A VEGAS SHOW TRUCK BUILT TO ROCK IN JUST 13 DAYS!

Deadline is not often a word anyone wants to hear, but sometimes, being pressed to the limits with an insurmountable timetable can force you to turn out some of your best work. Anthony Apalategui from Las Vegas, Nevada, found himself saddled with an insane deadline while helping his long time friend, Misha Munoz, out with some fabrication at Munoz’ shop, Divine 1 Customs based outside of Vegas in Henderson, Nevada. In the middle of churning out another custom vehicle for the 2008 SEMA show, Munoz suggested some custom work on Apalategui’s brand new (at the time) 2008 Ford F-250. To further coax his friend into the build, Munoz told Apalategui that Kicker was in need of a show vehicle for the Kicker Big Air Bash at the Palms and the F-250 Power Stroke would make quite the statement. There was only one simple caveat; the Big Air Bash was in 13 days. There was no time to think, only time to order parts, start fabricating and get to work. With the truck slated to be on display at the high-performance car audio manufacturer’s soiree, the sound system would have to be top notch and prominent, but the rest of the build couldn’t be a slouch either.

The plan was to lift the slick black truck, so Apalategui’s work began at home as he started fabricating the custom rear traction bars to be endowed with Kicker’s famous “Livin’ Loud” tagline laser-cut into the flat plate and integrated into the tubular bars. His girlfriend Jamie showed her support of the build by tolerating the loud noises and late nights. Apalategui then con-scripted the help of another Vegas local and good friend, Zach Airth of Airth Defined, to help him with the lift. Pro Comp’s 6- inch lift would provide an aggressive stance to showcase the custom truck at the upcoming show. But this truck was not intended as a one-and-done vehicle.

To make the F-250 a workable, stout machine, Apalategui and Airth outfitted it with Fox Racing Shox 2.0 remote reservoir shocks in the rear and dual Fox 2.0’s on each side up front coupled with Pro Comp upgrades to the coil springs, control arms, sway bars, and spindles. But no monster-sized show truck is complete without big wheels and tires; a need that was filled by the chrome 20-inch KMC XD-Series Hoss wheels wrapped in Toyo M/T 37X13.50R20LT Open Country tires. Additional dress-up was handled with the installation of a set of billet grille inserts in the factory chrome grille shell.

Apalategui’s 6.4 liter Power Stroke would need a bit of a boost to roll around the behemoth 37-inch tires in style, so he planned a few simple upgrades. The aFe stage 2 intake upped some performance while adding style points to the engine bay. Apalategui freed up some airflow in the exhaust and then added a sleek Banks Power polished stainless steel tip to the end of his customized system. With the addition of an Edge controller originally outfitted then an H&S Diesel Mini-Max tuner, the Power Stroke was turned up to an estimated 650 horsepower and 1,100 pound feet of torque.

With the mechanics taken care of, it was time to head back to Divine 1 Customs where Munoz would begin adding some subtle flairs to the custom machine. Removing the rear lights, Munoz smoked the lenses for a sleeker look. An additional LED brake light was also installed below the tailgate just above the bumper. Even the undercarriage of the tall rig was addressed with the custom “Livin’ Loud” traction bars painted black to complement the polished, buffed factory-black paintjob.

Multitasking becomes a must when under-the-gun of a fast approaching deadline, so while the exterior was being addressed, Apalategui focused in on building a sub enclosure to fit neatly behind the rear seats plus figuring out how to custom fit several speakers into the door panels. To control and interface with the planned high-end Kicker speakers, a double-din Kenwood touch screen head unit was installed. To really get the mids and highs blasting, Apalategui fitted three total 6 1/2-inch Kicker component speaker systems into the crew cab; one into each rear door as well as custom fitting a set of two into each front door panel. To further boost the lower frequency midrange through any music choices, a fifth speaker made its way into both front door panels; an 8-inch Kicker mid-bass. Adding some additional flare to the slick front door assembly is a custom door insert emblazed with a swirled Kicker logo to well represent the speakers and amps throughout the F-250.

But great mid and high frequency response isn’t all you need if you want a stellar sound system to blast whatever music you play. And Apalategui knew that, choosing to incorporate two 10-inch Kicker subs into his custom enclosure fixed behind the rear seat to get the necessary room filling bass notes punching out of the cab. With all those speakers needing a lot of power, three Kicker amps were installed to deliver, one 1500.1 amp behind the seat to power the heavy draw of the two subs plus two 650.4 amps for the rest of the speakers in the system.

At T-minus 30 hours until the Kicker Big Air Bash at the Palms, the only things completed were the lift and smoked taillights. So Munoz joined Apalategui in the cab of the F-250 to tackle the monstrous task of wiring up the vast system. They even managed to install a backup camera with a license plate mount on the ‘08 Ford to help guide the large rig into any tight spots. In a blur of one long night of hard work and energy drinks, the rig came together and showed up on time at the Bash making a great impression on all the attendees.

In just under two weeks, Apalategui and his close friends were able to take a month-old truck and transform it into a show-stop- ping monster. Although the sound system is the pride and joy of the build, the rest of the well-crafted truck draws the eye of any on-lookers. With Kicker’s components expertly arranged within the cab of the F-250, the sound hits you in the chest from what seems like a mile away. Getting enough power to it from the amps through the high-end Kicker wiring into outstanding speakers enables not simply loud sound, but top-notch quality sound through deep bass, electric mids, and beaming highs that any true show truck should have. A job well done under a ticking clock. UDBG

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