Built by: Custom Motorsports, Riverside, California
Found at: Toyo Tires booth
Wildest mod: This H2 wasn't the flashiest Hummer in the show, but it was definitely one of the most functional. Its best mod wasn't just one item; instead it was the sum of many. What we're referring to is the suspension. The Bulletproof 6-inch kit was a realistic height in the real world, and it offered enough clearance for a set of 37x13.50-24 Toyo Open Country Mud-Terrain tires on prototype 24x12 Weld Evo Cheyenne wheels. The suspension's performance was further enhanced by a set of King remote-reservoir coilover shocks.
Other cool stuff: Vortec supercharger; Superchiller intercooler; Other Guys headers; Borla stainless steel exhaust; Mag-Hytec differential cover and transmission pan; Wilwood 15-inch-diameter front rotors and six-piston calipers; Wilwood slotted rear brake calipers; Warn 9,000-pound winch; XTC Products lightbar with PIAA lights; Lightforce off-road lights; Hella off-road lights; Audiobahn sound system.
Built by: Donahoe Racing, Anaheim, California
Found at: Toyota booth
Wildest mod: Actually, we like everything about this truck. We're impressed with the brand-new-for-'05 Tacoma in stock form, so we can only image how well this modified truck performs. If we were to shine a spotlight on one particular area of this rig, we'd have to draw attention to the suspension, which features Donahoe Racing 2 1/2-inch-diameter coilover race shocks in front, and they're set for 3 inches of lift. The rear coilovers are custom units, specifically designed for this vehicle.
Other cool stuff: Rear 1-inch-lift add-a-leaf; custom Donahoe Racing TIG-welded front lightbar; custom Donahoe Racing TIG-welded bed rack and tilt-down lightbar; Demello Off-Road Rock Sliders; 305/70R17 Goodyear MT/R tires; 17x8.5-inch Walker Evans Street Lock wheels; TRD seat covers, pedals, shift knob, floor mats, and bed mat.
Built by:Oakley
Found at: Mopar Alley booth
Wildest mod: We're going to do something we rarely do and give props to paint. We really dig the work on this Oakley Ram concept. It was done by Paint 'n Place in Placentia, California, and is complemented in part by a Precision Billet Grille and Sir Michaels rollpan.
Other cool stuff: Robbie Gordon Offroad/Full Throttle Suspension custom lift; 22x12 Diesel wheels; 40x15.5R22 Toyo Open Country MT tires; Bassani exhaust; AEM intake; Katzkin leather/suede interior; Clarion head unit; Kicker Audio amplifiers, subwoofers, and speakers.
Built by: RCH Designs, Huntington Beach, California
Found at: Nissan booth
Wildest mod: Ryan Hagel of RCH Designs could've just lifted this brand-new '05 Pathfinder and it would've been cool, but he went a step further by integrating Sway-A-Way coilover shocks into the custom 3-inch front suspension.
Other cool stuff: Custom 3-inch-lift rear suspension featuring Eibach coil springs and Sway-A-Way shocks; 33x12.50-16 Xterrain tires mounted on 16x9-inch Xtreme Alloy wheels with simulated bead-lock rings; K&N air filter; Optima Yellow Top battery; Yakima roof rack; custom pushbar and rocker skids; 14 PIAA lights; custom Grillecraft grille; custom Gibson exhaust; Katzkin seat covers; Garmin navigation system.
Built by: Chris Dicus, Hazlewood, Missouri
Found at: Ford booth
Wildest mod: Yes, the vertical-opening door hinges from Decah are wild, but that's not the only thing that caught our eye. We like the modified 6.0L diesel engine. It features the Big Hoss Bundle from Gale Banks Engineering that includes the Techni-Cooler intercooler assembly, Six-Gun Diesel Tuner with Speed-Loader upgrade, 4-inch-diameter Monster exhaust, Monster muffler, DynaFact pyrometer and boost gauge assembly. Together, Banks says that these items help the engine generate up to 156 more horsepower and 275 more lb-ft of torque.
Other cool stuff: Superlift 6-inch suspension system; Knight Stalker nitrogen shocks; Bilstein dual steering stabilizers; Timbren bumpstops; custom Bigfoot 4x4 traction bars; 20x10 Weld Racing Commando wheels; 38x15.50-20 Interco STS tires; Mag-Hytec differential covers and transmission pan; Sun Coast Creations functional ram-air hood; Smittybilt rollbar; Bushwacker pocket-style fender flares; Buckstop Truckware bumpers; Mile Marker 12,000-pound winch; paint by Unlimited Customs; flames by Air Power Graphics.
Built by: Bully Dog Technologies, Aberdeen, Idaho
Found at: North Hall lobby
Wildest mod: This '04 Silverado may look like a boulevard cruiser, but under the hood is a potent engine/transmission combination. This truck proves that the often-ignored Duramax diesel engine has as much potential for pin-you-to-your-seat power as a PowerStroke or Cummins. The engine has been tweaked via Bully Dog Technologies Rapid Power Performance Module, Rapid Flow Induction intake, Power Pup Downloader, and 4-inch Rapid Flow exhaust. The result, according to Bully Dog, is output of approximately 465 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque. Bully Dog also addressed the Allison 1000 transmission by integrating a total rebuild including an upgrade to more clutch packs, a bigger valve body, and its Bully Dog Shift Enhancer.
Other cool stuff: Twisted Suspension 12-inch lift with dual shocks at each wheel; conversion from dual rear wheels to single rear wheels; 22.5-inch-diameter Accuride aluminum wheels; 445/50R22.5 rear tires; 375/80R22.5 front tires; Offroad Alloy bumpers; shaved door handles; custom yellow/silver paint; Sony audio system.