Bad Influence-One Wicked 2012 RAM 2500
Pete Costanzo is no stranger to the show truck scene. He’s had his hand in building several show stopping rigs over the last couple decades. With SEMA approaching, Pete jumped into his newest build, a head turning daily driver dubbed Project Bad Influence. With less than six months to transform the stock 2012 Ram 2500, Pete enlisted the help of Street 2 Sand (S2S) Performance to turn the dream into reality. The end result is something worth a second look.
With a menacing and albeit over-the-top appearance, Project Bad Influence is ready to hit the trail, street, or show. The build is just the right amount of flash with a slew of aftermarket accessories, performance and suspension upgrades, and custom paint. In the spirit of you can never have too many, this Ram is outfitted with an assortment of Baja Designs LEDs to light up the way. Up front, you’ll find a roof-mounted 50-inch bar, XL pods mounted in the Fusion bumper, AWC grille, and even the Elite Customs built headlights are fitted with LED illumination.
Adding to the menacing appearance, the factory steel hood was swapped out for an AIT Racing SSK style ram-air fiberglass replacement. The functional vents allow cool air in and heat to escape. Under the hood, the stock 6.7L Cummins diesel is brought to life using and S&B cold-air intake, Sinister Diesel EGR delete, H&S Mini Maxx race tuner, and a Diamond Eye 5-inch turbo-back exhaust system.
Inside the cab, Bad Influence has super plush Alea leather covered seats with ultra suede inserts. The dash and doors feature candy red accents to match the exterior treatment.
Stylish and robust, a pair of Monsterhook swivel hooks are mounted on the front Fusion bumper. These hooks are machined from aircraft grade 6061–T6 aluminum and rated for 10,000 pounds.
Up front, the truck rides on a BDS 10-inch long-arm suspension lift with Fox shocks. The axles, suspension, and drivetrain components have been treated to a candy red powdercoat. The lift provides plenty of clearance for 37x13.50R22 Nitto Mud Grapplers on 22x12 Hostile Hammered wheels in chrome.
Keeping the front axle in position, the BDS long arm kit uses heavy-duty frame brackets, formed control arms, and an adjustable track bar. This ensures the truck stays in control on the road or off the beaten path.
The candy red bling continues up front with the BDS progressive rate coils and sway bar in red. This truck is running the 8-inch BDS coils and 2-inch steel coil spacers to achieve 10 inches of extra altitude. Dual Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir shocks were also fitted to provide a smooth ride.
The paint job on this truck is immaculate. Done by Elite Customs the tri-tone white, black and candy red pops in the sunlight.
Out back, the candy red powdercoating continues with BDS leaf springs and traction bars, along with S2s diff cover and airbag mounts. A pair of Firestone airbags ensures this truck doesn’t squat under load, regardless of what it’s hauling. Finishing off the rear suspension are Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir shocks.
In place of the stock spare tire is a set of Horn Blasters air-horns fed from a VIAIR compressor and auxiliary tank. Also seen is the tail end of the 5-inch turbo-back Diamond Eye exhaust that dumps behind the rear axle.
Bad Influence isn’t a trailer queen. She’s a daily driven, super-capable show rig that isn’t afraid to get dirty. Check it out in action in the Nevada dirt. Check out more photos and action in our gallery.
