oh, and keep on keeping on robbie! this build is my favorite of yours, im more minitrucker than most on here, but its totally impressive how youve made it all work and seem like it came right from the oem that way.

Thank you! We try our best!

We've been working at finishing the front inner fenders. We wanted to build a panel around the battery to seal it all up from dirt and debris from getting back in there while driving.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0042.jpg

We built a bevel around the battery to frame it out and also go with same angle bevel that we used under the hood in multiple places and also GM used under the windows of the outside body.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0043.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0047.jpg

Then, we double lipped the edge of the piece, built a tab piece to hold it on and framed out the battery hold down pieces we machined. One side down, one to go, but we have a couple added touches for the second side!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0049.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0054.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0056.jpg

Robbie,not to sound like an ass, but have you made sure all that custom work around the battery will clear wheels/tires? These trucks are known to scrub pretty bad in front wheelwells especially with extreme drop.

Keep putting out great work:thumbsup:

Yep! Both front and back clear through all range of travel. Clears with about an inch or so of clearance. Thanks for looking out! We actually had to re-mount the batteries upright to give more clearance as the initial mounts the tire did hit.

Beautiful metal work!

I want a Tiki now! :thumbsup: Simply awesome metal work all the way around :hail:

I shipped one to Florida on Monday actually, so there will be one near you... Thank you!

how much you want for one? It'd be great near my koi pond! :D

We've got the drivers side battery trim panel all finished up. On this one we included some high amp battery service ports and a charging port for a CTek charger to plug into. On this car, you can't do anything without battery power, including opening the doors or hood or anything to get access to the battery (when the air is out of the suspension), so this spot can be accessed when the truck is on the ground should you ever need to! Better to be safe then sorry... We also recessed the piece in to protect it since it is inside the wheel well.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../DSC_02592.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../DSC_02502.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../DSC_02522.jpg

Awesome build and fab work. Its so well thought out which makes it even more impressive. Very Nice!

Looks great Robbie. I like that charge port for the ctek. Are those chargers for AGM's? I was mounting my charger in the trunk but I like that better.

Yea, I believe all C-Tek chargers have a setting for it now, but maybe only a couple of the models. They have this panel mount now which is new and has a weathertight plug with a rubber cover and you just plug the charger into that and plug the other end of the charger into the wall. The panel mount piece has a red, yellow and green light to let you know its charged (the charger has lights as well). We have a C-Tek on pretty much every car we have that isn't driven on a weekly basis.

Very nice Robbie. Amazing craftsmanship.
Keep us posted!:cheers:

I really dig your work Robbie! Looking forward to more of your custom work :thumbsup:

Thanks guys!

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...

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0227.jpg

Here's the outcome:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0247.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0342.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0345.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0348.jpg

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.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...DSC_0351-1.jpg

That turned out incredible. Like how you followed the body line around. I would love to have a pullmax.

Amazing. Great job Robbie.:thumbsup:
Is this a customer's vehicle or your own ride?

man you guys are true artist and not just car builders!!!

Are you finishing your metal off with like 220 or 320 grit sandpaper? Or finer yet?

Usually just 120, sometimes I'll lightly go over it with 220 on a da. It'll probably go back to 80 when it gets to the bodyshop anyhow just to get some mechanical adhesion. The aluminum stuff we take all the way to 600, but that's all going to stay raw.

Thanks!

Amazing work.

:thumbsup: Great looking finish piece.

Awesome work guys!
I think my favorite part is the fake cap/hidden tools area.

It's off to the paint shop today to get stripped down, skimmed and blocked, and re-shot in black with the small accent stripe!

A couple small last minute touches. We finished up the rear door panels and built a piece of grained plastic that fits perfect and screws in from the back. All we have to do is die it to match the color of the door panels.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0222.jpg

We also re-made the gas filler piece inside. We debated moving the filler somewhere else, but since it's an SUV I didn't want to put it inside and that didn't leave many other options. The gas door fits awesome and there's no dimple to put your finger so it fits nice and flush so I just re-made the inside piece to accept a different angle to keep a downhill flow the whole way through the tube.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...DSC_0325-2.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...DSC_0332-1.jpg

Got it on the ground with the stock wheels. All the effort in the rocker kind of disappears, but oh well, I know it's down there!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0324.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0323.jpg

That's it for a while until its all back and black again...

Robbie, I think the rockers came out beautiful and finish that area nicely. :thumbsup: I'll be doing something like that on my TBSS but in plastic,keeping the original lines just bringing it down few inches to cover up the frame.

Thanks! I was dreading building those things and they did prove to be the hardest part to build on the entire project. In the end though, they were worth it! In person the car has a trailblazer look to me now for some reason.

great work...:thumbsup: :hail:

Now that you mentioned it,it does look like trailblazer,just fatter.

BTW, if you haven't thought about it yet, if you want the paint to last on the rockers,I'd advise getting them wrapped in clear protective film or they will get sandblasted in no time.

That looks killer Robbie.
I think the rockers look great. You do great work. Keep us posted.

i like

Thanks guys!

And here she was before she left yesterday...

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0334.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0341.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/DSC_0344.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...DSC_0346-1.jpg

Looking good:thumbsup: But the rack needs to go and rear bumper shortened IMO to compliment the rockers.

To give you an idea ,here are few pics of the rear I modified on Fernando's (killer67) Escalade.Don't mind how dirty or high it is, we dropped it 3" front & 4" rear ,just don't have pics.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...l292011275.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...l292011271.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...l292011269.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...l292011268.jpg

Wow! Amazing job Robbie!

Elite, are those tailights painted or covered?

It'll be good to leave it the way it is now. The roof rack has to stay because the ribs I think will look pretty ugly without it and it has a wierd big dip behind the sunroof which really stands out with it off. You're eye level to the roof so all that stands out.

As far as the bumper, you did and awesome job on it. We're going to leave it alone for now, it always gives the customer something to change up a year from now. Tuck the bumper, throw on a different set of wheels and have a whole different look for the following year. It was tough to find a spot to, but the line had to be drawn somewhere so that we can get it done and the customer can start enjoying it!

Thanks Robbie, I see what you're saying on the roof, it's not flat like the previous gen. I guess you can always cut it out and fab up a flat skin:D
I agree about drawing the line somewhere,it's always hard. I guess you'll have something to do in a year or two:)

They are painted body color on the side and tinted clear (smoked) on the rear face. Stefan did them with laser precision :thumbsup: Could not be happier

won't leave it alone will you.....:faint: