This build keeps the truck’s original rust and patina, but everything underneath is headed in a completely different direction. We’re pairing a supercharged L5P Duramax with an Allison transmission, eight-lug hardware, a full chassis, big brakes, air suspension, and enough rear tire to deal with the torque. The airflow plan matters too: outside air will be routed forward into the inlet with Ram-Air effect instead of pulling hot air from underhood. That gives the engine a cleaner shot at making power the right way. The result is a truck that still looks like it survived a hard life, but is engineered like a modern diesel hot rod.
This episode centers on the visual direction of the Banks truck project and the first complete design reveal. Banks brings in automotive designer Jeffrey Transou, whose background includes high-profile custom vehicles for celebrities, major brands, and television productions. His work spans hot rods, customs, trucks, motorcycles, and other specialty builds, and he explains that his path started early through a family immersed in cars and racing in North Carolina. With relatives involved in General Motors racing and hot rod building, he combined that upbringing with an interest in art and design and eventually studied automotive design formally.
The Banks team frames the collaboration as something that had already been developing behind the scenes. While the audience had not yet seen it, Transou had been receiving ideas, requirements, and visual direction from the team, while Gale had been refining concepts and sending design input. Transou responds positively to the challenge, especially because the truck is not a pristine blank slate but a genuine work truck with a hard-used history. Rather than erase that past, the goal is to preserve its character while giving it a new life as a technically serious custom build.
Gale emphasizes that he does not want the truck turned into over-restored "jewelry" that becomes too precious to drive. He contrasts that with the older hot rod ethos, where builders used whatever methods and materials they had and created vehicles meant to be used. That philosophy becomes central to the project: the truck should retain its rough authenticity while incorporating modern engineering and design.
That approach is especially fitting because this truck is genuinely rusty, not artificially weathered. The team jokes that the corrosion is authentic enough that some areas are structurally compromised, and they note that the truck had only barely survived a recent dyno session. Transou sees that condition not as a drawback but as part of the truck's identity. The design therefore aims to respect the truck's battered exterior while contrasting it with highly finished mechanical and structural elements underneath and inside.
When the first rendering appears, the team is struck by how realistic it looks. Transou explains that it is not just a painted illustration layered over a photo. He built a full 3D model using high-resolution photographs of the actual truck, then created a shader from those images so that the real rust and patina from the truck were mapped directly onto the digital body. In effect, the same weathered surface seen on the real truck becomes part of the rendered model.
The exterior concept includes Black Rhino wheels and Nitto tires, with a lowered, aggressive stance and a big-and-little wheel and tire treatment. Transou proposes 22-inch wheels in front and either 22s or 24s in the rear, with substantially more rear width. The truck is intended to sit extremely low, essentially laying on the ground when aired out. Because the truck is a three-quarter-ton platform, Gale immediately checks that the design preserves eight-lug wheels rather than adopting the more common five- or six-lug setups seen in many C10-style slammed builds. Transou confirms that the rendering uses an eight-lug wheel, though both acknowledge that achieving this stance with a true heavy-duty eight-lug chassis and axle package may be a significant engineering challenge.
Another exterior cue that excites Gale is the side-exit exhaust, which reminds him of an earlier GMC road race truck Banks had built. The rendering also carries a strong horizontal parting line down the truck's side, a feature that later becomes important in the bed design.
One of the most distinctive ideas in the concept is the bed treatment. Transou tubs the rear and creates a highly finished bed interior with angled inner sides, riveted detailing, and bead-rolled panels. The contrast is intentional: from the outside, the truck remains crusty and weathered, but inside the bed the viewer encounters precise fabrication and polished presentation. That contrast turns the mechanical portions of the build into a surprise.
He also raises the bed floor and uses the existing body line as a functional split point. The upper portion of the bed tilts upward like a dump bed, while the lower section remains in place. This allows the truck to retain a usable bed surface while also revealing the chassis and suspension underneath when opened. The team immediately recognizes the idea as a clever blend of mini-truck show-truck theatrics with practical packaging. By tying the opening mechanism to a body line already present in the bedside, the concept looks integrated rather than forced. They see it as an ideal way to display the engineering hidden beneath the truck, especially at events such as SEMA.
The engine rendering initially shows a Whipple-supercharged Duramax-style layout with iconic Banks valve covers, and Gale uses that moment to clarify the actual powertrain direction. He notes that while he has run the older 5.0-liter Whipple shown in the illustration and considers it an excellent unit, the project will move to newer-generation Whipple hardware. Specifically, he wants to showcase Gen 5 technology rather than an older setup.
