Gold is a color that symbolizes status more than any other: men and women love gold jewelry. Rappers love gold grillz. Olympians love gold medals. The Israelites loved the golden calf. It’s a color that has made men commit tremendous crimes and women commit to marriage. It’s also a fitting color for “Borracho,” an award-winning 1963 GMC 1000 pickup that is currently being auctioned on AutoHunter.
Over 900 hours were spent on this custom build by Tre5 Customs of Peoria, Arizona. That time roughly translates to over 54 bars’ worth of gold. It’s the kind of build that will garner you fame and glory in the printing press — in fact, Borracho was recognized by none other than Classic Truck Performance magazine. If you’re scratchin’ yer noggin and wondering how “truck” and “performance” can be said in the same breath when big-block El Caminos or Rancheros are not the topic of discussion, then consider yourself schooled in the world of hot-rodded old school pickups cuz this is a muscle machine par excellence. Skeptical? Need more convincing?
Power comes from a rebuilt 454 that features FiTech throttle-body fuel injection fed by a 20-gallon aluminum fuel cell between the rear frame rail for nice, reliable fuel delivery. What? You’d rather hear about the nitty-gritty? Alright, a Trick Flow top-end kit includes aluminum cylinder heads, camshaft (one that’s street-friendly and smooth) and roller rockers. And like a mullet, the engine bay is a combination of party and business as the horsepower is augmented by polished All American Billet pulleys handling the AC compressor, and power steering and water pumps (the latter the high-flow kind). A handmade Entropy aluminum radiator with twin electric fans keeps the BBC hydrated.
And would you believe all that passed California emissions last year? Yup, Borracho was built to drive fast and jump through hoops!
That Mark IV temple of zoom needs a harness to put the power to the pavement. In the case of Borracho, a TH400 with valve body and torque converter upgrades has stepped up to the plate to handle confident, three-speed automatic shifts. Out back, a narrowed 12-bolt rear is fitted with 3.73s paired with an Auburn Gear limited-slip diff.
But enough of what’s under the hood — let’s look at what you see when the hood’s closed. The paint is called Kurkuma Yellow Metallic and, believe it or not, you may have seen a more pedestrian version of the color on late-model Volkswagens. Catchy, right? Components like bumpers, trim, wheels (Intro Flow two-piece billet aluminum jobs) also have received contrasting Candy Gold powder-coated accents, with the whole kit and caboodle receiving a House of Kolor clearcoat. Suspend disbelief when you discover Borracho’s arresting hue has been recognized at shows with multiple awards including “Best Paint.” Kudos go to former owner and painter extraordinaire, Frank Rechlin of IKandy Paintworks in Peoria, Arizona, for the job done right.
Underneath, you won’t find no wussified unibody here! Like the body, the custom chassis too is powder-coated. The suspension components feature modern underpinnings with Porterbuilt Fabrication components and airbags from Slam Specialties. Your tuchus will thank you for the Air Lift Performance 3H auto-leveling air management system that is connected to dual aluminum tanks and a pair of VIAIR compressors.
Speaking of your derriere, the luxurious cabin was created by Phoenix’s own Elevated Design. TMI saddle leather split bench seat, door panels and steering wheel add to the cockpit’s warmth, while an ididit steering column, and rack and pinion steering are your direction connection to the road. A Restomod Air climate control (with billet vents), and 2,600-watt audio system (comprised of a Pioneer double-DIN head unit and four 13.5-inch JL Audio subwoofers) complement the music from the 454.
The instrument panel features Dakota Digital HDX gauges that include a 160-mph speedo, 8,000-rpm tach and auxiliary gauges for the fuel, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. Out back, an air-actuated tonneau cover conceals an upholstered bed.
They say all that glitters is not gold, but here we have a very glaring exception, as proven by the below GrinderTV video that shows the gilded pickup in all its glowing glory. This truck is your golden ticket to the status that trophies and adoration will bring you so stand by because the auction for this 1963 GMC 1000 pickup ends on April 3, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. (PDT).
