Chrome Shop Mafia tricks out not one, but two 2010 Freightliners to go on the show circuit

The Chrome Shop Mafia, the customizing arm of Joplin, Missouri-based 4 State Trucks, is notorious for turning big rigs with millions of miles on their bodies, interiors and drivetrain into head-turning show-stoppers. Their big rig artistry is evident across the country and well documented in both print and video.

Freightliner, on the other hand, is well known for its forward thinking designs and innovations. The company was looking for a way to turn heads in the direction of the Cascadia and all-new Coronado at dealer events and trucking trade shows in 2010.

Customizing each truck was the natural choice as was commissioning CSM to handle the job.

“The concept behind the two builds was showcase to the public Freightliner has great products and is a driving force in the Owner Operator market,” says Melissa Clausen, director of product marketing, Freightliner Trucks.

But as every customizer knows, for a custom rig to really hits its mark there has to be a definitive goal for the customizer; a “theme,” as it were. That fact wasn’t lost on those at Freightliner.

“With the Cascadia we really wanted to drive home the message you can have an aerodynamic truck that not only maximizes your revenue, but that also looks good and carries the Owner Operator’s individuality and spirit,” says Clausen.

“At the same time we wanted to show owner operators of the more traditional long-nosed trucks how easy it is to customize the already good-looking classic Coronado,” Clausen explains. “We know there are a lot of Owner Operators out there who love their chrome and want to add the little extra touches that make their trucks stand out on the road.”

Goals in mind, Freightliner handed the  keys to the two trucks to  Bryan “Bossman” Martin and the Chrome Shop Mafia crew. The boyz at CSM were more than up for the challenge to take a fresh-off-the-assembly-line 2010 Freightliner Cascadia^® and all-new Coronado^® to the next level.

This CSM-customized Coronado is truning heads at shows this year.

Classic and Chrome: Coronado
“The entire crew had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Coronado for some time, and when it came – wow!” said Bossman Martin when the first truck arrived at their shop.

“This is our kind of truck – with its long hood, traditional front end, exposed tanks and boxes, and a pretty respectable wheelbase. This rig offers a lot of [customizing] potential!” And customize they did.

The Coronado – Freightliner’s top-of-the-line heavy-duty truck – already features an updated design and aerodynamic details such as a sleek fiberglass hood, sloped windshield and dual chrome-steel intakes positioned on either side of the hood. But it needed a lot more to make a statement. Paint, for one.

Custom paint jobs turn heads, and custom paint is one of the many areas the CSM excels at thanks to their hired gun, “Wild Wes” Adkins, whom they call upon when special customer’s trucks need special looks.

The CSM paint team, assisted by Adkins, spent several long days sanding down the Coronado’s factory paint and replacing it with a wicked four-color paint job beginning with House of Kolor PBC 48 Cinnamon Pearl base.

Over that they laid on a cool blend of flowing stripes using a combination of DuPont blends including ChromaBase GM263K Pewter, 2008 Nissan C20 (lighter green), and  ‘94 Honda W9508k (Irish green effect), and capping it all off with a ’slick’ DuPont clear coat.

Once the new Coronado had its custom colors, the boyz turned their attention to the Freightliner’s hard parts to further accentuate the new paint.

“This new Coronado is a pleasing sight for any owner-operator – and we simply enhanced its good looks,” says Joe “Lil’ Joe” Overfelt, the CSM shop foreman who worked on the two builds.

Custom touches from nose to tail.

Their enhancements include frame sleeves with “Coronado” laser-etched in them; one-off, stainless cab/sleeper extender panels with lights; a Tommy gun logo panel at lower back sleeper wall exterior; and a custom seven-inch exhaust (deigned by Overfelt) from Dynaflex.

The Mafia crew also built custom CSM exclusives for the Coronado  including such items as a stainless visor, wheel caps, frame covers, and fiberglass double-hump fenders.

Under normal circumstances the CSM crew strips a rig’s interior and adds their custom touches.

But that wasn’t necessary with the Coronado as it came right off the assembly line fitted out for maximum driver comfort and convenience, including an updated dash, noise abatement materials in the cab, built-in refrigerator in the sleeper.

Freightliner's new Cascadia wears CSM custom upgrades quite well.

“We couldn’t be any prouder of the finished product,” said Bossman. “The Coronado would be an excellent choice for any owner-operator. It has fantastic interior features and amenities, and a classic look that will always be in high style.”

“Hot Rod” Cascadia
“When we first heard about the Cascadia, we were scratching our heads thinking, how cool can an aerodynamic truck really look?” said Bossman.

“And then we realized – what’s not to like? The Cascadia has all of the appeal of owning a fuel- efficient, reliable truck combined with a smooth, custom appearance guaranteed to put a smile on any driver’s face.”

Once again the CSM crew began with the exterior. This time Wild Wes and the crew created an intricate multi-color sunburst paint effect using DuPont ChromaBase paints. The main ingredients: Orange (802K) and Gold (235l/67U) topped with a White-diamond clear using Cadillac Escalade tri-coat (800J) doctored with a bottle of Gold Pearl FX.

