A 8,600 lbs car and agility are unlikely accomplices, but 30 year-old Emirati, Ahmed Yacoub, certainly defied our laws of physics with his 2009 Chevrolet Suburban when it was gliding in between sand dunes at 140 km/h, as we tried to keep up from the paved road right beside the desert.
"I've ridden feelings of fear and nervousness from myself," Ahmed confidently says after outlining the off-road adventures he's had in the heavy duty, or HD Suburban in the mere one year of owning it.
This car is quite rare in the Emirates. Aside from spotting it at heavily protected embassies or with National Security, normally escorting VIPs and intimidatingly occupying most of a single lane; an HD Suburban isn't the first choice for off-roaders.
A possible culprit to the truck's novelty is a larger chassis than the more 'normal sized' 1500 Suburban, piloted with rear leaf springs and a front solid axle; a beefier drivetrain that obnoxiously yells 'America!'.
But what's more special about Ahmed's Suburban is yet to come.
Acquired for adventure and on the lookout for potential sponsors, this build will go through a 360 degree transformation from a base spec HD Suburban to a fully equipped overlander, a vehicle built for self-reliant adventure travel to remote areas where the journey is the primary goal; probably a more practical use of its size.
From the outside, the truck will be dressed in everything off-road: front & rear bumpers, off-road side steps, a one of a kind roof rack sporting a set of blinding industrial lights that can be accessed easily with a retro-looking, vehicle mounted ladder and of course, a winch.
And whenever Ahmed feels like getting some shade, he'll unfold a 180 degree tent awning from the roof.
Moving to the drivetrain, expect to see a 3" lift kit with Fox shocks all being piloted by a set of 35" Kumho tires, since BF Goodrich are too noisy for Ahmed's liking.
"We call BF Goodrich Meyhad Hamed because of the type of loud, musical sound they make," Ahmed explains illustratively.
What makes this project evermore exciting is the heart Ahmed has had for mechanics and restoring cars throughout his life; namely American cars.
This dates back to his childhood, when his late Grandfather would drop him off to school in 70' Cadillac Deville droptop, and later as an adult when he'd leave his Mizhar neighborhood with a full burnout in his 73' big block Chevelle.
"I've loved American cars since I was born," says Ahmed."It's in my blood."
This passion is reflected through the previous cars Ahmed has worked on.
Sponsored by Subzero Motorpsorts, A 63' Impala he built-up from a mere chassis won 5th place in the 2017 Wathba Custom Show alongside the 72' big block Chevelle that got 2nd, are testaments to the dedication, work and preference Ahmed has for building American cars, particularly those from GM.
"I've driven and worked on everything, from Defenders to Nissan VTCs. The car that withstands me the most is the GMC," Ahmed says. "I love the HD models especially and I understand how to work on these cars," he adds.
He does however, have his reservations towards models from 2014 onwards, noting their reduced quality, and increased complexity.
"I'm a mechanic, not an electrician. The newer models have too much electricity and are annoying to work on." he says.
And this is part of the reason he's chosen a fully standard base model HD Suburban. Overlanders need to get you where you need to go without electrical or mechanical faults that are tedious to self diagnose and repair while you're stranded in the middle of nowhere.
This is unlike a Carrera Ahmed tried rebuilding at home when he decided to take a stab at European cars. He ended up reselling it without the engine.
"I wasn't able to complete it. If you fit just the timing belt wrong, the whole thing gets ruined," he exclaims.
Follow Ahmed's progress or contact him for collaborations and sponsorships through his Instagram account, @theoverlanding. And stay up to date with our latest builds and adventures at @themotormag.
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