CODEINE: Joshua Merrell’s Wicked GMC Sierra with 28s

Mike Self . August 08, 2024 . Feature Stories

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A Wicked GMC That Skates on 28s

In the heart of Missouri, Joshua Merrell, a man with a penchant for the macabre, embarked on a chilling journey of automotive customization. The canvas for his dark artistic expression? A 2006 GMC Sierra crew cab that would become a cautionary tale of demons entwined with the shadows of opioid abuse.

Joshua’s truck already had a list of things going for it when he got started on its latest incarnation, such as the custom chassis, air-ride suspension with Nfamus components and Air Lift air management, and stock floor bodydrop. Oh, and then there’s the set of 28-inch Intro Spyder wheels. Yup, the truck sits flat on the ground on 28s!

Haunted by a dark past, Joshua has channeled his fascination with the sinister into his truck’s design. The concept was born from a mix of personal tribulations and a desire to break away from conformity in the custom truck scene. His father’s passing during the truck’s construction fueled the darkness and inspiration even more, with his graduation photo transformed into a haunting zombie portrait—a somber tribute etched into the truck’s exterior by painter and airbrush artist James R. Ellis, who completely transformed the truck by manifesting Joshua’s thoughts into an otherworldly yet physical reality.

“I’ve always been into evil, demented stuff, so I had the idea—why not have my truck painted with all evil stuff? Purple is my favorite color and, well, the syrup Promethazine, which has Codeine, is purple too,” Joshua tells us. “So, I added that into the theme as with a bottle of syrup, as well. I didn’t want to be like everyone else and do graphics, so I went full artwork and hid it under the candy paint!”

The concept was born from a mix of personal tribulations and a desire to break away from conformity in the custom truck scene.

Now, the truck was already purple before the graphics, but simply airbrushing over the existing paint wasn’t going to cut it. No, Joshua was after a much more subtle look, even though the Sierra’s theme would be anything but. A fresh silver base provided the blank canvas for James to lay down the artwork, which was then buried underneath layers of Urechem Electric Purple candy paint. The result is a paintjob that cleverly hides its story until the right light hits it, then reveals its wickedness for all to study. The Sierra is now a moving, visual diary of a life marked by evil, death, and addiction, one that Joshua fought like hell to turn around—and succeeded.

Haunted by a dark past, Joshua has channeled his fascination with the sinister into his truck’s design.

With as much work as was done to the exterior of the truck, we’d certainly forgive Joshua if the interior had been left stock, but leaving things stock just isn’t his style. The seats were reupholstered in black and turquoise leather and suede, with the rest of the cockpit similarly wrapped or painted. A sound system with a Stinger head unit and custom sub box are shown in the photos, but Joshua has informed us that he’s completely redone the system since the photos were taken! And when you’re flossin’ 28-inch billet wheels on the outside, you’ve gotta have the steering wheel to match on the inside, so he bolted up a Spyder wheel from Intro, which was wrapped in turquoise leather.

This customized nightmare on wheels wasn’t merely an artistic endeavor – it serves as a chilling testimony to Joshua’s journey. Joshua’s Sierra whispers a tale of a harrowing past, one that serves as a warning to others every bit as much as it immortalizes his creativity and ability to produce one badass ride that drops jaws at every show it attends.