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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Our SEMA 2025 Hot List
SEMA always delivers sensory overload — the unveilings, the crowds, the horsepower echoing off every hall. But this year, the real thrill came from the unexpected. Tucked between the headline builds and mega displays were the parts that made us slow down, lean in, and say, “Okay… now that’s something special.”
CHILL OUT
Be Cool is no newcomer to cooling heavy metal. For years it has provided cooling solutions for some of the most impressive high-performance engines to rumble down the streets and dragstrips of America. The folks at Be Cool understand that having the proper cooling components in any car or truck is vital to keep an engine safely within its operating temperature range. They also understand that to make cooling and installation easier, they had to design a full bolt-in system, a system that would fit hundreds of applications for classic cars and trucks, as well as more modern vehicles that also need cooling help.
HOW TO PAINT SCALLOPS
We all know itʼs what lies beneath the paint that really matters—a good chassis, great metalwork, and great design. Yet, having said that, the paint job still remains the single most important element of any rod or custom. After all, even if the groundwork has been laid, your bodywork is straight and great, your design is fine and your mechanicals are flawless, a poor paint job can spoil it all.
Spotlighter
Cool Breeze
This Chevy’s Owner Specializes in Cool
When Tony Gonzalez says that it is his business to be cool, he really means it. Gonzalez owns an air conditioning repair and installation company, but what gets him hot in his spare time (read, winter) is to build and ride in his 1995 Chevy Silverado.
Author
Matt Emery
Story & Photography
Bringing the Silverado to Life with Custom Modifications
Though the Chevy may be getting on in years, Gonzalez has been hard at work, with the help of a few good shops, turning it into one of the finest modern trucks around. When Gonzalez first bought the Chevy, it was in fair shape, and the purchase price was only $7,000, which seemed fair as well. At first, he bought it for a work truck. But then he did a little gazing at the Silverado and decided that he wanted a full custom, so he went out and bought another work truck.
Laying It Low: Suspension and Wheel Upgrades
The first thing Gonzalez did was to take the Chevy to the guys at Chino’z Auto Body in Winnetka, California. Though the chassis is basically stock, he knew that he wanted the Chevy to lay flat, so the crew at Chino’z installed a set of Firestone airbags at the corners. That took care of any height problem the truck may have had, but since no drop spindles or other pieces were used, it didn’t really work with any “normal” wheels—15s were out of the question, and even 18s didn’t do the trick. No, the only size that Gonzalez would consider for his wheels were dubs, and he eventually settled on 22s.
The Perfect Finish: Wheels, Brakes, and Tires
But those 22s had to reflect the look that Gonzalez wanted, so he chose modern-themed five-spokes by Image. Wrapping those wheels was a chore since the Images filled the wells, so rubber-band-thick 30-series Toyo rubber (295/30R22) was used. Getting the rolling hardware slowed takes a little more than the stock brakes can handle, so a set of Power Slot rotors was added, and clamping onto them are very cool carbon fiber disc pads.
Power and Performance: Engine Modifications
Another thing that takes a little extra to get things rolling is an engine. As with the brakes, the engine has gotten a little help. In place of the stock unit, an Edelbrock TBI has been installed to give the engine a fair chance at breaking a sweat. Getting the spent fuel out is no sweat, however, as a set of Flowmaster mufflers plays a much better tune than the stock cans.
Custom Interior: Seats, Center Console, and High-Tech Features
The interior has seen its own share of upgrades. The first things that you see when entering the Chevy are the seats. The stock units have been stripped of their upholstery and covered with black leather that features a yellow flame motif. The work is nice, and it was done by the crew at Oscar’s in Winnetka. Oscar’s also built and covered the custom center console, which holds not one but two monitors. Flames seem to be everywhere, even on the upper dash, and they’re also featured on the Nu Image instrument overlay. The Fiber Optic steering wheel features flames cut into the billet aluminum.
A Premium Audio Experience: Custom Sound System
The multi-dimensional media system that the Chevy is adorned with begins with a Kenwood head unit that features, of course, AM/FM and CD capabilities, but with the touch of a button, the faceplate swings out to reveal a digital readout for the internal equalizer. From there, the system is run to multiple JBL amps: five of them, as a matter of fact. Of course, a lot of power is needed, as there are four 12-inch JL Audio subwoofers as well as various mids and tweeters packing the cab. As stated, a pair of monitors keeps the occupants occupied (although to see the rear one, you actually have to be sitting on the woofers). It takes a lot of experience to install a system like this, so that is why Gonzalez worked with the pros at Galaxy Auto Sound of Winnetka.
A Bold Exterior Makeover: Body Modifications and Custom Paint
Last, but certainly not least, is what Gonzalez did to the body of the Chevy. To make sure that those gigantic wheels fit inside the openings, the crew at Chino’z opened them up 3 inches. They also added a Sir Michael’s roll pan (equipped with cool flame taillights cut into it) and shaved the handles from the doors. You may have noticed that the doors don’t look as they did when the truck was stock. Well, they would look stock on a Lamborghini, we suppose, but not on a pickup truck from Detroit. But there is no denying the fact that they look pretty cool on the Chevy. Though the doors are cool, the flames that adorn the truck are hot. Again, the crew at Chino’z applied the killer PPG-based flames.
Show-Ready and Award-Winning
When Gonzalez rolls with his fellow Toys R Us club members, he is sure to turn heads with his cool ride. The judges must agree, as Gonzalez has taken a first place at the 2004 Showboat Show and a close second place at the 2005 Forbidden Fantasy. In the four years that it took him to build the Chevy, Gonzalez did the job slowly and customized the truck to reflect the look that he wanted to obtain. This is certainly a case of slow and steady wins the show.
