Trucks are not really meant to be fast, but thanks to hot rodders and rule-breakers like Sean Puz, creations like Excalibur exist. What might be most shocking about this truck though isn't how it looks or how powerful it is. What makes it so special is that it was built almost entirely by its creator's own two hands.
At L'Automobile Show 2021, Puz, owner of 1 of One Customs, was gracious enough to take us on a personal tour of his creation. Here's what he had to tell us about this one-of-one masterpiece.
Sean Puz: "I've been into cars my whole life... and my dad was a circle track racer... and the mud that would fly up off the track... I would mold into little tiny cars... and I guess it kinda started from there...
I feel very blessed by God that I have a talent where I can see what I want to build but yet be able to (build it). It's my design, it's my creation. It's not perfect, I'm far from perfect... but I keep trying to do as good as I can.
Growing up.. I would take a Camaro and change the body or change the suspension. I did start young which was nice. This is the result right now of that evolution of changing and not being satisfied with what's out there."
Autoevolution: This isn't the first major build you've done right? Tell us more about those.
Photo: RiversCars
SP: "I started with a ProStreet S10 and I cut the frame completely out and did a tubular frame and built my own engine and suspension. That kind of worked out good. So then I started racing, which is fantastic... but the money is terrible... so I just couldn't justify the time or the money.
So then I went back to building cars. I built a rat rod and rat rods are amazing to build. No rules... that's my ballgame. That went good but I like performance in them. So I built an engine for a rat rod... it was a big block chevy and it didn't fit...
So I said to myself, "I'll just build a vehicle for this engine." That was before this one (Excalibur) and now this is the second. That thing was a monster" he says with a big grin on his face.
AE: So the Excalibur has been wild from the very start...
SP: "Right. I entered in this competition. You had ten months to build a car. I bought a Packard, and completely cut that Packard apart. It came out very well... we won the build-off drive-off. Then I was told that I had to defend my title. And I thought... "I don't want to do this again.. it's hard..physically, financially, time wise... So that's where this (Excalibur) came about. "
Photo: RiversCars
AE: Tell us about the actual fabrication process.
SP: "I made the spindles, the front axle, the suspension, the frame is all stainless steel tubing, I bent the frame, then I made an aluminum structure for the body and skinned it with aluminum. This is literally a hand-made vehicle. "
AE: Talk us through some of the little details on the truck if you would...
SP: "The windshield is one of the biggest parts of the vehicle. I built the truck around the windshield. Then there are Harley Davidson DayMaker headlights and on the roof are motorcycle turn signals."
Then he lets us in on one of the slickest door handles we've ever seen.
Photo: RiversCars
SP: "I didn't want to put a door handle on it so I devised a system and put it right here... (he's pointing at the door-mirror mounting bracket)... "
As Sean tugs on a small section of the bracket that breaks away from the rest of the unit and causes the door to unlatch and release.
SP: "While we're at it, the wheels are Valco custom wheels. They did such an amazing job working with me. They're one-off wheels. The interior isn't done yet. We're going to do a different seat. I want to put some more copper in here. The dash and everything is custom.
Moving back we have the stainless steel running boards and then this is kind of where the business starts. This is an LS3 GM engine right out of GM Performance, it's called the CT525 all-aluminum engine.
It's rated at 545 horsepower. It is carbureted. This engine is a circle-track engine so it comes carbureted. I'm old-school, I like the carburetor. "
Photo: RiversCars
Then Sean explains his very advanced suspension setup.
SP: "So this ram pushes outward and cantilevers down on the coilover which lifts the truck... and it's the same system in the front. The nice thing about this is that, unlike airbags, the higher up that you have it, the ride quality is exactly the same. With airbags, the higher up you have it, the stiffer it rides. This will raise the truck up eight inches."
AE: So the back end of this thing is just as custom and wild as the front end huh?
SP: "This rear-end is a Franklin quick-change rear end. These are built how you want them. They're amazing. You can change your gears in five minutes. The taillights here are 2012 Dodge Challenger. I had to cut 2.5-inchs off of each one to shorten them down but that's a whole other story. "
Photo: RiversCars
From the details that we can't see to the obvious ones that we can, every inch of Excalibur is clearly crafted with sincere love and passion. We can't thank Puz and his wife Donna for the time they spent with us.
It's rare to find someone that can actually put the things they see in their head on the road in a functional fashion. Sean is just that guy though and we couldn't be more impressed by his creation.
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