The GMC Yukon AT4 was built to blend luxury with offroad travel. This AT4 was kicked up a notch with some sleek blackout styling. Making a blacked out Yukon requires a few different steps like a chrome delete, custom wheels, and window tint.
To make this blackout build standout we installed a satin black vinyl wrap, light-up GMC emblem, and painted red brake calipers. With all these added GMC Yukon accessories and mods this AT4 is looking fresh and ready to hit the street. To see everything this car had done to it keep on reading.
Satin Black Vinyl Wrap
Covering this Yukon AT4’s whole body is a satin black wrap with high quality 2080 vinyl from 3M. Color change wraps like this one block out the original paint jobs and change the finish from gloss to a smooth looking texture. Dark satin wraps have an appearance that forms a luxurious look and feel on the vehicle. It’s like draping silk sheets over the Yukon that accentuate the body lines and help the gloss black accents pop out.
Sometimes vinyl wraps get a bad reputation, but they are a cost-effective way of changing your rides exterior compared to new paint. If properly installed, they last up to 7 years and protect your vehicles paint from chips and corrosion. Plus removing automotive grade vinyl doesn’t harm the car for whenever you want a new wrap.
Black Powder Coated Wheels
Getting rid of the factory chrome wheels is necessary for this style and you can do it one of two ways. First you can invest in a new wheel design from one of the many custom wheel manufacturers like Fuel, Black Rhino, Asanti, Niche, etc… However, buying custom wheels can be expensive. Another option is to apply a powder coat finish to your current wheel design.
Powder coat finishes are a simple way to customize the color of your wheels and enhance their durability. This coating can also be used on parts like tow-hooks or exhaust tips to further personalize your vehicle.
Red Painted Calipers
Behind those glossy black wheels is a pop of color from red painted calipers. Painted brake calipers help to prevent corrosion while adding a new level of design which gives the car more depth. On this blackout Yukon the red calipers match the color of the AT4 emblems and tow hooks which ties the car together.
When painting calipers it is very important to use a durable and heat resistant paint. To further protect your caliper and its paint from the wear and tear of the road we suggest using a ceramic coating. Ceramic coatings create a water and debris resistant barrier that can be applied to the entire car which makes cleaning super easy. When you coat your wheels and calipers using a ceramic coating it makes removing caked on brake dust a much quicker process.
Light-Up GMC Emblem
Illuminated front emblems are a nice addition to the GMC that can really catch some eyes at night. Any light up emblem stands out, but when they’re on a blackout build the lights tend to have a stronger impact. The bright white glow of this black GMC emblem makes a bold statement that other custom GMC Yukon’s don’t.
Blackout Emblems and Badges
Of course, the rest of the emblems needed to be altered to match the Yukon’s darker exterior. We altered the Yukon lettering and the AT4 badge to remove the chrome while still keeping a small pop of red. Changing the look of the factory emblems can makes the SUV feel like a true custom build since it’s more personalized.
The last blackout GMC emblem is hiding on the back attached to the rear hatch valance. This black rear emblem along with the others now stick out from the dark satin wrap giving it an embossed look that’s easier to read because of the difference in finish.
Chrome Delete
GMC Yukon’s are covered in chrome accent features when they leave the factory. Most of this chrome covers the grille so we often start our chrome delete by replacing this giant chrome piece with a blackout grille. With such a large chrome feature deleted the vehicles appearance already starts to change.
Other front-end pieces that get a blackout include front bumper trim, fog light bezel, and mirror accents. It’s crucial to get rid of even the smallest bits of chrome to achieve a full blackout.
Some of the final touches on the front were painting the fender vent accents and smoking the orange side markers. With those changes the front-end chrome fittings are eliminated and taken over by all-new ink black accents.
Other chrome trim in the middle can be a bit trickier to eliminate. The roof rails needed to be pulled off from the top of the car and painted. They’re followed by the fine edges of the window trim which are thin and delicate, making it difficult to work with at times. The skilled technicians at VIP Auto Accessories take care of it with ease though given the number of blackouts they’ve done. Below the windows are the next few specks of chrome waiting to be wiped out like the door handles and lower body molds below the doors.
Parts of the trim like the exhaust tips, rear bumper trim, and rear hatch valance on the back end all have exposed chrome that needs to go. Once they’re taken care of this custom Yukon AT4 becomes a fully blacked out SUV.
Window Tint
Our final addition to this Yukon increased its interior protection and style. 3M window tint has the often-overlooked benefit of solar energy rejection. This helps keep your interior cooler during hot summer months and protect plastics in the dash from sun fading over time. As you can imagine any reduction of heat is very important for blackout vehicles. Not to mention the classic allure window tint creates for your ride changing its demeanor!
Tint is a solid appearance upgrade to make on any vehicle, but it’s important to know that not all tint is made equal. We only use 3M tint because of their benefits over competing brands. We wrote a whole article about the benefits of 3M tint to help you learn more before making your decision.
Tints are offered from 5% to 70% with the lower numbers being darker. The % measures VLT (Visual Light Transference) which quantifies how much light comes through the film. When you go to select your tint, you need to keep in mind your local laws, so that you don’t get ticketed. We always recommend a professional install for this modification. Poor tint jobs will bubble and discolor over time. Make sure your window tint installer has a good warranty to protect your investment!
To see all GMC Yukon customization options, look at our CATALOG.
Interested in a custom build, blackout, or chrome delete for yourself? We offer pickup and delivery across the contiguous united states. Learn More