He also plans to move away from the traditional cog-belt drive often associated with drag-race supercharger systems. Instead, the truck will use a wide multi-V flat belt, which he says is better suited for long-term durability, capable of going 50,000 to 60,000 miles, and also quieter, even if noise reduction is not a major concern on this build. On the intake side, the filtration system will likely move toward the front corners of the engine bay near the radiator core support. Gale describes a Ram-Air approach through the grille into the inlet, combined with an air-water separator, so that vehicle speed helps force air into the system rather than making the engine pull entirely through the filters. He characterizes that as free horsepower and compares the concept to a pure race-car intake system, but fully filtered for real use.
This packaging change also frees up the firewall area. The team discusses the exposed engine-bay look often seen on radical builds, where the absence of conventional inner fender structures makes the mechanical systems more visible. Since this truck is envisioned primarily as a dry-weather vehicle, they are comfortable with that more open presentation.
Although the rendered engine resembles an earlier Duramax generation such as an LMM, Gale states that the actual engine will be an L5P. More specifically, this truck will serve as the prototype for a Banks L5P crate-engine program. The plan is to build a blown diesel crate motor, and Gale expects there will be strong interest in that combination.
He outlines the expected performance range in broad terms. With the supercharged diesel setup, he anticipates more than 700 horsepower. If the combination also uses water-methanol injection, output could move into the 800- to 900-horsepower range. If nitrous is added on top of that, he says the package would be well over 1,000 horsepower. That is a dramatic increase from the truck's current output, which is referenced as 170 horsepower from its recent dyno session. The implication is that the chassis, rear tire package, and overall vehicle layout will need to be engineered around a massive jump in torque and power.
Because of the projected power level, the conversation quickly shifts to traction and weight distribution. Gale recalls a previous 1,150-horsepower twin-turbo 1990 Chevrolet short-bed half-ton he built, noting that Nitto drag radials were the only tires that could calm it down on the street. He hopes similarly capable Nitto drag-oriented tires are still available, because this truck will need substantial rear grip to launch effectively.
He also explains that the chassis will have to manage enormous torsional load as the engine's torque is transferred to the rear axle. To help that, the team wants as much weight as practical behind the axle, including fuel and batteries. The rendering reflects that philosophy with a rear-mounted fuel cell. Gale also questions the rear axle choice shown in the concept, which resembles a Ford 9-inch. While he likes the idea of a differential cover that could carry Banks branding, he also considers alternatives such as an American Axle or a 14-bolt with shortened tubes, noting that unnecessary unsprung weight should be avoided. Even so, the visual concept remains rooted in the Ford 9-inch style for the time being.
Transou then reveals the chassis rendering. The layout includes round rear air tanks, a full airbag suspension front and rear, and a rear suspension with a Watts link. He explains that the placement of components such as tanks, compressors, and exhaust can evolve during the actual build, but the rendering establishes a strong starting point for packaging. Gale appreciates that the concept does not merely back-half the truck in the style of some slammed builds. Instead, it uses a full custom chassis, which both agree is the correct approach if the truck is going to be built seriously.
The drivetrain rendering also shows an Allison transmission, which the team confirms is essential because they want to preserve the Duramax-Allison heavy-duty theme throughout the build. The truck will keep eight-lug wheels, a diesel powertrain, and the heavy-duty identity of the original platform even as it becomes radically customized. For braking, Transou specifies Wilwood big-brake kits, noting the existing relationship between Banks and Wilwood. The team also confirms that Ridetech is on board to supply the air management system and shocks.
To close the presentation, Transou shows animated views of the truck in motion. The render demonstrates the truck airing out to the ground, the hood opening, and the split bed lifting to expose the chassis beneath. Additional flyover and studio-style shots highlight details such as the Nitto tire tread and the smooth operation of the moving panels. The team sees the concept not just as a static design but as a complete display vehicle that will make a strong impression when parked and opened up at a show.
With the design direction established, Gale points out that the project still lacks a name. Inspired by the truck's severe rust and the rough condition they encountered while working on it, he proposes "Lockjaw," a reference tied to tetanus. The name lands immediately and becomes the identity of the build.
The episode ends with the team turning from concept to execution. Their next major step is to secure a chassis partner, and Gale mentions Roadster Shop in Illinois as a likely source because of the quality of its work. That sets up the next phase of the project: translating Transou's digital vision for Lockjaw into a real custom chassis capable of supporting the truck's extreme stance, heavy-duty architecture, and planned blown L5P diesel power.