A STYLISH AND POTENT DURAMAX

BACK IN THE DAY, DURING THE ’50S AND ’60S, YOU COULD ORDER A NEW CAR WITH A FACTORY TWO-TONE PAINT JOB. THEY WERE COMMONLY SEEN ON TRI-5 CHEVYS AND CORVETTES WITH SOME EARLY T-BIRDS ALSO SPORTING TWO COLORS. THE TWO-TONE THEME CARRIED OVER TO THE TRUCK SIDE AND THE CHEVY CAMEO IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. BUT TODAY, IF YOU WANT A TWO-TONE PAINT JOB, YOU HAVE TO GET IT DONE YOURSELF.

Such is the story behind Ron Keister’s 2010 Chevy. Wanting something more eye-catching than the standard factory all-silver paint job, Ron, who hails from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, went to the folks at Hummel’s Auto Body in Penns Creek, Pennsylvania, where they came up with the unique two-tone paint scheme. No stranger to modified vehicles, having owned both a custom F-150 and Roush Mustang, Ron wanted both looks and performance from his new 2500 and when all was said and done, that’s exactly what he ended up with, a daily driver D-Max that he could drag race or sled pull with.

If you’re going to race and sled pull, what’s under the hood makes more of a difference than appearance, so the stock D-Max was fitted with a handful of tried and trued go-fast goodies. An aFe intake feeds the stock turbo, which was retrofitted with a Batmowheel compressor wheel. The unit will now make 35 pounds of boost that’s pumped through a Banks intercooler and back to the engine via upsized aFe intercooler tubes.

Electronic power was provided by ATP Trucks who added the EFILive programming. On the exhaust side, ProFab Performance exhaust manifolds flow into upsized up-pipes while exhaust from the turbo flows out a MBRP 5-inch system that culminates in a 7-inch single stack.

To handle the rigors of racing and sled pulling, the original Allison six-speed was fitted with a Precision torque converter and TransGo Jr. shift kit. For added strength, the original aluminum driveshaft was replaced with a heavy duty steel unit. Power is transmitted to the ground via 3.73 gears and 33-inch Toyo Open Country MT tires mounted on 20×9-inch BMF Novakane wheels.

Before the big Chevy hit the paint booth, prep and customizing were in order first. The stock grille was removed and replaced with a custom mesh unit for more airflow. Both the door handles and towing mirrors were smoothed and painted, while a rear roll pan was added out back to accommodate the new sled pulling hitch and bumper setup.

Once the truck was prepped, including smoothing all chrome and plastic both inside and out, Hummel’s Auto Body applied the PPG silver and Stormy Blue combination, separated by airbrushed flames and shading. Finished exterior touches included the installation of an Extang Trifecta tonneau cover, smoked headlights and taillights, and LEDs.

On the inside, the truck is just as custom with lots of painted surfaces, a carbon fiber dash insert with custom gauge display, along with a full set of Auto Meter gauges mounted in the painted A-pillar. Up above, a custom suede headliner, complete with flames and a skull design, gives the truck a true custom flavor.

Ron says he bought the truck new then went to work on the mods, admitting the truck is never really done. He says the Chevy is his daily driver and has a gooseneck hitch mounted in the bed. On the weekends, the truck is all play—drag racing and sled pulling. So far, the 2500 has run a best pass of 12.71 seconds at 105 mpg and still gets 18 mpg. Not bad for a two-tone. UDBG

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