Alpine Truck Life - Project: Alpine Inquisition

Silvern Sentry · July 20, 2016

Project: Alpine Inquisition

Welcome to my build thread. There are many build threads but this one is mine. I hail from BC Canada which is home to some of the roughest terrain and best off-roading anywhere in North America, I may be bias but I think so. I purchased a GMC because I am an enthusiast and hobbyist and have been learning about and working on vehicles since I was old enough to reach the pedals. I prefer the GM brand because it is the easiest to work on, the easiest to fix and has an abundance of modifications available.

This truck is intended as an adventure and showcase platform to take me where ever I was to go and explore beautiful summer and winter landscapes from the west coast beaches to the top of the Rocky Mountains. As well as haul whatever I need with me, while showing off what a such a piece of engineered machinery is capable of with the proper modifications.

Platform:

2015 GM Sierra SLE, premium interior, Z71 offroad package, 5.3L EcoTech engine, 20'' Ultra Bright Aluminum wheels, trailer package. MSRP $48,175

The day I bought her her off the lot. I saved up for a long time to own this vehicle and was very proud of my purchase and selection. There were many like it but this one was all mine.

Plastic still on. I took the vehicle out of transport mode myself.

Modifications:

Bed Liner:

My first upgrade 3 days after purchase was a bed liner. I really like the how it turned out and added a lot of protection. Highly recommend doing this right away if you are thinking about it. I wondered if I should have let the bed get scratched and dinged up but do not regret not waiting at all.

Note: the folks who did mine were consummate pros and made me aware of the 20-30lbs difference. While it may not seem like much serious truck owners may want to take note.

Canopy:

Adding in a Canopy with insulated top and removable sliding rear window:

Note: These can be a pain to buy for new vehicles and if I wanted a perfectly flush fit I had to buy brand new at the time. This is not a cheap upgrade and can easily run upwards of $1800. A canopy can add 150-400lbs of weight depending on make model and options, serious truck owns may want to take note.

Cosmetics:

Blacking out the badges all around:

Note: Peelable rubber spray is very cool stuff. After doing this I was quickly looking for other things to coat around the house. I did mine in a gloss look and armor-all or any protectant spray keeps in looking like new and adds UV protection.

Fender Flares:

Adding on Bolt On style pocket fender flares:

Note: These were an easy install for anyone capable with a set of tools. Added a great look and some pretty good functionality as I drive on dirt roads often. On the GMC Sierra you do not remove the stock flares, this had me puzzled for a bit reading the directions.

LED SLT Style Aftermarket Headlamps:

I was then looking to add a light bar as was looking at several options for a roof mounted bar. I was talking to a lighting expert who made a lot of sense when he said I may want to think about increasing my stock lighting before looking at a light bar. I did a lot of research on what was available and installed some Spyder headlights for the 14-15 GMC Sierra, I had the the halogen light and projector lens removed and upgraded to a Philips LumiLED bulb with a precision LED projector.

Note1: This was an install I would rate at moderate level. A lot of the effort is getting the front valence off you can look at videos on how to do this.

Note 2: Whenever you or anyone else ever tinkers with your headlights make sure to align them ASAP. You can check out various videos on how to do this. Be safe out there for you and others, if your are not sure have a professional do it.

Note 3: While I upgraded the lights I also added SLT style functionality in my SLE by using a GEN5DIY harness you can find this on thier site with my glowing review from Canada. My lights now have a fully functional LED strip only DRL. This has made the vehicle unique in that there are not many 2015 with LED headlamps and DRL strip functions. It is now one of a kind and still all mine. Jarred at GEN5DIY is a superstar and no one has paid me a dime to say that which is the best review I can give.

Fine detailing:

Two days worth of 3500 grit wet sanding the entire truck as well as polishing and buffing to remove the factory orange peel and give it a true showroom shine.The results are amazing and speak for themselves in this high res unaltered image.

Note 1: Skill level advanced. Many people may not care about this and truly you need not. Every car coming out of every factory has some orange peel only very high end super cars and such get a pro detailing before you purchase. You can hire people to do this but as I said it is a lot of work so cost will vary depending on skills level and your area. You can check out some of the stuff 'Ammo NYC' does on youtube, this guy knows his stuff and works on very expensive cars doing high end shows, I would not want to pay his bill personally. Not cheap.

