A Dodge Built for Quality Time

ONE OF THE DOWNFALLS OF HAVING A FAMILY AND OWNING A STANDARD CAB SHOW TRUCK IS THAT YOU’RE OFTEN LEAVING THAT FAMILY BEHIND ON SHOW DAYS. Joseph Carpentier knows all too well how restrictive having a standard cab truck can be when you want to bring the family along to a show. He previously built a wild Isuzu P’up show truck, but without room for the wife and kids, he didn’t get to share the joy with his family as much as he had hoped.

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THE RED BEDLINER SPRAYED INTO THE BED OF THE DODGE IS A SIMPLE ENOUGH MOD, BUT ONE THAT ADDS A TON OF DURABILITY WHILE REALLY MAKING THE CARGO AREA POP!

Thankfully, crew cab trucks have become a popular way to be able to have your cake and eat it, too, as they offer plenty of room for the kids without sacrificing any crucial cool points. Enter this wicked looking ’04 Dodge Ram 1500.

BONSPEED TSUNAMIS IN 22X8.5 AND 22X10-INCH SIZING LOOK AMAZING IN THE RAM’S FENDERWELLS, WHILE 285/35ZR22 TOYO TIRES TAKE UP WHATEVER SPACE IS LEFT.

Joseph had been looking for something roomy enough for everyone to roll around in, be it to the local cruise spot or a show anywhere along the coasts of Florida, for that matter. That meant something with more seats and hopefully more doors. The Dodge was perfect, and the fact that it had already had a head start with numerous mods done by a previous owner saved Joseph a bunch of time and money.

For instance, the truck was already ‘bagged and notched with 22-inch Bonspeed Tsunami billets, which was obviously a huge plus since Joseph could focus on other stuff that would make the truck his own. The Dodge had already been on the show scene for a bit, so some freshening up and further customization in other departments were high on Joseph’s priority list.

The interior was reworked with glossy red paint on the dash, door panels, and custom center console, which really made things pop a ton more than the factory finish. Custom leather upholstery from Peggs Auto Upholstery combined fresh black hides with red stitching and nickel-plated grommets, and a Billet Specialties BLVD 73 steering wheel was installed as the cherry on top of the already sweet interior. The result is rather wild, but still kid friendly enough to not have to worry about.

Things were left relatively stock under the hood, with the exception of the JBA Cat4Ward headers bolted on to the 5.7L Hemi engine. After all, when you’ve got a Hemi, you’re already winning, so the few extra ponies were all that was needed in Joseph’s book.

TONY SMYERS AT FORBIDDEN CUSTOMS OUTDID HIMSELF WITH THE BIOMECHANICAL AND TRIBAL GRAPHICS, WHICH WERE INITIALLY JOSEPH’S IDEA. TONY THEN TOOK THINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHILE EXCEEDING ALL OF JOSEPH’S EXPECTATIONS.

The exterior, however, was a different story. The old custom paint job was cool, but since Joseph works at a collision shop, he had the deep hookup with body and paint work through his network of buddies. A new paint scheme was cooked up, but Joseph needed someone to make the magic happen. Luckily, the handles and antenna were already shaved, so Tony Smyers at Forbidden Customs was able to just sand the old paint job down flat, then spray the deep black base before taping off the wild biomechanical graphics. House of Kolor Orion Silver was sprayed on as a base for the graphics, then HOK Candy Red was added, making for an unbelievably deep, layered look. Adding to the sleekness are a T-Rex billet grille and an SRT-10 front bumper, both of which perfectly complement the all-black front end.

Next up for Joseph’s truck is a wheel swap and a sliding ragtop, and of course hitting up a bunch of shows with the family. We can’t think of a better way to spend quality time with your loved ones, except maybe for building another truck. ST