BOOSTIE BOY

For those of you in the back of the room, we’ll say it a little louder: Justin Keith and his talented crew at Killer Performance have been putting together some insanely perfect OBS trucks. We’re saying it louder for those of you who may not have been directed to their YouTube channel (Stangkilr Productions) by the omnipresent, almighty algorithm.

It was way back in early 2021 when we first spotted the YouTube upload of the first “ZL1500” LT4 swapped OBS truck that Killer Performance’s top chef, Steven Prody, was helping Justin cook up. Needless to say, the content was so riveting that we had photographer Grant Cox haul buns over to KC to capture the numero uno ZL1500 for the cover feature slot of our May 2021 issue.

Flash forward a couple of years, and we see that the KPKC team has been building supercharged OBS trucks like an assembly line! Numerous iterations have since rolled out of their hallowed doors, looking like extremely clean, subdued sport trucks, only to leave the pavement wrinkled and scorched in the wake of nearly 1000 horsepower. Having personally seen most of the trucks they’ve built over the last 3 years, I can safely say that you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more complete, roadworthy build than what these guys are putting together. Don’t confuse this as an advertisement or endorsement for the shop; this is just me spitting facts.

The bronze beauty on this month’s pages may possibly be the most extensive Killer Performance OBS build to date. The guys started with a nearly flawless, mint-condition GMC Sierra GT as the base for their build. Before we move on, let’s address the small white elephant in the room: the GMC grille has been swapped for a Chevy grille. Haters gonna hate, but their client wanted a Chevy grille. Deal with it.

Moving right along… Mr. Prody proceeded to disassemble the truck, bolt by bolt, until the bare frame could be sent out for blasting and fresh powder coating, and the body components to the paint shop for a makeover. Once they got all of the pieces back, it was go-time. A new GM Performance LT5 crate motor and 10L90E transmission were stuffed between the frame rails and connected to the Eaton Truetrac-equipped rear axle by a carbon fiber driveshaft from Gears Unlimited. Speed Engineering headers were installed, and teammate Cam Ball was called in to build a custom 3” stainless steel exhaust system featuring a Borla XR1 muffler.

An Aeromotive fuel system, along with a brand new OEM fuel tank, helps to provide massive amounts of fuel to the thirsty supercharged beast under the hood. QA1 suspension components, coilovers, and sway bars were utilized front and rear, while Little Shop Manufacturing 6-piston brakes with 16” Wilwood rotors adorn all 4 corners of the truck. The open mesh design of the 20” Signature SV105 wheels allows a fine view of those massive rotors and calipers. Nitto NT555 G2 tires in 245/40ZR20 up front and 295/40ZR20 in the rear provide never-ending grip. A stainless brake line kit from Inline Tube replaced the aging factory lines.

While the chassis was being assembled, the cab and bed returned from Pete Dutzel’s shop with a fresh, super slick coat of Zeus Bronze Metallic paint. You may recognize the color as the rare, now-discontinued hue from early C8 Corvette production. As the assembly process was progressing, the truck was shipped out to Classic Car Studio for an interior makeover. Their mix of Alcantara and leather upholstery brings an entirely new life to the stock interior while making the early ‘88-94 styling feel – dare we say – somewhat timeless.

Detailed, clean, classy, and fast as hell. That seems to be the credo of Killer Performance, and we have no beef with that statement. I would absolutely drive this truck to the finest restaurant for date night, but you’ll never catch me handing the keys to the valet. I don’t like to share with strangers.