A Tale of Two Cities… & Two Trucks.

Diesel Performance Specialties. Building Bad Ass Trucks from Rocklin to Weatherford.

Words and photos by Paul Scott

Every year an untold number of businesses and individuals make plans to build show vehicles. The projects can drastically range in scope, price, and complexity. An enormous amount of passion, creativity, labor, problem-solving, and of course, money, go into making each one of these driveable works of art. The stories behind these builds are as unique and interesting as the vehicles themselves. In this feature article we at American Truxx Wheels are going to shine a light on two award-winning projects, their builder, and the talented team responsible for bringing the build projects to life.

A big thank you and shout out to our friend Cris Payne at Truck Guru for introducing us to DPS.

Trevor Lima, 30 year old Owner of Diesel Performance Specialties (DPS), is a very busy man. Recently he has completed two amazing builds and displayed them at the SEMA Show and Lone Star Throwdown where he took home the Top 100 Award for both vehicles. He did all of this while running a thriving diesel repair and modification shop originally located in Rocklin, CA. At the beginning of 2019 he opened a second facility in Weatherford, TX. He is understandably silent regarding upcoming projects but you can be sure that Trevor and his crew at DPS will continue to demonstrate just how capable and creative they really are.

Build 1:

69’ Chevy K20

Trevor had this to say about this neck-breaking build’s backstory:

“When I was in Junior high and high school, my dad was restoring a 1967 Chevy C10 2-Wheel drive single cab shortbed. We had it painted hugger Orange and had the chassis powder coated and it was about 80% finished. Right after my senior year and graduation my parents ended up in a divorce. That truck had to get sold due to the divorce. I always wanted to see that truck get finished but we were unable to do it. That truck was sold to a gentleman and that exact truck turned into the very popular truck known in the c10 World by the name of Tootsie. The paint color had remained the same but the suspension had been changed and turned into what it is today.

Ever since then, I always wanted to build another one. I ended up restoring a truck for my great uncle. It was a very similar truck to mine but 2-Wheel Drive and that classic two tone with woodgrain trim but it was a dark metallic green and white. With me always being a four-wheel-drive lifted truck kind of guy and a diesel guy on top of it.

The dream of this truck started. I wanted that same hugger Orange that my dad’s pick up was but I also liked the green and white of my uncles truck that I painted. So I decided to build a lifted Cummins swap orange and white truck with the woodgrain trim. It started off as what would just be a cool driver, but the more and more I got into it the more I went overboard.

After a few years, and a ton of money, it turned out to be one of the cleanest four-wheel-drive restored Chevy’s I have seen. It is also the truck that throughout its build, turned my automotive repair shop into a diesel truck shop that has grown. It is the name and face and staple of our business and what it is today and draws up a crowd wherever it goes.”

Here’s the run down on what went into building this Creamsicle Beast:

Build cost: $250k
Build time: 3 years

Starting Point

2010 Ford D250 frame – modified the box and added more crossmembers
Rear suspension: Sterling 10.50, 4.56 gears
Springs: Stock F250 leaf springs, shackle flip
Shocks: Pro Comp Mx2
Locker: Detroit Tru Trac
Front Suspension: Axle/ratio: 4.56
Shocks: Pro Comp Mx2
Springs: Fabtech 8″ lift
Master cylinder: Dodge hydroboost
Brake lines: braided stainless
Other hoses/lines: All stainless
Steering box: Redhead
Steering column: 2006 Dodge column
Gas tank: Aluminum custom 35 gallon on rear frame rail
Battery: Dual Optima on passenger frame rail under cab

Engine:

Assembly by DPS
Displacement: 5.9L bored .020 over
Rods: CP Carillo
Pistons: Mahle
Assembly was balanced
Camshaft: Hamilton Cams duration: 188 Lift: 220
Cylinder heads: Iron, ported, polished
Hamilton intake/exhaust/pushrods/lifters

Aspiration/Fuel System:

Mishimoto intercooler
Turbocharger 5369 SXE. Mods: race cover, billet wheel, boost 60 psi
Lift pump: Airdog 220 GPH
Injection Pump: 12mm Stroker BD Diesel
1/2″ fuel line
Exergy Injector 100% over
Programming HP Tuners- Firepunk Diesel
Exhaust Manifolds, make, type ATS 3 piece
4″ diameter, stainless steel
Muffler: MBRP Flow Through
Straight pipes
Custom TIG welded
Transmission
Firepunk Comp Stage 2
1410 U joints, custom by B&W Driveline
Transfer case: 291 DND, hybrid of Dodge/Ford output, no slip yoke

Body

1969 Chevrolet K20
Billet grille insert
Front Bumper is OEM Repro
Rear is from a 1970
Stock fenders, hood, and grille shell
Wheels: 24×14 American Truxx Forged 1909-Aries with custom color match accents
Tires: 40×15.50 Toyo MT
Rhino Liner
Amp Research running boards
American made wood grain trim
Stock door handles, mirrors, headlights, taillights
OEM repro window glass no tint
Gas filler located bedside – from a diesel Ford bed
Custom floor & firewall
Painted by Rookers Collision, Auburn, CA
Factory two-tone style

Interior

Custom tan carpet
Upholstery by Pacos Upholstery in Roseville, CA
2005 Chevy truck Seats
Custom headliner
Custom dashboard by Pacos Upholstery
Stock Dodge cluster
Dash bezel from 2005 Cummings
Overhead control panel/switches dodge
Dodge steering wheel
Stock handles
Power windows/doors/overhead compass
Autometer A pillar gauges

Audio

Pioneer Premier stereo
6.5″ JBL speakers in doors
Installed by DPS

Next up:

Build 2:

The 6-Door Excursion Limo

Photos simply do not do this monster Ford justice. I should know, I took ‘em. It is no exaggeration to say that the sheer scale and custom detail work on this project is jaw-dropping. This definitely is a Showstopper and at a curb weight of 11,000 lbs., its no pushover, either. I asked Trevor for a little background info on his big beautiful behemoth:

“Our shop has been building custom trucks for several years now. All of the trucks we build always end up going back with customers. So when people come into the shop wanting to know what we can build it is hard to just show them pictures. So we wanted a staple piece for our shop and decided to build a full-blown, custom built-from-scratch one off truck that could stay at the shop for customers to see, who were interested in having work done.

So this was the outcome of that. The truck started from scratch with just a bare cab from an excursion and a bare cab from a newer super duty. We were originally just going to do a 6.71 conversion excursion but decided while we were at it, why not make it six doors? The idea took off from there. It took about a full year to build. Being a company based out of California we needed to make sure and keep its emissions intact as well. So we retrofitted all the exhaust and sensors and made them work, as well as cutting in the rear fuel door and rear fenders from a new super duty pick up into the rear so it would match the front end and also have a Fill port for a diesel tank and a DEF tank. Engine is pretty much stock, being from California there’s not a lot we can do or is carb compliant on a new truck. And being as we own a shop, I didn’t want to be tied up in the deleting categories.

Interior is all new king ranch interior. We added buckets to the 3rd row and kept the original rear bench as the new 4th row and had them recovered to match the fronts. The entire truck is custom built in our shop, from frame and suspension, the stretch, body and paint, it was all done in our shop. No outsourcing.”