Car shows are a great way to find out what the current trends are. Flat black paintjobs, staggered wheels with huge lips on the back, and modern tech in old cars are just a few of the trends that are beginning to fill the shows. However, these same shows are also a great place to find that one ride that just makes you stop in your tracks and say “Wow!” Such is the case with Mike Hatfield and his Goodguys award-winning 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. Coming out of Decatur, Alabama, this truck is definitely unique. What started 10 years ago as a side project ended in this beautiful red truck. It started when Mike was looking for a project to work on. He had only one pre-requisite: It had to be red. As soon as Mike laid eyes on this red GMC, he knew he absolutely had to have it. With the blessing of his wife Andrea, Mike set out to build one of the cleanest and most unique trucks in the South.

For the first seven years of the build, the 1500 sat on the back burner. Mike would spend a few hours a week doing small odds and ends, but never really had the time to fully customize the truck to his liking. However, three years ago that all changed. With the help of his friend Mike Hoffman things finally got kicked into gear. The duo began by sprucing the LM7 Vortech engine up a bit with a K&N intake to pull in more fresh air than the stock intake along with a throttle body spacer to help provide more torque in the low-end of the RPM range.

The two then put on a set of ceramic coated Edelbrock headers on the motor followed by an ECU flash to improve performance and power of the stout LM7. Once Mike was happy with the performance side of things, he began dressing up the engine bay.

To help make it sparkle, he installed a chrome battery cover tray, brake cylinder cover, and battery cover to name a few of the shiny mods. Mike also had the intake color-matched to the same brilliant red on the truck. Taking a look on the outside shows the tasteful body modifications that have been done. The first thing that catches your eye is the brilliant red paint. Believe it or not, this paint came from the factory! Of course, it had some help to shine in the form of a thorough wet sanding and buffing.

Another slick touch with the paint is the amazing ghost flames. To help the curves of the truck flow seamlessly in the back, Mike had a Stillen roll pan installed. On the front is a smoothed and massaged front bumper with crystal headlights and a billet grille to tie everything together.

One of the biggest mods done to the truck is the suspension. To keep the truck looking clean and fresh, Mike had the old stock suspension replaced with a complete air bag setup which allows him to adjust his ride height from stock to slammed depending on how he feels when cruising and showing off. To set his truck off Mike decided to use 20” Intro Twisted Vista II wheels wrapped with Continental 235/35/20s up front and 265/35/20s in the rear. The most impressive feature of this truck though is the interior. With the help of another friend, David Jacobson, the entire interior has been dramatically changed with fiberglass. That includes the custom door panels and dramatic center console with a Kicker subwoofer to help the music bump as he cruises.

Even the headliner received the glass treatment. You’ll also notice that the dash has been sanded, smoothed, and shaped out before being painted red to bring the outside in. If it wasn’t painted red on the inside, it was covered with billet aluminum. So what are Mike’s next big plans? “Well, I’d like to have it repainted… I’m still in love with red so it’s definitely gonna be red, maybe even with some of the old-school hotrod pinstriping to add nice accents. I also plan on shaving everything too. Door handles, tailgate handle, everything. It’s gotta go” Mike told me. With the continued support of his wife and two daughters, as well as all of his friends, we can believe it will only be a matter of time before we see another massive transformation for this truck at the next Goodguys show in his area.