Driving home in southwest Arlington, I spotted a huge pickup truck straddling the lanes on Bowen Road.
I raced to intercept and followed the grey giant into a service station.
The driver emerged 6’ above the pavement and used the deep tread of the 5’ diameter tire as a ladder.
I met Braden Barbisch, driver of the massive rolling billboard for CENTRAL ALPS OFF-ROAD SHOP on Pioneer Parkway in Arlington. Braden is in sales and promotion for CENTRAL ALPS, which has grown into the premier off-road custom shop in the Metroplex over the last 13 years. He works with clients, local and out of state, offering them a wide array of products and services to transform any make or model truck into something unique … Even an 11-foot-tall beast like our featured truck that Braden pilots to car shows, parades, and special events … Effective advertising for CENTRAL ALPS OFF-ROAD SHOP.
The company was started by Michael McAndrews in 2013. After 10 years working for his dad, Jim McAndrews, at McAndrews Motors … a well-established full-service dealership that is deeply involved in a variety of local, faith-based charities. Michael yearned to turn his passion for off-road machines into a specialized business. Today, the two companies are next-door neighbors in southwest Arlington and share the creed, Love God, Love People.
Michael named the business CENTRAL ALPS, his imaginary European mountain range … The ideal place for visionary off-road machines.
This imposing, loud, and powerful truck started life as a 2002 Ford F-250. It utilizes a stock chassis and drivetrain. The factory exhaust system has been replaced with large-diameter, unobstructed straight pipes.
The undercarriage is a carefully engineered labyrinth of structural and tubular steel that connects the factory frame to 4 large hydraulic cylinders surrounded by coil springs providing the lift and suspension at all 4 corners.
Trucks in general are a huge part of the automotive landscape, with the Ford and Chevrolet pickups as the top sellers year after year. Just like the car owner who thrives on personalizing his vehicle, that same affliction is shared by truck owners who want something special and different. In my 50+ years as a “car-guy,” the imagination and commitment of the customizers never cease to amaze me.
Rick Powell’s 1983 Chevy C10 is certainly a beautiful example of a mild custom that retains the look of the original, glamorized with custom paint, lowered stance, and polished aluminum wheels. The interior modifications include an electronic, digital instrument panel, B&M floor shifter, carpeted, quiet, and air-conditioned. And it is FAST, with a custom-built 409 cubic inch V8 delivering 550 horsepower that translates into incredible quarter-mile performance: 128 MPH in 10.91seconds. It’s a beauty and a beast all in one!
Note on the 409: probably the only engine in history to stir enough passion to have a hit song written about it … the Beach Boys in 1962. Notice that you never hear a song about a Tesla!
Rick and his brother Bill are both Air Force pilot veterans. They continued their life in the sky after serving, Rick as a Delta pilot for 34 years and Bill as an Air Force T38 Trainer simulator instructor.
Bill found the truck over 20 years ago, bought it for $900, and set out to make it fast … Rick contributed parts and labor along the way, and when Bill reached his goal of a quarter mile in under 11 seconds … he gifted it to his younger brother, who has added beauty to the speed.
The brothers have invested several years in the transformation of a worn-out 43-year-old pickup into an incredibly fast machine that is also a refined beauty. Bill built the engine and experimented with a variety of modifications to all aspects of the truck, seeking optimum performance. Lots of trial and error resulted in a finished product that has the speed credentials, to which brother Rick added tasteful details to make it as good-looking as it is fast. That’s one lucky truck.
Our Beast is a street-legal version of the monster trucks featured in live exhibitions around the world. This obsession with giant trucks flying through the air is a massive business with hundreds of shows annually. The largest promoter, Monster Jam, sells 5 million tickets annually.
Trucks like our Beauty follow no set specifications or limitations. They are the result of one person’s vision and are appreciated by millions at car shows in every town across the country.
Side by side, our two trucks present a stark contrast but also provide a real-life example of different visions but the same boundless energy focused on the same class of vehicle.
The end results are like night and day … Beauty & the Beast.
