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TAILGATE
TRICKERY
Pro Design Lights Up a Custom Suburban
[Text and photos by Matt Emery]
Throughout the history of custom vehicles, one of the most
modified items seems to be taillights. The stock units are
usually axed in favor of something different. Ironically it
is usually stock units from another vehicle that are put in
their place.
Such
was the case when Mike Fillion, owner of Pro Design Custom
Fabrication and Accessories in Santa Ana, California, decided
that with all the major custom body work he was doing to his
Suburban, he had to replace the stock taillights a bit more
out of the ordinary. And out of the ordinary, they are. The
taillights Mike fabricated for his classic Sub are one-of-a-kind.
Mike
and his Pro Design team have graced many pages in Classic
Trucks Magazine, as well as those in many of the other magazines
in the McMullen Argus Truck Group. Follow along as he turned
stock into stunning. Questions? Call Pro Design at (714) 436-1158.
1.
Once the old taillight was removed and the opening closed
up, the newly fabricated and TIG-welded piece was mated to
the billet insert. 2. Mike used the billet insert as
a template and marked the desired cut lines. 3. A cutting
wheel was used to put cuts along the four straight sides.
4.
A reciprocating saw was used to connect the cuts. 5.
The lenses consist of a smooth, red plastic and a clear plastic
with a pyramid grid on it to act as a diffuser. Instead of
a single bulb, Mike used a circuit board with LED lights.
this way, he can arrange the LEDs so that it doesn't matter
if the running lights, the turn lights, or the brake lights
are on, and there will be complete illumination and no hot
spots.
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