Texas Metal

A pristine '60s Willys transforms into something bigger, meaner and louder.

Ekstensive Metalworks knows how to go really big, but what happens when they need to go extra small? An antique 1953 tanker tests Bill and the guys as one of their biggest builds to date, while a family golf cart gets radically remade into a wheelie poppin', high-speed electric demon.

A new customer challenges Bill with his fully customized '37 Ford Coupe, which he wants restored to its factory look; as one of their biggest builds yet, the '53 tanker proves again and again that the bigger the truck, the bigger the build.

As Bill says, you never know what new build is going to roll into the shop. This time, it's a beloved 1964 Rolls-Royce with a rusty secret. Meanwhile, the team finishes the final fabrication as they prepare to ship out one of their biggest builds ever, the '53 tanker truck.

Bill loves a good challenge, especially when it's a build he and his team have never done before; while they transform a one-ton 2022 F-350 into a Baja-style Raptor, they rebuild a 1964 Rolls riddled with structural damage from the ground up.

When the outside doesn't match the inside on one of Bill's favorite muscle cars, a 1972 'Cuda, the team hatches an innovative plan for a modern, handmade redux; Bill and the team tear down a 1952 GMC wrecker to build it into a tow and show truck.

Bill is hard on his trucks, and that's especially true of his Baja-style 2017 F-150 race truck; after one too many jumps, Bill is ready to wake it up one more time; the team designs a one-of-one suspension for a 1952 wrecker truck.

Bill thought he'd done it all until a 2022 Ford Lightning rolls in and becomes Ekstensive's first custom air ride with an all-electric drivetrain. The team stays old school by dropping a classic '52 Wrecker to the floor with a supercharged LT4.

Bill sees a custom-made opportunity to turn a smashed 2022 Jeep Gladiator into a one-of-one custom truck. The side-by-side scene has exploded in Texas, and Ekstensive gets a shot to show what they've got with a brand-new Polaris Ranger XP 1000.

Bill goes back to his roots building mini-trucks with a 2023 Polaris Ranger, adding a custom camper and dancing bed; Ekstensive has built its share of ground-up builds over the years, but nothing like the metalwork on the 1952 Wrecker.

What was already one of Ekstensive's biggest ground-up builds ever goes even bigger on the '52 tow truck, as Bill and his team fabricate a custom hot rod wrecker truck unlike any other. The team takes the stock out of a 2023 GMC Denali with a custom lift.

After Ekstensive finished his '69 MGC, actor/wrestler John Cena surprised the shop with parts of an iconic '37 Bugatti Type 57. Now it's Bill's turn to surprise John with an audacious design choice. A stock '23 GMC Denali goes bigger, badder and dually.

Bill balances custom and function when he tackles a working 2023 Ram that needs to deliver on the road and stand out at the tow show. A new client plans a surprise customization on her dad's '49 Ford F-1, which is more rust than wrecker.

Bill Carlton and his interior guru John Burgess are happy to take a trip down memory lane transforming an '89 Bronco II super low and extra loud. In a shop first, the team builds a custom frame for a '49 Ford truck with independent rear suspension.

Like a lot of kids growing up, one of Bill Carlton's favorite cars was the Pontiac GTO, so he's more than excited to put his spin on a 1968 GTO. Meanwhile, one of Ekstensive's biggest builds, the '52 tow truck, finishes super strong.

It's not everyday Ekstensive Metalworks gets to customize a 2005 Ferrari F430, but the entire team must pull out all the stops to make this Italian sports car one of one; the '68 GTO gets a new, handmade coilover suspension setup.

In what is one of the most intricate metal projects they've ever built, Bill and his team hand make a one-of-a-kind engine bay for the '68 GTO out of steel and aluminum.

Over time, the trucks coming out of Ekstensive Metalworks keep getting bigger and bigger.

Once Bill sets his mind to something, there's no going back.

After months and months of elaborate metal work, Bill and the fabrication team reach the final sprint on a one-of-one '68 GTO, built for two brothers.

Bill Carlton must find the balance between handmade metal work and the designs of two Ford trucks.

If you're going to get a build at Ekstensive, you can't expect to get your coffee from just any old coffee shop.

With dozens of awards on their walls, crowds of adoring fans, and a long waitlist, Bill Carlton and his Texas team always have their hands full with rowdy customers, challenging builds and tight timelines.

A while back, a customer asked Bill to rebuild a rusty '49 Ford truck as a gift for her dad. The team has given it their all to finish a one-of-one, hand-built masterpiece with a Coyote engine -- and one of the best presents a dad could ever imagine.