Built for Family, Built for Life

SOME trucks are built strictly for the show scene, while others may be built to drive hard. But every now and then, one gets built straight from the heart. That’s exactly what Earl Brignac, out of Houston, Texas, set out to do when he started wrenching on his 1986 Chevy Silverado, now known in the scene as “Hermano.”

This build is more than just sheetmetal and horsepower; it’s a rolling tribute to Earl’s little brother Sean, who tragically passed away in a car accident. Sean was born in 1986, so picking this year and model for the project wasn’t a coincidence. “Every bolt I turned was for him,” Earl says.

Four years deep and over $150k later, Hermano sits as one of the cleanest and most meaningful rides you’ll see at any show. The body mods are subtle but tight. Earl sourced a new front grille from LMC Truck, stepping it back a couple of years with a 1984 Chevy C10 look. Both bumpers got tucked and shaved for a tighter fit, and fresh front and rear lighting from United Pacific brings it all together. When it came time to paint, Earl let his wife, Ami, make the call. She chose tan with candy orange from Robert Meza at Alamo Customs in Alvin, Texas—a solid choice of both paint and painter.

This build is more than just sheetmetal and horsepower; it’s a rolling tribute to Earl’s little brother Sean…

Under the hood sits a rebuilt 5.3L LS from a 2003 Chevy, fully blueprinted and balanced by Joker Rod Shop in San Antonio. It’s running a Stage 2 Comp Cam, Holley intake, Terminator X Max fuel system, and Summit Racing headers dumping through a full custom 2.5-inch exhaust. Acme Chassis Factory took care of the motor and trans mounts, locking the whole truck in tight. Backing it all up is a 4L60E trans with a B&M 2600 stall converter and a custom cooler to keep temps in check. A custom stainless fuel tank finished off the drivetrain mods.

Stopping power comes from Classic Performance Products front and rear disc brakes pushed by a Wilwood master cylinder and hydroboost. Underneath, the full custom Acme chassis is boxed and bagged at all four corners for that laid-out look and smooth ride.

Hermano’s wheel game is strong too—22×8 Billet Specialties BLVD 87s up front and monster 24x15s out back, wrapped in Venom Power Ragnarok GTS rubber.

Inside, Chris Pate at MTI Automotive Designs worked his magic with Relicate leather, a billet steering wheel, and a Pioneer 10-inch touchscreen head unit.

This truck’s already hit big events like SEMA 2024 and AutoRama, and when asked if he’d change anything, Earl just grinned. “Nah, it’s perfect. This build was for my brother. It’s exactly what I wanted it to be.”

TRUCK SPECS

 Engine & Drivetrain

• 2003 Chevy 5.3L LS V-8
• Fully rebuilt and blueprinted by Joker Rod Shop, San Antonio, TX
• Stock compression ratio
• Stage 2 Comp Cams camshaft
• Holley Performance intake manifold
• Holley Terminator X Max EFI system
• Summit Racing headers
• Custom 2.5-inch exhaust
• Acme Chassis Factory motor and transmission mounts
• Custom tune
• 2003 Chevy 4L60E automatic
• B&M 2600 stall torque converter
• Custom transmission cooler
• Custom stainless steel fuel tank

Chassis & Suspension

• Full custom boxed Acme Chassis
• Airbags on all four corners
• Front and rear Classic Performance Products disc brake conversions
• Wilwood master cylinder and hydroboost brake assist
• Wheels & Tires
• 22×8 and 24×15 Billet Specialties BLVD 87 wheels
• Venom Power Ragnarok GTS tires

Body & Paint

• LMC Truck 1984 Chevy C10 grille
• Shaved and tucked front and rear bumpers
• Front and rear lighting from United Pacific
• Tan and candy orange paint by Robert Meza, Alamo Customs, Alvin, TX

Interior

• Interior work by Chris Pate at MTI Automotive Designs, College Station, TX
• Relicate leather upholstery
• Billet Specialties steering wheel
• Pioneer 10-inch touchscreen head unit