2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT

Smooth power, superb handling, and an exceptionally soft ride are all strong characteristics of the Cadillac Escalade. Whether it's the popular SUV or the EXT, Cadillac definitely had class in mind when they built these popular contemporaries. Aimed at the professional businessman with a focus on luxury family transportation, both Escalades are worthy of the parking lot at the country club. When the engineers were designing them, they probably never imagined in a million years that someone would want to lift one up on big rims and tall rubber. Chance Kamp, owner of All Out Off Road in Richmond, Texas, decided back in 2002 to create a sky-scraping head turner using the Cadillac Escalade EXT as his canvas. The idea was to create a stunning, lifted ride that would challenge the notion that the Cadillac pickup was too docile and fragile to be burly. The truck was also built to serve as a bright promotional tool for All Out Off Road, where Chance spends his 9 to 5 hours selling lift kits and custom truck accessories.

To get the custom plan in motion, Chance took a trip down to his local Cadillac dealer and purchased a brand-new '02 Escalade EXT and drove it straight to All Out Off Road where, within hours, it was given a height adjustment in the form of 12-1/2 inches of lift. To achieve this massive suspension upgrade, a 9-1/2-inch Whiplash Suspension kit was used to raise the chassis, while a custom-made billet aluminum 3-inch body lift was fabricated to take the Escalade to a whole new altitude. To ensure the truck rode and handled well but still looked its best, Chance installed dual Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks up front and six Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks out back to damp the suspension. After the suspension was installed and everything fit solidly, Chance and the team at All Out pulled everything apart again and had the majority of it either chromed or powdercoated for show detail. In the rear, a bit of load assistance was installed in the form of Firestone airbags mounted on custom billet aluminum spring cups that receive much needed oxygen via Air Ride Technologies valves, a Viair compressor, and a 3/8-inch air line. Custom rolling stock in the form of Weld 20x12-inch Cheyenne Six custom wheels mounted on 39-1/2-inch Super Swamper STS rubber spin freely inside the fender wells and contribute to the Caddy's rugged exterior looks. To slow the massive rim and rubber combination to a smooth, firm stop, Chance installed Baer EradiSpeed brakes.

With a healthy amount of chrome and powdercoated accessories underneath and the lifted stance in check, this Escalade was on its way to becoming a respectable show truck and promotion tool for All Out Off Road. The paint was the next area of custom concern, and for Chance, the man for the job was none other than Pat Maxwell of Maxwell Designs in Spring, Texas. Using the vehicle's factory black as a starting point, Pat applied House of Kolor True Blue from the body line down to achieve a nice, rich color separation and then broke everything up with a hot set of House of Kolor Tangelo Orange tribal flames. The finished look is classy and complements the lines of the Escalade perfectly.

After the paint was complete, Chance and the All Out crew began hitting the local Texas show scene, and since the EXT's completion, several trophies have confirmed its level of cool. Chance would like to thank the crew at his shop for all of their hard work, with a special thanks to Gino Mindieta for keeping the shop running smoothly while the truck was under construction. This Escalade EXT proves that Cadillac's pickup offering can be modified with a radical suspension lift and trick paint and maintain a look of rich class.