OEM Terror...Our '09 SEMA project

Killer!

Here's what's been the most difficult project on this vehicle to date. It looks fairly simple on outside, but was everything but that to fab up. There's literally no room to work the panel from behind either and we attached it using all factory mounting locations, or to the other panels we've made.

The truck just didn't look good with the running boards and looked dumber without them as the proportions were lost in the body. We made the decision to make a rocker panel that would bolt on the truck and finish off the lower portion of the body. I figured also why not incorporate the body line that runs around both wheel wells that GM seemed to have forgotten about in the center of the car.

I made up these dies for the pullmax to stamp out the pieces I need. This is quickly becoming my favorite piece of equipment...



Here's the outcome:









Here's where it meets up with the inner fender panels we'd built earlier. I pre-planned (almost never happens) it by putting the notch in the panel in the beginning.



I hope to get some comments on this one, otherwise I must just be spending all this time posting for 3 or 4 people...

i havent posted but i have been watching this from day one... simply unbelievalbe metal work, you guys are my heroes. I literally day dream about the ideas you would have about my truck. Great work man i could only imagine the amount of hours involved in making that. I cant wait to see it on the ground with the new rocker extensions. I always thought the factory running boards looked silly too

Jesus... this truck amazes me every time I look at it. Definetly one of my top 10 if not top 5 trucks out there. Very Nicely done... WOW...

Beautiful work please keep the updates I been watching just dont want to keep saying badass. Its badass.

Thanks for the comments guys, it's what keeps us going. This has definitely been a long project, one that many people probably think was never going to get completed. It's kind of a bitter sweet feeling around here as it's going to paint in the next two weeks and should be done shortly thereafter. We like to keep this thread updated as much as possible as it was here since the very beginning 2 years ago. It doesn't seem like that long to us as we've worked on this steadily for that much time. That shows the kind of work that is really in this vehicle. It's been a great project and one to put in the work and not leave any stone un-turned. You should be seeing this out on the show circuit soon, don't overlook it for just another blacked out SUV!

droooooooooool

That is amazing. I'd love to see some progress pics of you making those rockers.

I can't wait to see that painted, thats my favorite kind of custom the stuff. The kind that the average person would miss

Progress pics aren't going to happen. I didn't do it on the first one and the second is too far along already. Kind of a bummer, I wanted to do a step by step of them, but when I start working it's hard to stop and grab a camera sometimes.

There are going to be a few months of tech articles in Street Trucks on the under hood stuff though, starting with the August issue...

I can't wait to see them all painted either. They really help the vertical proportions of the side in my opinion.