Project Stockish: A Perfect Blend of OEM+ and Custom Details

Details Matter

If you’re thinking, “I’ve seen this truck somewhere before”, you would be right. This truck has been part of several install articles throughout the past year in multiple issues of Street Trucks magazine, and is now complete and showcasing some of the parts used for the build. If my name sounds familiar, it might be due to the fact that I’ve not only been a freelance photographer for this magazine for over 23 years but was also the Street Trucks editor for 2023 and some of 2024.

This 2023 GMC Sierra 1500, better known as Project Stockish (#projectSTOCKISH), is one of my current personal vehicles and was my 2023 SEMA build. I’ve been involved in every aspect of this project. The name is perfect for this build because in the custom truck world, the truck is still “stockish” to me, yet highly detailed. I knew how I wanted this truck to look before I even ordered it from the dealership. In early 2023, I headed down to the local GMC dealer and asked for all the options I needed to make my vision come to life. While it was being assembled at the GM plant, I was gathering parts and setting out a game plan so once it arrived, I could dive in immediately. With multiple SEMA builds under my belt as well as a few other magazine feature vehicles over the past 30 years, getting things lined up to avoid any lost time is something I strive for. I hear too many horror stories of the dreaded “SEMA crunch”, and have even cut a couple builds close. I knew I didn’t want to do that with this truck.

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I’ve built a couple big lifted trucks, a few bagged import cars, a couple German performance cars, and even a bagged truck called cRAMbury that was the cover model for the August 2020 issue of Street Trucks, so I knew early that this build had to be a clean, static dropped sport truck. To achieve this, I called Belltech Suspension to order a 4/6-inch drop kit. Next, I secured a set of 26×10 Dropstars brushed billet wheels wrapped in 305/30-26 Lionhart tires and took everything to Wheel City Tire & Alignment to get everything installed. This setup put the truck exactly where I wanted it to sit.

I also added a Switch Suspension bolt-in helper bag kit as well as an Air Lift wireless air controller to keep the squat away when towing. While the suspension was being installed, I also added some R1 Concepts drilled and slotted rotors to help with stopping power. Since I was under the truck already, I had J.R. Parker at Parker Speed fabricate custom brackets for the Viair onboard air system and Hornblasters Shocker XL train horns. No build is ever complete without train horns to scare friends.

This truck is a 4WD model and still maintains all its 4WD capabilities even after being lowered. Do I take it off-road? No! But you never know when a wet field at a car show or a winter storm would require using 4WD. This way, this truck still functions as a stock pickup even though it’s not.

Once the truck had the stance I was after, it was time to dial in the exterior. The first stop was the tint shop where Tracy Ford blacked out all the windows. The fishbowl look is not for me. The front end was blown apart so the grille and emblem could be color matched. I also sent the headlights and taillights to Jeremy at RetroShop so he could color match them and add new Klearz lenses to the headlights. The third brake light was also color matched, which is one of those details most people don’t even notice, but it’s details like that I seem to focus on every build I do.

I used Diode Dynamics LED bulbs to replace most factory lights, and included a hitch light for good measure. For the bed, I added a BedRug bed mat to make the bed more like a trunk, which helps for packing all my camera gear when traveling to shows and photo shoots. I also added a swing case and an Ultra Flex tri-fold bed cover, both from Undercover Bed Covers. Ikonic Badges made custom “Stockish” fender badges to round out the OEM+ look I was going for.

When I bought this truck, I knew I wanted the 3.0L Duramax, mostly due to its 25-33 mpg rating. Even with the 3.0 being a baby Duramax, I still get plenty of that diesel sound out of it. I knew the engine needed a few upgrades, so I added a new intake and a full DPF back exhaust from AFE Power to help it breathe better. I also had Tameless Performance handle the PPE red intercooler and carbon fiber intake tube install.

Last but not least was the interior. Every one of my builds is known for killer interiors, and this build couldn’t be any different. Knowing I had to have an interior color that would stand out from the factory Sterling Metallic paint, I opted for red. I love when you look at one of my builds and have to question which interior parts are factory and which are custom. To me, that gives off that OEM+ look without being too over the top.

