Team Billet’s Lifted 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500

Stepping Outside the Lifted Ford Box

 It has been estimated by competent geologists that two-thirds of the state of Texas can potentially produce oil. With oil being the leading resource in Texas and the job market being as great as it is, Aaron Castaneda and his family moved to the Texas Panhandle from Garland, Texas, when he was 15 years old. His father was a driller for an oil company, and at 16, Aaron started pipelining, which is the process of laying pipelines, a job that he holds to this day. 

Aaron paid his dues and learned all his knowledge from the bottom up, starting with jobs as a labor hand, welder helper, operator, bending engineer, safety director, and now a superintendent. He has worked hard and excelled in everything that has been put in front of him.

“I know how hard it is to be someone who makes an impact,” Aaron tells Street Trucks. “No matter who you are or what you do, always take pride in yourself.”

The truck culture has always been in his blood as most vehicles on the oilfield were lifted heavy-duty trucks due to their functionality.

I didn’t want to blend in with all the others and be lost in the shuffle. It was time to step outside the box. 

Although many trucks may seem similar, Aaron is now on his fifth build and wanted to make it something that stands out. His 2017 Ford F-250 was about to go under the knife when he realized how many Fords were currently being built and designed.

“I didn’t want to blend in with all the others and be lost in the shuffle,” Aaron says. “It was time to step outside the box.”

TEAM BOW TIE

He had been following a build that a local dealership, Peter’s Elite Autosports, was putting together. Aaron made an offer and was able to purchase the 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 brand new and put the Ford truck to the side.

His good friend Eden Gonzalez assisted with the build by suggesting a Cognito Motorsports lift that would raise the new Chevy between 10-12 inches from stock. From there, Aaron wanted to add a custom flare to the Silverado, so he added a wide-body fender kit along with a custom hood from RKSport. Since his wheels were going to be 16 inches wide, he wanted to blend the width to the wider fenders. The new “Baja style” look immediately gave the Chevy a new feel that separated himself from the common trucks. The next step was adding Fusion bumpers to the front and back giving a more aggressive look to the Silverado 1500.

Once the truck was torn down, Leeroy Brown at Browns Customs in Midland, Texas, repainted the entire truck in Cajun Red, blending all the new parts to the stock paint. The suspension was removed and painted to match the exterior, and the frame was sent to Economy Plating for chrome while other pieces were sent for powdercoating. A HornBlasters kit was mounted underneath and chrome plated for added appeal. Twenty five Rigid rock lights were added all along the frame to light up the suspension. AMP Research XL steps were installed to help Aaron get in and out of the freshly lifted Chevy.

CUSTOM TO THE HILT

The next step was to take the Silverado to Branded Customs where the interior was set to be updated. Although the Chevy is an ’18 and the cabin was flawless, Aaron wanted to switch a few things up to make it his own. Branded Customs painted all the door panels, dashboard, and the center console. A full JL Audio stereo system, including a subwoofer box with LED lighting, was installed and mounted beneath the rear seats.

The new ‘Baja style’ look immediately gave the Chevy a new feel that separated himself from the common trucks. 

Under the hood, a larger alternator, S&B Filters cold air intake, and a beefy Borla exhaust was mounted for better performance. Aaron installed Royal Hooks with Infinite Security locking pins to the Fusion bumpers as well as a Lock’er Down Security Products safe in the center console for safekeeping. The BulletProof 10-inch custom hitch was installed for all his transporting needs, and the T-REX Truck Products mesh grille was last to be added for a more aggressive look to the Chevy.

Aaron collaborated with top-notch companies, like Da Drop Shop, Branded Customs, and Cognito, to build something he can truly be proud of. The Chevy Silverado that Aaron named “Iron Man” based on the durability and colors of his Silverado, made its long-awaited debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas to rave reviews. For his fifth truck build, we definitely think Aaron was able to hit all the marks, and he has built a true masterpiece. With the skillset he has, we can guarantee that his next build will even exceed this one.

TRUCK SPECS

 Owner 

Aaron Casaneda

• Dallas
• 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500
• Club Affiliation: Team Billet

Chassis

• Cognito 10- to 12-inch lift with coilovers
• Suspension powdercoated Kandy Red
• Chrome by Economy Plating of Dallas
• Fox Performance Series reservoir shocks
• Rear traction bars
• Atlas rear springs

Drivetrain

• Engine: 6.2L V-8
• Borla cat back exhaust S-type
• G2 differential covers
• S&B cold air intake

Body/Paint

• Fusion Bumpers
• Royal Hooks
• Lock pins by Infinite Rule Security
• Retrax Pro Bedcover
• Amp Research XL power steps
• HornBlasters train horns
• Rigid rock lights
• T-REX Upper Class mesh grille
• Wide-body kit and air dam hood from RK Sports
• Cajun Red paint
• Cstom painted headlight
• BulletProof 10-inch custom hitch

Interior

• Custom built and installed by Branded Customs of Dallas
• Custom painted Cajun Red to match
• Lock’er Down safe in console
• Four JL Audio TW7 10-inch subwoofers in custom subwoofer box
• JL Audio XP1000.1 amplifier
• Focal Audio components
• JL Audio XD400 amplifier
• Mosconi 4-6 DSP processor

Wheels & Tires 

• 28×16 Specialty Forged SF037 wheels
• 40×15.50R28 Fury off-road tires

Special Thanks

I want to thank all my sponsors, Da Drop Shop, Branded Customs, Economy Plating, Specialty Forged Wheels, Fusion Bumpers, RK Sport, Peter’s Elite Autosports, Fury Tires, Lock’er Down Safes, Cognito Motorsports, Royal Hooks, Focal Audio, Ride Controller, Borla Exhaust, HornBlasters, Infinite Security, Pixelwerks, and Lozoya Graphics.