Looks good, goes quick, and...
Looks good, goes quick, and works hard. You don't ususally find all three together. Custom lighting and grille, a raised suspension, and lots of power under the hood make this '05 Chevy 3500 a triple threat. The 12,000-pound Warn winch in the Fab Fours bumper adds another level of capability to the truck.
You may remember that in our January issue we showed you pictures of Tony Lyons’ rugged ’05 Chevy 3500. All three judges were unanimous in their praise for the looks and capabilities of Tony’s longbed Crew Cab. Lots of tasteful modifications would make this four-wheel-drive dualie impressive at any custom truck show, but we got a chance to look beneath the surface—and that’s what really grabbed our attention!
Tony, his wife, Billie Jo, and their three sons, Jon, Max, and Lee, work in the family concrete business in the Florida Panhandle. Tony’s Chevy, along with the other trucks in the family—Max’s ’06 F-250 Super Duty 4x4 with an 8-inch lift and 40-inch tires, Jon’s ’04 Chevy 2500 Duramax 4x4 with an 8-inch lift and 38-inch tires, and Lee’s ’05 Chevy 2500 HD with a 6-inch lift and 35-inch tires—make up the hardworking family fleet. Each has been modified not just for looks but for increased performance, reliability, and fuel mileage.
To understand how Tony managed to create the best of both worlds in his truck, you need to know that he often works in remote, off-road locations where only a large, lifted truck can even reach the job site. He puts his Chevy in four-wheel drive almost every day and often pulls in sand with trailers weighing up to 10,000 pounds. On weekends, he unloads his tools, cleans the truck inside and out, and heads out with Billie Jo, his sweetheart of 27 years, to enjoy their 9,000-pound rocket ship that cruises like a Cadillac.
The aggressive tread on the...
The aggressive tread on the General Grabber tires and the numerous suspension add-ons allow the Chevy to operate effortlessly in marginal conditions.
The transformation from stocker to shocker began gradually. The first upgrades included a 4-inch stainless dual exhaust, K&N intake, and PMT programmer. It made a difference, and Tony’s reaction was predictable. “Wow! I got bit!” The quest for even more upgrades followed, adhering to a three-pronged approach that centered around power gains, higher mileage, and good looks—while always keeping the rigors of the job site in mind.
Tony contacted Chris Pike at Restylers in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and after hearing the goals for the truck, Chris went to work on the suspension, beginning with a 6-inch Superlift suspension kit, 3-inch body lift, Lazar Smith sled bars, skidplates, and a set of Fabtech Dirt Logic large-diameter 2.25 monotube shocks. No CV spacers were used in order to preserve stock geometry, strength, and durability.
Fab Fours bumpers upgraded both ends with the front bumper containing a 12,000-pound Warn winch, which is called into play when the going gets really tough. Since wheels are always a vital part of any performance package, the team chose 16-inch KMC Rockstar rims and LT315/75-R16 General Grabber rubber—a perfect blend of strong off-road traction and quiet highway cruising. Actually, General Grabber sent Tony a set of tires as his reward for winning Cover Quest.
The 6.6L Duramax LLY is a...
The 6.6L Duramax LLY is a continuing work in progress, benefiting from a dozen aftermarket additions. Upgrades in every area follow a basic three-point approach, emphasizing increased power, mileage, and reliability.
The evolution of the truck occurred in several stages, and in the interim, Tony saved his money and researched the next goals for improvement. Phase two of the buildup began with Snow Performance’s Stage II water-methanol injection system, which added a dramatic power increase—but the extra power began to tax the stock tranny. Sun Coast Transmissions in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, came to the rescue with its Stage 5 automatic, which is tough enough to handle any number of new engine upgrades. Of course, the 6.6L Duramax LLY got several mods, beginning with an AFE Bladerunner intake manifold, boost tube, and PPE intercooler, augmented with electric fans for increased heat dissipation. Doug Riley from Pacific Performance Engineering also recommended the PPE Dual Fueler and Hot+2 Tuner for the Duramax, which is now capable of smoking the 35-inch tires and covering the eighth-mile in the mid-9s.
Packing all the essentials,...
Packing all the essentials, the bed holds a forward-mounted Weather Guard toolbox, a mid-mounted auxiliary gas tank and pump, and a rear-mounted box containing the onboard Warn air compressor. It’s obvious this custom truck works for a living!
Although you can’t tell by...
Although you can’t tell by looking, this pristine undercarriage is usually hub-deep in sand and mud but cleans up beautifully on the weekends when it morphs into the family limousine.
The prize for winning Cover...
The prize for winning Cover Quest was a set of tires from General Tire. Talk about a worthy prize!
Like any avid enthusiast, Tony said if a little extra horsepower was good, a lot more must be wonderful, so he turned his attention to the stock turbo, which was now not quite strong enough to run the hot tunes. A high-performance Garrett 4094R turbo kit with a 3½-inch downpipe transformed the truck into a powerhouse, along with ported and polished heads, ARP head studs, an AirDog II 150-gph fuel filter system, and a 4-inch, free-flow dual exhaust. The high-tech package created an estimated 780 hp and 1,350 lb-ft of torque, with Tony eager to find out his times when the Emerald Coast Dragway opens for the season. In the meantime, he is enjoying the increased power and the 19 mpg he gets in the city and 22 mpg on the highway from his amazing, 9,000-pound truck. The truck’s 35-gallon fuel tank and the 75-gallon, bed-mounted auxiliary tank and pump allow Tony to refill his equipment throughout the week and give him a staggering 2,000-mile range for some memorable weekend excursions.
While serious performance gains would have been enough for most, Tony’s truck also benefits from creature comforts like the Kenwood GPS touchscreen stereo system for music in the cab along with the Jotto computer stand and Sony laptop used every day for business. A custom grille and Recon Halo headlights dress up the sanitary silver Chevy, along with Recon LED cab and taillights, which are augmented with side and rear-mounted amber LEDs.
Maybe the best part is that all the upgrades were performed by Tony and his three sons in their well-equipped workshop. “We have learned a lot about our trucks,” Tony told us. “And in addition to enjoying each other’s company, we love the time and money we save by doing the installs that make our trucks better, stronger, and faster.” Family values and cool trucks are always hot topics of conversation in the Lyons’ den, and discussions are already underway concerning rides for the two new grandchildren. Both are still less than a year old, but when it comes to rugged rides, this family says you can’t start planning too soon!
Billie Jo and Tony run the...
Billie Jo and Tony run the family business and work every bit as hard as the modified family fleet.
Six General Grabber tires...
Six General Grabber tires on 16-inch Rock Star rims combine style with traction, making this truck unstoppable during the week and fun on weekends. The 6-inch Superlift suspension kit and 3-inch body lift are essential when it’s time to reach a difficult job site.
A combination of business...
A combination of business and pleasure, the functional interior has room for the crew and carries the most useful business tool: a Sony laptop on a permanently mounted Jotto stand. The Kenwood GPS touchscreen not only provides entertainment and navigation but also an indispensible backup camera. Additional A-pillar gauges monitor the engine’s vital signs.