Note 2: I would again not recommend this for everybody. I happen to have grown up around a custom paint shop so to me this is a must. Painting and detailing is second nature to me at this point. This is only for people who have far too much money on their hand or those like me with the know how and far too much time.

Do not touch your truck with any grit of paper unless you have first practiced on lots of junk.

Next up:

6inch lift and installing some 35x12.5 AT/AWT/M+S tires.

Performance dual cat back exhaust

Airaid

Tuning

Headers

Lightbar, as I still wish to have one but believe I made a wise choice upgrading what I had before adding more.

...and a whole lot of 4x4 and off-roading.

One day:

Magnuson Supercharger

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*click for gif

Gratuitous image of my mascot:

I look forward to sharing in fellow enthusiast builds and you sharing in mine. Happy trucking all!

metalman101 · July 23, 2016

So by using the the GEN15DIY harness, you were able to have your new LED Strips as DRL's without having to turn on the parking lights every time? I've just ordered a pair of the same lights, and I was wondering if there was any way to leave the LED strips running without having to switch the parking lights on every time.

Awesome build by the way.

bc-chris · July 23, 2016

wow - the truck looks great!!

can't wait to see it lifted!

Silvern Sentry · July 25, 2016

So by using the the GEN15DIY harness, you were able to have your new LED Strips as DRL's without having to turn on the parking lights every time? I've just ordered a pair of the same lights, and I was wondering if there was any way to leave the LED strips running without having to switch the parking lights on every time.

Awesome build by the way.

Spyder sells 2 versions. The SLT Style LED only DRL will be labeled -V2. The V2 are a bit more $. The difference is a 5pin connector vs. a 7. On the 5pin the Spyder LEDS(both top and bottem) come on with running lamps. So you can manually turn them on OR will come on at night. But not in Auto during the day, only headlamp will. The V2 works just like OEM SLT in Auto mode. Bottem LEDS during day, top with parking lamps / night.

Note: Your OnStar monthly gives you a warning that headlamps may be out (because the GEN5DIY harness does kill them during day) I have just ignored this since I know what it is and why and honestly could not care about my GM warranty on lights the stock were just cheap anyway.

wetcoaster · July 27, 2016

Looks like Victoria. Nice looking truck

Silvern Sentry · August 6, 2016

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ColoRetiree · August 15, 2016

What brand/model of canopy is that? It looks great on the truck!!

Silvern Sentry · September 1, 2016

They finally arrived! After months of waiting And mind numbing patience I received my Spyder Auto LBLED-BK Tailights.

LED Aftermarket Tail Lights + Philips Backup & Licence Plate Lights

Installing these was mostly a breeze, removal was a snap and you use OEM Harness. Mostly plug and play except GM sure does not give you a lot of wiring to work with. Prepare for some sore fingers while trying to squeeze things in and hold the light close enough for wires to reach, I finally used some small pliers to make the job easier and ensure all the sockets were tight in their receptacles because if all goes according to plan they will not need to be removed or have a bulb changed for 12+ years.

Comparison shot

Lights Activating

*click for gif

Philips Bulbs I used

**Night time shots to come.

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What brand/model of canopy is that? It looks great on the truck!!

Century Truck Canopy brand. It has the rollover lip around the edge which really makes a sharp look. It has a fully removable and sliding glass window which makes it a lot easier to clean the rear truck window and itself.

bc-chris · September 2, 2016

WOW!!!!

those tail lights look AWESOME!!!!

looking forward to seeing the night shots!

Brownsfanhere · September 4, 2016

did the 3500 grit knock most of the orange peel down? and yes Ammo nyc guy is very good. Love his videos. Might do this to my black all terrain. And what compound and pad choice did use? Thanks, gorgeous truck. Nice mod work.

Silvern Sentry · September 11, 2016

did the 3500 grit knock most of the orange peel down? and yes Ammo nyc guy is very good. Love his videos. Might do this to my black all terrain. And what compound and pad choice did use? Thanks, gorgeous truck. Nice mod work.

Yes it did. The peel was not terrible but definitely noticible on the silver when waxed and the light catches it right.

I used thishttp://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g3501-compound-power-pack/#gI25rqfwrjZz877O.97

I typically like Mother's brand for detailing but could not find a good polishing compound and read this is good stuff.