In the world of custom vehicle building, there are sayings that enthusiasts use when another enthusiast buys a vehicle and states that they are not going to modify it. They say "you'll get bitten by the customization bug" and "once you start you'll want to keep adding more to it". In some cases the "bug" as they call it ends up turning a ride that was planned to stay stock, into a fully custom show vehicle. It's appropriate that Louie Soliz is a member of Epidemic car club because he was definitely "bitten" by a big custom bug of some sort while building this 1996 two-door Chevrolet Tahoe.

   Starting the project is the difficult job of getting a full-size SUV to hug the pavement. Louie turned it over to a well-known Southern California shop, Master Image Customs. The front suspension received  Slam Specialty airbags with 1/2" ports, chrome tubular control arms, and chrome shocks. The front wheel wells had to be removed and new wheel tubs were installed. The rear required a little more work to achieve the same result. The rear wheel wells were also replaced with wheel tubs to fit the 22-inch K9 wheels with 265/30/22 Nitto tires. The middle section of the rear floor was cut out and covered with a hinged panel to allow space for the C-notches that were installed on the frame for some extra axle travel. The factory leaf springs were replaced with a custom chrome triangulated 4-link and over-axle mounts were used on the notch to mount the Slam Specialty 'bags. It also features a custom made fuel cell installed in the rear. The Tahoe suspension adjusts using a Co2 bottle with regulator, two MIC 5-gallon tanks, MIC triple nickel-plated 1/2-inch fittings and an MIC 10 switch clear box.

   Stock paint wasn't going to last long on this ride. It had to be repainted to add some style. Before paint could be sprayed on the body, it had to be smoothed out by removing the roof rack and the rear bumper was replaced by a roll pan. A smooth front bumper with billet inserts and a billet grille replaced the factory front end. The hood was modified with a suicide hood kit from No Limit Engineering. The Tahoe also has a full set of custom clear glass all around.  Finally it was sprayed with black and green two tone paint and multi-candied marble tribal flames separating the two colors. Then it was pinstriped to add the finishing touch.

   The interior was in need of some work due to the major changes that the suspension required in the rear. The rear seat was customized to fit in between the new wheel wells and re-wrapped in two tone beige and tan leather along with the front seats.  The dash, door panels, and door sills were upgraded with aftermarket billet pieces. The dash was also painted to match the exterior and a custom gauge face insert was installed. The shifter and pedals were swapped out with billet replacements. The factory stereo had to go so Louie had a Pioneer In-dash DVD/CD player with 7-inch screen installed. Excessive sound decibels are achieved using three JL Audio W0 subwoofers powered by Rockford Fosgate 500 watt amplifier. The front seats also received 5-inch monitors in the back of their headrests for the rear passengers to enjoy.

The V8 350 Vortec engine was upgraded with a K&N Air filter and AirAid Intake. The wheel wells were painted and pinstriped to match the exterior and several parts were tossed out in favor of billet dress up items.

   Louie wants to thank his dad, his family for their support, all of Epidemic, Master Image Customs, Pacific Air Technology, Evil Eye Customs, No Limit Engineering, House of Tints, Akins Wheels, Monster Tint, and Eduardo's upholstery.