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Creating the Cadillanche

Combining an Escalade with an Avalanche

Professional basketball players need some really good moves, both on and off the court. Take Henry Turner, for instance, who played for the Sacramento Kings in the '90s, and later teamed up with fellow player LaSalle Thompson to form T&T Motorsports, a high-profile customizer of cars and trucks. This firm is known for some really unusual double-fakes, such as creating the Humm de Ville, an H2 with an Escalade body conversion. The company has also put an Escalade nose on a '01 Silverado X-Cab pickup.

In the Red

Taking its game plan to another level, T&T's latest venture used lessons learned on the Humm de Ville and Silverado to create the Cadillanche. (That's our nickname—he calls it the Big Baller EXT, a reference to high rollers and the company's wheel division, not basketball). The rig started life as a 2003 Chevy Avalanche, but it clearly has gone through a serious workout.

Why didn't Turner simply start with a Cadillac Escalade to begin with? "I liked the cleaner, smoother lines of the '03 Avalanche body," he explains. "I didn't want all that long cladding that goes down the sides. Sleek and sexy was what I was aiming for, basically an Escalade with a trimmed-down figure. And I love the Escalade front end—it's the sexiest in the SUV line."

Four months later, with some help from Seatworks, Creations Audio, ICE, and S&S Thompsons Auto Body, the transformation from raw rookie to a totally toned MVP was complete.

Bump It Up

The process began at T&T with the front-end conversion, swapping out the bumper, grille, lights, and hood. The fenders required some substantial fabrication, welding on sheetmetal and new mounts. Also, the frame had to be shortened up front a couple inches, which then required changing the mounting holes for the core support With the body mods complete, T&T fitted a heavy-weave mesh from Grill Craft at the leading edge.

Next, a suspension drop was handled by Jeff Remington of T&T, lowering the front two inches and the rear four (which levels out the ride, since trucks tend to have a nose-down attitude with the factory setup). The lowered chassis rides on huge hoops that measure 26 inches in diameter, and these Big Baller Wheels are wrapped with rubber bands from Kumho (305/35ZR26).

Exterior trim pieces include chromed door handles and a Pro-Fit fuel door that's custom engraved with the Big Baller logo. There are also engraved logos on the sides from Fender Bender International.

Serious Subs

After prepping the body and smoothing the rear bumper, S&S Thompsons sprayed on a Chevy shade of red normally seen on the Tahoe and Corvette. Other than the obvious attention-getting aspect, why did Turner choose the crimson color? "The reason is that the Escalade doesn't come in red," he says. "That's another eye opener."

As if Turner's ride needed any more head-turners, inside the cockpit, red is the word. As in red suede upholstery, red snakeskin inserts, and red granite trim on the dash, doors, console and wheel. Even the headliner has red suede and snakeskin. This combination of materials is really unorthodox, but the shared hue ties them all together into a lavish treatment.

What prompted the distinctive design of the interior trim? "I was really tired of wood grain and wanted something different," Turner recalls. "I found that Phoenix Imaging in Texas can put any pattern on a hard plastic surface. The company had a sample of some black granite, and I asked if they could change it to red. It's a one-of-a-kind treatment, but it can be duplicated."

Red-Handed

Nobody ever said NBA players are subtle in their style. And they don't go quietly, either. The audio portion of this project required a rig big enough to haul some serious subs and amps. In the rear of the cockpit are four 12-inch Audiobahn Eternals, with more thump than a team of NBA players pounding down the court on a fast break. The mids and tweets are also Audiobahn components.

Added to the sounds are sights from five video monitors, one in each headrest and visor, and one in the dash. Audiobahn supplied the A3451 head unit, along with the A1451CD/DVD changer. Feeding juice to the speakers are two DUB 1800-watt 1800D amps and a pair of DUB 6002 amps, 600 watts each. They're mounted in the cargo area is custom fiberglass enclosures fabricated by Dave Fonts of Creations Audio West.

The one thing Turner didn't touch was the engine. "I like to cruise, I prefer it smooth," he says. "I just wanna go two mph so everybody can see me."