2014 GMC Sierra with 2016 Cadillac Escalade Front Clip!

The Second Time is Always Better

Keep it or sell it? It’s the big question once you’ve built a truck, and it’s not an easy one to answer. On occasion though, life just makes the decision for you. Sometimes it’s in the form of a large sum of cash, and other times, it’s when you’re sitting at a stop sign and some jerk t-bones your beautiful show vehicle at 50 mph, setting off all the airbags and destroying your truck in the process. Unfortunately for Jacob Chatagnier of Thibodaux, Louisiana, it was the latter.

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The truck was his 2014 GMC Sierra, and it was built with the intent of making a killer ride for SEMA — and that’s exactly what he did. The truck was white with red graphics and looked pretty sweet laid out at the show. And he had plans, too. After driving the truck for a bit, he had visions of putting a new front clip on it and making a few other tweaks, but the timeline was a bit vague. Once it was wrecked in 2015, he wasn’t left with a whole ton of options. And with that in mind, he decided to rebuild the truck and take it a step further. And boy did he ever.

The front clip is the first large standout on the truck. It’s from a 2016 Cadillac Escalade, but it’s been tweaked with some custom-painted accents in the grille. Now astute readers will know that the bodylines on that Escalade clip aren’t the same as on a GMC, and Jacob knew the same thing. So instead of leaving it, he massaged the bed and cab so that it matched with the new front. And the results look like the truck came out of Cadillac’s factory as-is.

THOSE 26-INCH INTRO ROTIV WHEELS SURE ARE SHARP, BUT PAY CLOSE ATTENTION: THEY’RE 5-LUGS ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE AND 6-LUGS ON THE PASSENGER.

The truck needed a full respray after the accident, so Jacob did all the mods he wanted to do before anything else. Once everything was straight as an arrow, he figured a color change was in order. It’s called “Burnt Brick,” which is a pretty accurate descriptor, and it’s accented by custom pinstriping and leafing down the sides. The graphics are subtle and not overdone, which complements the classy front clip nicely.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO DRIVE IT, DO SO IN STYLE. AND JACOB DOES THAT WITH LOTS OF LEATHER AND PAINTED ACCESSORIES THAT MATCH THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRUCK.

THERE’S NOT A TON OF ROOM BACK THERE, BUT IT’S STILL GOT A BED, AND IT DOES OCCASIONALLY GET USED.

Let’s take a moment to discuss the wheels, which, unless you’re paying attention, are a step beyond the norm. When he was approached by Rotiv Wheels about getting some 26s for his truck, they had an interesting proposition: Run both 5- and 6-lug wheels. After all, you can get the same basic pattern on both sides, it’s just an extra spoke. To do that, he had the rear axle shaft redrilled to a 5-lug pattern, and the same with the front hub. So now the driver’s side of the truck is a 5-lug, while the passenger is a 6-lug. Betcha never seen that before.

“He’s put 20,000 miles on it since the bodydrop, and he had no intention of stopping. Will he build it a third time? Maybe. But this time, let’s hope that a crappy driver has nothing to do with it.”

What’s next for the truck? Little stuff, mostly. Jacob plans on cleaning up the engine bay and enjoying it mostly. He’s put 20,000 miles on it since the bodydrop, and he had no intention of stopping. Will he build it a third time? Maybe. But this time, let’s hope that a crappy driver has nothing to do with it.