Up in Flames

It’s not every day you see a featured truck on the streets, especially one that just recently graced the covers of Truckin’ Magazine. This is Hugo Vela’s 2007 GMC Sierra.

Unlike some that like to say it was a short easy road to get to where the vehicle is now, Vela’s truck took a road that some of us are more familiar with. The truck you see before you went through a few different changes- and of course the most eye catching part of its transformation is the flawless body work done over at TC Autoworks. Going with a completely shaved look, everything was done away with. The Door handles, tail lights, tailgate handle, you name it- it has been shaved. In order to give the front end an aggressive look a 2008 Sierra HD hood was modified to fit in place of the stock hood. And once all the body work had been finished up and everything was test fitted, the truck got sprayed with PPG Viper Red paint and if that isn’t enough for you, some flames were laid out in a House of Kolor Kandy Orange that got some pinstriping work in House of Kolor Process Blue. Other small details were also on the list, pinstriping on the hood, tailgate, along with some gold leafing finished up the outside.

While Hugo knows that you don’t just settle with a flashy exterior in your quest for an all out truck, you gotta take on every aspect of modifying your ride. The interior was re-worked with some help by the talented people over at Classic Trim. First off was replacing the stock bench seats with a set of bucket seats to give the truck a boost in the Feng Shui department. The seats were wrapped in red and orange leather to tie into the trucks color theme. The OEM carpet and headliner also got some attention. The headliner was wrapped with red suede matching the red comfy wool carpet. A few interior pieces were also painted to match the exterior of the car, some billet accents from Empire Motorsports were installed to really set things off.

Now for those of you here in the Valley, you know what our roads are like, you know very well that sometimes slamming your car just isn’t that practical- and this is where BadBoyz Customs came in. Getting this truck to hug the earth was much more involved than just throwing on a set of airbags. A set of drop spindles, nitro shocks, and custom work such as relocating the upper control arm just to be able to eliminate any negative camber was done up front. The gas tank along with the transmission casing had to be raised to protect it and everything else while laying frame. Now for the rear- notching the frame rails in combination with a four link system and panhard bar was all done to get the truck laid out.

With meticulous planning, Hugo Vela was able to get this truck to come together the way he had planned. And as you have heard after working for something- in the end it always pays off. You can go to any magazine store and see this truck on the cover of one of the most renowned truck magazines today (Truckin’ Magazine)- and that in its own is a feat that only a few of us can say we’ve done.

Hugo Vela’s 2007 GMC Sierra

Performance :
Tuned by File in Edinburg
Magnaflow Exhaust
Flex-a-Lite Electric Fans

Cosmetics :
PPG Viper Red Paint job by TC Autoworks
Custom designed bed liner
Rear suicide doors
Billet grilles
2008 Sierra HD Hood
Shaved Hatch
Shaved Door Handles
Shaved Tail Lights
Shaved Tailgate Handle
Shaved Gas Filler Door
Shaved Bumper/Roll Pan

Interior :
All red interior by Classic Trim
Bucket Seats wrapped in Orange Leather
Tahoe Center Console
Red Wool Carpeting
Suede headliner
Painted Fiber glass dash
Billet Steering wheel
Billet Pedals
Billet AC controls and other accessories
Billet Shift Arm

Rollers :
Raceline Wheels 22/8.5 & 24/10 with a 6 inch lip

Stiff Stuff :
Air ride set up by BadBoyz customs
Dominator bags
DJM Drop Spindles
Four-Link System & Panhard Bar
Notched Frame Rails
Nitro Shocks

Sounds :
Pioneer Head Unit
Memphis Audio Amps
2 12-inch Memphis Subs
Memphis Door Components

Special Thanks :
“Thanks to Mike Galvan from BadBoyz customs, TC AutoWorks for that great paint job, and David owner of Classic Trim “

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Photos courtesy of : (Ricardo Reyes)
Story by: (Bobby Villarreal)