Creating the Cadillanche

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.