They accented the Cascadia’s aero-body with a custom deck plate complete with a back -lit airline box, added a cut-out Freightliner logo to the smooth back exterior wall of the sleeper, and made a one-off rear center section for tail lights.

Cascadia dash was painted to duplicate exterior color scheme.

Custom-cut-and-painted front wheels further enhance the truck’s tricked-out looks as do the custom rear fenders, axle covers and light panels.

Inside, the crew added custom-embroidered seats and floor mats displaying both Freightliner and “Tommy gun” CSM logos. They also painted the dash panels and added vinyl graphics throughout interior carrying “aerodynamics with attitude” logos.

Says Lil’ Joe of the finished custom Cascadia, “This truck has a modern new-age look that everyone is sure to love.” “And the Cascadia’s aerodynamic styling saves at the pump. How can it get any better.”

One way is actually finding yourself behind the wheel of one the two beauties, which is a distinct possibility as Freightliner says both of these custom rigs will be put up for sale later this year as the custom Cascadia and Coronado complete the show circuit. – CR

When the boys at Flaming River got their hands on this old Air Force Pete, it got a new…

LEASE ON LIFE

By Lanier Norville

“Hot rodding has no limits.” This, the motto of Flaming River hot-rod shop, is epitomized in its latest revival: the transformation of this 1987 Pete 379 Flattop into the smokin’ hot gangsta rig known as Blackbird.

Flaming River of Berea, Ohio, frequents hot-rod trade shows, showcasing its products and custom work, which is catered to early models of hot rod cars.

“We had a smaller truck, a GMC top kick,” to haul products from show to show, says Brett Domin, sales manager at Flaming River who oversaw Blackbird’s custom makeover. “The GMC really wasn’t meeting our needs. The Pete seemed to be a better fit.”

The hot-rod shop gave the old Pete a second chance at rollin’ in style by modeling it after the Lockheed SR-71 Mach-3 spy plane, which was used by the U.S. Air Force until 1998. The boys in the shop at Flaming River drew inspiration from the jet’s sleek, low profile minimalism – a look that translates well to big rigs — and named it Blackbird.

The redesigned Pete boasts custom machining, hot rod stainless pipes, a new interior and unique graphics that showcase the shop’s finest work.

On the outside, the frame, tranny, and final drive were soda blasted and painted to match the body. No, they didn’t shake up cans of soda and spray down the parts, though the process is not far off from that.

Soda blasting is a cleaning method that can remove dirt and rust without damaging metal or glass. The process involves shooting baking soda through a tube at high speed using compressed air. Know how baking soda shines up teeth? It works on trucks, too.

Once clean and rust-free, the frame, transmission and final drive received a matte black paint job at Priebie’s Collision Center to match the body.

The color, Jet Black, is a Dupont Finishes Hot Hue. The Flaming River team removed the fuel tanks; steps; trim molding; mirrors and brackets, cleaned them, and had Creative Powder Coating of Elyria, Ohio, give them a black powder finish.

The original aluminum wheels got a custom treatment with bead blasting, black powder coat and new chrome hub center covers and lug caps. The original 8-inch visor was replaced with a 14-inch black powder coated visor.

“The truck just looks so aggressive rolling up from behind,” Domin says.

New black bucket-style halogen headlights from Southern Rods and Parts contrast nicely with the classic long-nose design, while integral top mounted turn signals add extra custom flair. The exhaust system tubes received chrome plating and a new direction, rerouted to the side dump Lakester-style, a popular ‘50s style. “We wanted to give it that hot-rod look,” Domin says.

The Flaming River team removed the original Peterbilt logos, replacing them with billet aluminum ovals engraved with “Pete 379” and backlit by LED lights.

The custom integrated fuel tank and exhaust brackets also shine with billet aluminum and polished stainless steel. The custom bumper, made by 32 Chrome Shop of Pulaski, Wisc., is 22” deep and ridin’ low, at 4” below stock.

They left one vestige of the old truck intact: the bird-shaped hood ornament that the last owner had added. “We had changed so much on the truck that we just decided to leave that on there,” Domin says.

The team stripped and refurbished the cab and sleeper, including the upholstery. They installed four new Air Ride seats, a Flaming River steering column and steering wheel, a new headliner, interior door panels, and side/rear interior treatment in the sleeper. They even added a new dash cover and new wood cabinetry to give it a high-class look.

But Blackbird doesn’t just have looks to die for, it’s got the entertainment to match. The audio system includes Sirius satellite radio, CD and cassette players, MP3 player compatibility and new speakers.

Then there’s the Magellan GPS navi system, flat screen TV, DVD player and Playstation 3 that the team picked up from Best Buy.

To ensure a clear sound, Design Engineering Corporation of Avon Lake, Ohio, installed sound deadening insulation in the sleeper and the cab.

Though the truck hasn’t been seen on the big-rig show circuit yet, it’s something Domin sees in its future.