Texas Outlaw

So I’ll start off by saying this will be my last article I write with no real set topic. Let’s face it- I’ve gotten away with these past features just kind of venting on stuff I have bouncing around in my head, although it is still relative to what we are doing here…it’s gotta stop. These next few articles I’ll be doing will be more of an interviewing type where I’ll be getting more personal with the owners of these vehicles. I love shooting cars, I love reading about cars, I love everything you can do to them, but often times we forget that these vehicles would be nothing were it not for the individuals behind them. So if you’re a gear head and like talking to fellow enthusiasts – stay tuned for some of these next articles that’ll dive into the owners back stories as well as their own story with the vehicle we’ll be featuring- but for now…lets talk about the ridiculousness that is the RGV Truckin’ scene, shall we? Let’s shall.

In the RGV we don’t play no games….no really, have you really looked at the local truck scene here? Those of you that got that first reference- a round of applause to you fine gentlemen, anyways. We have trucks from here that have become the equivalent to what Rusty Slammington is to the euro community, the Sunkist Em1 to the Honda community, and well you catch my drift. If you head over to the local truck forum run by our good friends over at rgvtruckperformance.net, you’ll see that they have a good 14,017 members as of April 1st at 3:48am. I know what you’re thinking, 1) Jeez, you really wait til the last minute to write these things don’t you? 2) That GREATLY out numbers any other automotive community down here in the valley. Yeah the area we’re in has a lot to do with it, I guess it stems from most of us growing up in a house where our fathers or a family member worked hard and needed a work truck, so you were around trucks at an early age, then you grew up and realized how much you can do with them instead of just hauling things around. One thing is for sure, building and taking a truck to the level that some have achieved around here is not an easy task – and I’m not just talking about it being hard on your wallet either.

We met Gustavo, while the sun was right above us had it not been for the perfect overcast day we were having, at a car wash that was down the street from where I live. A car wash which is just up the street from the gas station where an illegal alien jumped in my Civic hatch way back in the day and said what I can only assume would translate to “please, drive gringo” while he held a weapon in his pocket- I told you, we don’t play no games. This is not the time nor the place for such an epic story, so lets get back on track with Mr Gutierrez’s 95′ GMC. We tend to eat with our eyes first, and just the same we tend to get drawn to a vehicle by a certain visual cue – in this case for me it was the set of Intro wheels that got me drawn to looking into this truck a bit more. The wheels are some of the widest I have seen, running a staggered setup we have some 22×8.5 up front and an insane 24×15 setup in the rear. You have to forgive me, I’m around little imports and cars for the most part- so when I see a vehicle running something that is 15″ wide (that’s what she said) I tend to get a bit excited (that’s also what she said).

Aside from the obvious cosmetic upgrades that this 95′ has, there is almost NO part of this truck that remains stock in any way. From the Procharged 6.0 swap, to the air ride setup, right down to the interior of this truck – there was no stone that went unturned in making sure this truck was fitted with the best from top to bottom. From the first sound of the exhaust bellowing out from the rear, paired with a subtle whine from under the hood, you’ll know this truck isn’t your typical “all show no go” type of build. If there’s one thing I love about these older trucks, its how simple they are as far as their engine bay’s go. You don’t have a crap ton of sensors or ridiculous gadgets stuffed into the bay; you have the essentials, the main components that will make a motor turn over, stay on, and drive – that is ALL you get once you pop the hood from this GMC, and I love that! The amount of work that was put into this bay also shows in other areas such as the interior, with a sound system that’ll make you wish you hadn’t eaten any Taco Bell, to the suspension setup that allows it lay frame, everything was properly executed in this simple yet effective build.

Like I said earlier, building a truck like this doesn’t only take a toll on obvious things such as your wallet and for those of you in a relationship, that gets tested too- and to that I say, “go forwarth with God my son”. With the local truck scene being such an intimidating monster, to set yourself apart from the “average Joe” you’re going to need something more then deep pockets; and that is where the owners creativity, vision, and passion come into play. Anyone can throw money at something, and some people do that, and I guess that’s ok. But when things come together like this, when the owner can envision what the end result should look like, that’s pretty much what separates the boys from the men. You have to constantly be building something that still will make you happy yet will also be original, which in this point down here is pretty much the equivalent to writing a song about something that hasn’t been covered yet (I partially blame The Beatles). Every once and a while a truck and its owner rises to the occasion and builds something that someone else couldn’t have thrown together. Maybe I’m naive in a sense that hey, maybe stuff like this doesn’t exist anymore and people just say “Ok I have $xx,xxx for a budget and as long as it’s blue I’ll be happy”. So they just start slapping together the best wheels, the best motor setup, the best suspension setup and wah-lah -you have a vehicle worthy of being on the cover of any magazine…but there has to be more to it then that right?

The way Gustavo talks about his truck, the amount of work he constantly puts into it, and hell even the look he has while washing it says a lot about what this build means to him. This truck is more then a few expensive pieces of metal, rubber, and fuel – it’s much more then that, it’s a culmination of his journey as a truck enthusiast. It’s an embodiment of the knowledge he’s learned while setting out to start this build, the result of trial and errors that occur while taking on something like this, and dare I say even a representation of who he is as a person. Like I said, maybe I’m naive – but I like thinking that there are others out there that still see the beauty and joy and take pride in building something that ultimately shows who they are and what they can accomplish. If there is one thing I’ve learned about the truck scene down here it can simply be put, in the RGV we don’t play no games.

Gustavo Gutierrez’s 1995 GMC

Performance :
6.0 engine
234-234 Cam
D1 Procharger on 14psi
Holly EFI Intake Manifold
Headers
Jr Built Transmission with PI 4000 Turbine

Cosmetics :
08 Custom Fitted Hood
Custom Sunroof
Sheet Metal Bed Interior
Bed Raised 5″
Color Matched Headlights
Color Matched Front Bumper
Billet Grill
Shaved Door Handles
Shaved Trunk
Rollpan
SS Wing
Shaved Gas Cap

Interior :
Interior Stingray Leather
Intro Steering Wheel
Fiberglassed Color Matched Interior
Suede Headliner

Rollers :
Intro Rally Billets – 22×8.5 Front // 24×15 Rear
Pirelli 255/30/22 Front // Pirelli 405/25/24 Rear

Stiff Stuff :
Air Ride
5 Gallon Tank
2 Viair Compressors
Custom Hardlines
4 Link Rear
Shortened 8” Differential
Chassis Shortened 3.5“ each side to fit wheels
Monster Notch
Custom Control Arms

Sounds :
4 10” DB Drive
2 8” Voice DB Drive
2 4” Voice DB Drive
Custom Fiberglass Color Matched Box
Double Din Screen

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Photos by : Ricardo Reyes
Story by : Bobby Villarreal