cluster and the tilt steering column is capped with a Billet Specialties steering wheel. An Alpine head unit and speakers try to keep up with the rumble of the LS1. Covering the factory bench seat, black and alligator leather with green piping add some exotic flavor to the C10’s confines. Erasmo has himself one heck of a dual-purpose C10. He can jump in it and drive fast all day long, or if he so desires, he can roll up to a truck show and lay out his mint green Chevy. Now that’s the best of both worlds.

Are you kidding me!?! A 405 tire on 24x15 wheels? How badass is that? I know it's Texas and it's a Chevy (that I would own in a second) but you have to admit it's a sweet look.