The last time you read this column you were rudely awakened by a new author. This month, you're going to be poked again from your slumber with a new title. I figure that if you're going to be reading my mini-truck-induced banter from now on, then I should be able to give this column a title that I can relate to. So now that I've gotten that out of the way, I suppose you're entitled to know a little bit about me. I'll just pretend that we're on a blind date and you're some hot chick that I have to impress by talking about myself.
I drag my rockers all the way to work in the morning because I can and because I love the noise it makes when I scare the bejeezus out of pedestrians. I'm not a mean person; it's just fun for me. I am all about fun. If something is not fun, I won't do it. That's why I work here at Mini Truckin'. Another reason that I work here is that I eat, sleep, and breathe mini-trucks. All of my friends are either mini- truckers themselves or are involved in the sport somehow, so I'm always neck-deep in the scene. My life basically revolves around this sport and everything involved in it. At times this can be a problem (just ask my last girlfriend), but overall it's a good thing because I couldn't ask for a cooler job. This makes it easy for me to get up in the morning for work because I actually look forward to it.
My views on trucks -- I like 'em all. Old, new, import or domestic, it doesn't matter as long as it's laid out and lookin' dope. I love crazy paintjobs that you have to stare at for an hour just to find all the weird stuff that's going on in the graphics. I also love primer. I love wacky body mods that make people trip. I would rather shoot a truck that the owner took chances with as far as the way it looks than take pictures of a cookie-cutter mini. If you want to put shag carpeting and a fish tank in the tailgate of your Dodge, I say go for it. Go ahead and body drop your Ranger until your head sticks out of the ragtop (Harry & the Henderson's style). Who cares if you need goggles to drive? Why not reupholster your interior in corduroy if that's what puts the cream filling in your Twinkies?
Being different is what makes this sport so much fun and entertaining. Don't ever let anyone tell you that your ideas are totally whack. Back in the day, conservative people said that you couldn't put 20s on a mini (yeah, and Santa Claus doesn't have a townhouse in the North Pole either). Look at how far we've come. Body-dropped minis are tuckin' the hell out of big rims all over the nation nowadays. All of this is because of a few open-minded enthusiasts who were willing to take chances and think outside of the box.
None of this means that I can't appreciate the daily driven, ultra-clean, street mini that I pass everyday on my way to work. Most mini-truckers can't commute to work everyday in a truck that's body-dropped, has no taillights, and has a white leather interior. I realized this fact all too well yesterday when I was pulled over in my Tacoma and promptly given six tickets. All of a sudden those LED taillights I installed this summer didn't seem too cool while I was being heckled by Porky. I had a ton of fun building the Taco and showing it, but a full-blown show truck is just not practical as a daily driver. So when I'm at shows, I could care less if your mini doesn't have 37 body mods and the doors weld shut like the General Lee. If it's clean and different and you love it, then nothing else matters.
OK, so maybe all of this won't impress a really hot chick, but at least you're beginning to get an idea about who I am. The point of this month's column is to let you know that I'm open to whatever you want to throw at me. (Editor's Note: Please check all sharp items at the door, although some vegetables and fruits are allowed. Mike's a great guy to work with, and I'd like to keep him around awhile.) I want to see whatever you think is cool. I've spent the last six years on the other side of the fence along with the rest of you building my rides and reading MT, knowing that I had good ideas on how to make it even better.
I'd like to extend an invitation to our readers to find out what you like about MT, what you would like to see changed, and how you think MT can be improved. There are more big changes on the horizon for this great magazine of yours, and I'd like you to be a part of it all. So the next time you're reading MT in the bathroom and get a creative inspiration, write or e-mail us your thoughts. Until next month, think big thoughts and let the sparks fly.