To achieve this look, I took the truck down to Shawn Arnold and his crew at Ultimate Audio in Lexington, South Carolina. They have done most of my builds and I knew they would knock this one out of the park as well. We started with all-red Roadwire Leather seats but also added plenty of matching red to the dash, door panels and console. The factory wood grain was painted piano black by Trey Steele at The Paint Shack to tie it into the factory gauge bezel. Since the headliner was already taken out while the third brake light was off being painted, we decided to wrap it and the pillars in grey suede. We also added some matching suede inserts in the door panels.

Race Sport Lighting lights were included while assembling the interior to add a show quality look to it. MTI Acoustics built a pair of A-pillar speaker pods to hold a Memphis Audio 3.5-inch speaker and tweeter in each one, as well as a custom sub enclosure to fit under the rear seat that houses two Memphis 12-inch MB subs. There is a set of Memphis Audio VIV series 6.5-inch components in each door to make sure I had enough vocals to hang with the subs. Behind the rear seat, Ultimate Audio mounted two Memphis amps, a VIV1100.1 sub amp and a VIV600.1 vocal amp. With the interior now giving off that Mercedes AMG vibe, a custom carbon fiber Carismo Design steering wheel was a must to tie it all together.

This truck was finished in more than enough time for its SEMA 2023 debut in the Dropstars Wheels booth. I actually drove the truck 2,300 miles to Las Vegas for the show then back home once it was over, all while averaging 30 mpg with the cruise set to 85mph. Driving a custom truck across the country and back with all the creature comforts you could ever want is a blast. I made the same trip for the 2024 SEMA show in a new Tahoe I built for my wife, Kristin, to match this truck. Speaking of my wife, there is no way I could build back-to-back show vehicles like this if it wasn’t for her support. Thanks to her, Mitchell Metcalf, Bobby Long, Gary Bruce, Wes Frisbee, Russell Goforth, Bryson Hart, all the sponsors that continually support my builds and the shops that make it happen.

2023 GMC Sierra 1500

Owner

Brandon Burrell
Fletcher, NC
@burrellimages

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

Belltech 4-inch front drop with coilovers and spindles
Belltech 6-inch rear drop with bolt-in notch and flip kit
Belltech front and rear sway bars
Switch Suspension helper bags
Air Lift wireless air controller
R1 Concepts drilled and slotted rotors
Viair onboard air system with dual 485 compressors
Hornblasters Shocker XL train horns

WHEELS & TIRES

26×10 Dropstars 2-piece brushed billet wheels
305/30-26 Lionhart LH-TEN tires

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

3.0L Duramax diesel
AFE Power intake and DPF back exhaust
PPE carbon fiber intake tube and intercooler

Body & Paint

Sterling Metallic factory paint
Color matched fender trim, grille and emblem
Color matched headlights by RetroShop
Klearz clear headlight lenses
Smoked and trimmed taillights by RetroShop
Color matched third brake light
Diode Dynamics LED bulbs and hitch light
Ikonic Badges custom fender badges
Undercover Bed Covers Ultra Flex tonneau and swing case
BedRug bed mat
Bolt Lock hitch lock

Interior & Stereo

Red Roadwire Leather seats
Matching red door panels, dash panels and console
Race Sport Lighting LED trim lights
Carismo Design carbon fiber steering wheel
Painted panels by The Paint Shack
Suede headliner, pillars and door inserts
Husky Liner floor liners
Factory head unit
Wavtech DSP
Memphis Audio wiring and connectors
Memphis Audio MOJO Mat
Memphis Audio VIV600.1 vocal amp and VIV1100.1 sub amp
MTI A-pillar pods with Memphis Audio VIV vocals
Memphis Audio VIV 6.5-inch components in all doors, two 12-inch MB1222 subs
MTI under-seat box
All interior and audio work by Ultimate Audio in Lexington, SC

Photos by Brandon Burrell / Burrell Images