Hammer FabHammer Fab — Bertram, Texas
99 Tahoe
ALL BUILDS

1999 · Full custom build

IN PROGRESS

99 Tahoe

1999
IN-HOUSE — BERTRAM, TX
ONGOING

§ 01

THE BRIEF

We started with a clean 1999 Tahoe body and stripped it to a shell. The goal: a wide-body, two-door OBS that looks factory from ten feet away and like nothing else up close. Flared front fenders, widened rear quarters, and a hand-shaped tailgate all flow around a 2019 Camaro drivetrain swap. Chassis, mounts, cooling, and exhaust were all engineered in-house.

§ 02 — Note from the shop

"Old-school silhouette, new-school heartbeat. Every panel shaped by hand."

§ 03 — Build journal

The updates.

A living log of every meaningful moment on this build — new photos, short notes, and the milestones worth marking.

7 UPDATES · 3 MILESTONES

Milestones

  1. JUN 30, 2026— Final render locked
  2. JUL 8, 2026— Metal fabrication in progress
  3. JUL 13, 2026— Wide-body mockup on roller wheels

UPDATE 07 / 07

Jun 30, 2026

DESIGN MILESTONE

Final render locked

Wide-body proportions approved. Gunmetal over satin black with machined bronze wheels. The render is now the target for every panel on the floor.

Approved final direction — studio side profile.J001
Approved final direction — studio side profile.

UPDATE 06 / 07

May 12, 2026

METALWORK

Rear quarters widened

Both rear quarters cut, stretched, and welded back together. No filler — just hammer and dolly work to get the shape right.

UPDATE 05 / 07

Mar 20, 2026

DRIVELINE

Camaro drivetrain fitted

LT1 and 8-speed dropped in for the first time. Transmission tunnel and shifter location finalized before we pull it back out for paint.

Engine bay: as-built LT1 install (left) next to the smoothed-firewall rendering target (right).J002
Engine bay: as-built LT1 install (left) next to the smoothed-firewall rendering target (right).

UPDATE 04 / 07

Jan 8, 2026

CHASSIS

Frame boxed and modified

Frame rails boxed, crossmembers relocated, and suspension pickup points set for the finished wheelbase and stance.

Camaro suspension and boxed rails in the Tahoe chassis.J003
Camaro suspension and boxed rails in the Tahoe chassis.

UPDATE 03 / 07

Jul 8, 2026

METALWORK MILESTONE

Metal fabrication in progress

Hand-shaped aluminum firewall and inner-fender panels, custom chassis crossmember, and quarter panel stitch-welds. Every piece cut, formed, and fit in-house.

Body mocked on the chassis with LT1 in place — laser alignment for panel gaps.J004
Body mocked on the chassis with LT1 in place — laser alignment for panel gaps.
Hand-formed aluminum firewall panel with recessed pockets, off the English wheel.J005
Hand-formed aluminum firewall panel with recessed pockets, off the English wheel.
Sculpted contour worked into an aluminum panel — shaped by hand, no filler.J006
Sculpted contour worked into an aluminum panel — shaped by hand, no filler.
Firewall panel test-fit with clecos before final weld.J007
Firewall panel test-fit with clecos before final weld.
Custom chassis crossmember and suspension mount fabricated in-house.J008
Custom chassis crossmember and suspension mount fabricated in-house.
Sweep templates laid out on a raw panel — #100 and #84 sweeps marked before forming.J009
Sweep templates laid out on a raw panel — #100 and #84 sweeps marked before forming.
Quarter panel stitch welds — tacked, cooled, and blended in stages to keep the metal flat.J010
Quarter panel stitch welds — tacked, cooled, and blended in stages to keep the metal flat.

UPDATE 02 / 07

Jul 13, 2026

MOCKUP MILESTONE

Wide-body mockup on roller wheels

Full body mockup outside for the first time — flared fronts, widened rears, and hand-shaped bumpers all hung on the shell. The wheels you see are just roller wheels used to move the truck around; final rolling stock will be a set of SP Forged 3-piece wheels in the style shown in the last frame.

Front three-quarter mockup in the shop under the Hammer Fab banner.J011
Front three-quarter mockup in the shop under the Hammer Fab banner.
Driver-side profile — stance and flare proportions dialed in on rollers.J012
Driver-side profile — stance and flare proportions dialed in on rollers.
Driver-side outside the shop — roller wheels only, final wheels TBD.J013
Driver-side outside the shop — roller wheels only, final wheels TBD.
Passenger rear three-quarter showing widened quarters and rear flare.J014
Passenger rear three-quarter showing widened quarters and rear flare.
Straight rear — hand-shaped tailgate, bumper, and quarter flares.J015
Straight rear — hand-shaped tailgate, bumper, and quarter flares.
Passenger side three-quarter — full wide-body proportions on roller wheels.J016
Passenger side three-quarter — full wide-body proportions on roller wheels.
Target rolling stock: SP Forged 3-piece wheels — style reference for the finished truck.J017
Target rolling stock: SP Forged 3-piece wheels — style reference for the finished truck.

UPDATE 01 / 07

Nov 14, 2025

TEARDOWN

Body on the rack

Clean 1999 Tahoe stripped to a bare shell. Every bracket, clip, and trim piece catalogued before the metalwork begins.

§ 04 — Process

Chapter by chapter.

Every build is documented as it moves through the shop. Here's how this one came together.

Body & stanceC018
ALL-METAL WIDE-BODY
01CHAPTER

Body & stance

Factory sheetmetal was used as the starting point, not the finish. We widened the track, shaped the flares, and set the ride height to let the wheels sit exactly where they belong.

Drivetrain swapC019
CAMARO LT1 / 8-SPEED
02CHAPTER

Drivetrain swap

2019 Camaro LT1 and 8-speed automatic. Motor mounts, transmission crossmember, driveshaft, and exhaust all fabricated around the modern package.

Chassis & suspensionC020
MODIFIED AFTERMARKET CHASSIS, 2019 CAMARO SUSPENSION
03CHAPTER

Chassis & suspension

Modified aftermarket chassis with 2019 Camaro suspension geometry. The truck rides lower and tighter than stock while keeping full travel and modern road manners.

Interior detailsC021
CUSTOM ALUMINUM DASH, CARPLAY, TOUCH SCREENS
04CHAPTER

Interior details

Built in-house by Hammer Fab: re-formed stock captain's chairs, a custom aluminum dash, a one-off center console, Apple CarPlay, and touch screens where they matter. Functional, not flashy.

§ 05 — Gallery

Frame by frame.

12 FRAMES · SHOT IN-HOUSE

99 Tahoe — frame 1G022
001 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 2G023
002 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 3G024
003 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 4G025
004 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 5G026
005 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 6G027
006 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 7G028
007 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 8G029
008 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 9G030
009 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 10G031
010 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 11G032
011 / 012
99 Tahoe — frame 12G033
012 / 012

§ 06 — Next steps

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