We first spotted this truck at the Extreme Motorsports Expo in Costa Mesa, California, last summer. The truck was very well built, clean, and the people involved with Colorado Sand Cars were extremely friendly. They built this prerunner for John Van Hattem, a customer of theirs from Loveland, Colorado. John got his fix for the off-road racing scene traveling into Baja on many occasions to watch the SCORE Desert Racing Series. Growing up outside of Temecula, California, he was no stranger to the dirt or the off-road world. John and his family are now dairy farmers in a small town in Colorado, so that tall glass of milk you drank for breakfast this morning may have helped pay for the tires on John's '06 Chevy Prerunner. John had a good idea of what he wanted to build, so he gave Tom Frank of Colorado Sand Cars a call to go over the details. John and Tom brainstormed for over a month, and after a six-month build process came up with what you see on these pages. We met up with the pair in Ocotillo Wells, California, over New Year's for a little off-road fun on the way to their big Glamis bash. The front suspension on this Chevy is a custom-made, center-mounted J-arm setup built by Colorado Sand Cars.The front suspension on this Chevy is a custom-made, center-mounted J-arm setup built by C Using Fox 2.5-inch coilovers and Fox 3.5-inch bypass shocks, the front end travels 24 inches. Tatum Motor Sports built John a set of strong, hollow, billet spindles to match the arms. Matching Fox 2-inch air bumps were also used to aid in damping.Using Fox 2.5-inch coilovers and Fox 3.5-inch bypass shocks, the front end travels 24 inch The original intention behind this truck was to romp the sand dunes of places like the Glamis Imperial Dunes. John wanted more: He wanted to be able to take this truck anywhere he saw fit, so additional attention was paid to the strength of the entire chassis of this ride. Everything was very well thought out, and not a piece of tube was unnecessary.The original intention behind this truck was to romp the sand dunes of places like the Gla We really liked the low-profile appearance of the truck: Notice all of the aluminum panels covering the suspension, keeping everything out of sight and well protected. Not only is the rear covered, but if you lay underneath the truck you can see that the entire underbody is covered in aluminum skidplates as well. As we said earlier, everything was well-planned with this build.We really liked the low-profile appearance of the truck: Notice all of the aluminum panels Moving to the back end of the truck, we got a glance at the cage work's progression to the rear. The rear carries a fullsize spare tire, an aluminum floor jack, dual RedTop Optima batteries, and a 36-gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell. The cage work throughout the truck is 1.5-inch chrome-moly tubing. Trailer Products took care of the fiberglass front fenders, rear bedsides, and the custom-made hood piece.Moving to the back end of the truck, we got a glance at the cage work's progression to the In the rear, a Ford 9-inch housing was gusseted up both top and bottom to keep it from breaking due to the severe amount of abuse John plans on throwing at his Chevy. The rear axle is stuffed with a limited-slip differential and 4.88 gears.In the rear, a Ford 9-inch housing was gusseted up both top and bottom to keep it from bre The rear suspension is a four-link setup custom-made using 1.5-inch chrome-moly tubing and plating. The shocks in the rear match the front (Fox 2.5-inch coilovers and bypasses as well as Fox 2-inch air bumps). Rear-end travel comes in at 26 inches.The rear suspension is a four-link setup custom-made using 1.5-inch chrome-moly tubing and John chose to run 37x12.50R17 Goodyear MT/R tires with Allied 17x9 beadlock wheels. This combination was chosen for its strength and proven performance.John chose to run 37x12.50R17 Goodyear MT/R tires with Allied 17x9 beadlock wheels. This c With this amount of truck under you, you need power on demand. A Chevrolet LS2 engine pushes over 500 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Handling all that power is a Turbo 400 transmission with an Art Carr 10-inch torque converter all installed and prepped by Dave at Advanced Transmissions in Fort Collins, Colorado.With this amount of truck under you, you need power on demand. A Chevrolet LS2 engine push Colorado Sand Cars built John a custom dash to hold the MOMO steering wheel, Auto Meter Carbon Fiber gauges, Lowrance GPS system, Art Carr gate shifter, and more. Custom leather upholstery was crafted by Jerry's Upholstery in Greeley, Colorado. The red-and-black combination really complements the Beard racing seats and Crow five-point racing harnesses.Colorado Sand Cars built John a custom dash to hold the MOMO steering wheel, Auto Meter Ca Safety is one of the most crucial elements when building a truck intended to take major amounts of abuse and spend a lot of time in the air. The cage work through the cab ties into the front and rear sections of the truck, producing a complete and solid system.Safety is one of the most crucial elements when building a truck intended to take major am Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
