Every now and then a 4x4 comes along that steps the sport up a notch, some because of their ingenuity, some because of their technical advancements, and some because the craftsmanship is more than a few steps beyond the art. Clifton Slay, proprietor of Poison Spyder Customs, built his latest tube car on his company Web site, www.spydercustoms.com, with each step seeming just a bit more over the top than the one prior. We had Clifton on the phone before this monster rolled from PSC's Denver shop and told him we wanted first dibs on featuring it, especially if it lived up to our expectations in real life. Did it ever.
The idea behind the chassis' that Poison Spyder's crew of master fabricators build is that they are not designed to win a rockcrawling world championship or race down the Baja peninsula. Instead the goal is to be a comfortable, capable trail machine, where the driver and passengers can spend hours exploring the gnarliest tracks around.
This latest creation, christened Suicide Sally is based on a Poison Spyder five-seat Bruiser chassis but every nook and cranny has some over-the-top details that push the envelope of extravagant, especially in a trail buggy.
 Chevy small-blocks can be...  Chevy small-blocks can be built for gobs of power, but a big-block has it from the get-go, so a Ramjet 502 was chosen to reside under the hood. That hood is a one-of-a-kind unit from American Expedition Vehicles with a perforated metal insert to help cool the big torque monster. The 502 also benefits from a ZEX 200 shot of nitrous for full throttle assaults in the dunes. We really dig the custom air-inlet tube work fabricated with oval exhaust tubing. |  This hot rod is definitely...  This hot rod is definitely not your dad's old '57 Chevy that never sees the street on a cloudy day. That front Dynatrac axle is stuffed with 40-spline shafts and a Detroit Locker. Steering is fully hydraulic with a chromed and anodized 8-inch ram system from PSC. Big Sally is outfitted with 46-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claws on 16x12 Weld rims. The rims have an inner reinforcement ring and are upgraded with OMF bead locks. |  Though this buggy has more...  Though this buggy has more invested in it than some folks spend on a small house, it doesn't mean it won't see the rocks. Yes, it is a show vehicle for Poison Spyder Customs, but it's gotta work as well as it looks. Even with less than 1-year-old paint Clifton already has some rock rash healing along the underbelly. Check out the long splined driveshafts from High Angle Driveline, how the skidplate is cut to get access to the engine oil drain, and where the brake master cylinder and booster are located under the driver's feet in the bellypan. |
 On new year's eve of 2003...  On new year's eve of 2003 this little coffin whiskey flask was purchased at a Voodoo shop in New Orleans and destined to rest in the dash of Sally. The flask and the engine were the first two items acquired for the buggy buildup. If you had a Ramjet big-block, some whiskey, and a dash of voodoo could you come up with such a cool machine? |  Notice this sharp spike on...  Notice this sharp spike on the handbuilt center console? It is a repeated design on the exhaust pipe tips, air bumpstop canisters, sway-bar brackets, cup holders, and power-steering reservoir bracket. That's the type of stuff you don't see every day on a trail machine. |  Since snow wheeling trips...  Since snow wheeling trips are not out of the question for Clifton and his Colorado-based buggy, a functional yet clean roof design was required. It was assembled from pieces of aluminum and UV-protected aviation-quality Lexan, so that both the roof and windshield are completely watertight. |
The interior is where Clifton and his fiance AJ spend their time, so of course it had to be comfortable as well as stylin'. The heated (yes, heated) seats are custom upholstered Mastercraft Sportsman buckets up front and a wide bench in the rear. Both come equipped with four-point safety harnesses. The dash houses Auto Meter's gauges and hides a Premier Power welder and swing-away grab handle for the co-driver. As an added step, Sally is outfitted with inner and outer body panels for a cleaner look and a hiding place for the numerous wires around the chassis. The steering wheel is polished aluminum with a leather wrap, the throttle and brake pedals are from Lokar, and don't miss the polished aluminum fire extinguisher and pistol-grip levers running to a polished Atlas 3.8 transfer case. The tranny is a modified TH-475 originally designated for a heavy motorhome. Gears are selected via a Lokar shifter with a skull shaped knob, of course. Did you expect one shaped like a kitten?
Engine: GM Ramjet 502 with 200-shot nitrous, polished intake and brackets
Transmission: Heavily modified Turbo 475
Transfer Case: Atlas wih 3.8 reduction
Front Axle: Dynatrac ProRock, rev cut, 40-spline Detroit Lockers, 4:88 R&P, 40-spline shafts & outer stubs with 1480 CTM axle joints
Rear Axle: Dynatrac ProRock, reverse cut, 40-spline Detroit Lockers, 4:88, 40-spline Superior shafts, disc brakes
Wheels & Tires: Weld Cheyenne 16x12, OMF bead locks, 46-inch Mickey Thompson
Suspension: Sway-A-Way 16-inch-stroke coilovers with Hypercoil coils, nickel-plated and polished bodies with purple anodized components, Sway-A-Way nitrogen bumpstops with polished and purple anodized components
Every rig has a story behind it so when it was all said and done, feature editor Fred Williams e-mailed Clifton Slay some questions about his ride.
Out back resides another 40-spline...
Out back resides another 40-spline ProRock 60 high-pinion axle from Dynatrac. Both front and rear axles are located with a four-link suspension and 16-inch Sway-A-Way coilover shocks using Hypercoil coils. The exhaust system is handbuilt with one-off heatshields, Jet-Hot Coating, dual Flowmaster mufflers, and an igniter system that shoots flames out the tailpipes for good measure. Another running theme is the Suicide Sally logo, which is a part skull, part spider found around this wild ride like here in the taillights.
Fred Why did you build it?
Clifton The puppies (Chinook & Kii) are getting older and cannot run the trails like they use to, so I needed a buggy that could accommodate the pups on the trails so they could ride. I also felt that the family tube car is the next big trend in rockcrawling. Additionally I wanted to create a machine from our community that raised the level in detail and refinements that was previously only prominent in the hot-rod world.
Fred How long did it take?
Clifton Five months of actual build time.We built Sally until it was ready to start, then disassembled it. Then painted, powdercoated, and had the exhaust ceramic coated. Then reassembled. This adds two months, so total build time: seven months.
Fred What was the goal?
Clifton To build a family rockcrawler that was the pinnacle in style with the off-roadability to do the most difficult of trails.
Fred Why build it the way you did?
Clifton Big-block for shear power and wow factor. Kept it low, wide, and long for stability, good road characteristics and the ability to climb terrain that short wheelbases could not.
Fred Where do you like to wheel it?
Clifton Anywhere that is not too muddy. We had the best time in her at the Superlift Off Road park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Big wet rocky climbs that enabled us to utilize Sally's best attributes: power, clearance, and wheelbase.
Fred Any other tidbits you would like to add to the story?
Clifton One thing the readers may not know is that the term "tube car" was coined by Fred and his friends during a Pabst Blue Ribbon night in a seedy Denver Bar, but Webster's has failed to implement this new mainstream lingo into its modern text. Nonetheless Fred still uses it daily. Also Fred and I like to label our machines with pet names [such as Sally, Petunia, Bruiser, and Clampy-F.W.], although endearing to us; this practice is viewed by our peers as dated and silly. Of course some people refer to Fred as "Uncle Freddy." I prefer "Crazy Uncle Freddy."
Fred Thanks, Clifton.