These days, Russell Demitras doesn't have to go to a show to gather attention for himself in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas. You see, for 12 years, Russell has been involved with the mini-truckin' lifestyle in some way or other, but for the past two years, he's been putting together one of the cleanest Mazdas to be found anywhere.
When he put the last few custom touches on his mini just in time for the end of the 2001 show season, we magazine types found ourselves scrambling over one another to get first dibs on shooting the truck for a feature. Presently a proud member of the Kansas contingent of IVEVERLOW, Russell has been covering the Midwest show arena like a madman, making anyone with a Mazda jealous over his clean creation.
If you're anywhere in the Midwest this coming show season, be on the lookout for Russell's badass Mazda. It ought to blow most of its rivals out of competition, so considered yourself forewarned.
The Lowdown
Wheels/Tires:
17x7-1/2-inch Elite custom wheels tucked into P205/40R17 performance radial tires. The Mazda runs a 4x4-1/5 bolt circle due to Mike Brott's redrilling of the B-mini's rotors and axles.
Suspension
The rapidly evolving B-mini was professionally 'bagged by The Mod Shop in Sacramento, California, where they used Firestone air springs on the leaf springs in the rear and 'bags mounted to cups and the factory upper and lower control arms in the front. Control for the air suspension is adjusted with dual manual valves mounted in the truck's center console.
Body Mods:
Shaved door handles, corner lamps, taillights, emblems, and a shaved tailgate and antenna. The taillights were also shaved, but they were replaced with Hi-Tech LED lenses in an Alter Images steel California combo roll pan/tailgate skin. A chrome grille was modified to use a Trenz billet grille insert. The body of the Mazda was sliced open and the floor slid 2-1/2 inches into the cab for a body drop performed by The Mod Shop. All of the custom bodywork on the truck was performed by Justin "Juice" Cline in Wichita.
Performance:
Two-and-a-half-inch exhaust tubing with a hi-flow catalytic converter was installed, along with a Pacesetter header and a Weber carburetor. It's no race truck -- Russell will admit to that -- but it gets Mr. Demitras where he needs to show.
Detailing:
Plenty of Eastwood's Chassis Black paint was used on the chassis of Russell's Mazda to make it clean and new appearing once again. Additionally, the engine compartment was detailed with plenty of polish and chrome.
Paint/Graphics:
Justin "Juice" Cline also sprayed the graphics that cover the Mazda using various shades of PPG paint. Interior The Mazda's stock seats were reupholstered sans headrests for a more cool, custom look. Speaking of Cool Custom, that's the name of the shop that did the upholstery work inside Russell's mini. They also built a tweed-wrapped center console for him that works really well with the newly upholstered seating.
Audio System:
Advance Audio in Wichita slammed some kick-ass tunes into the Mazda using an Alpine head unit, Eclipse amplifiers, JBL subwoofers, and Kenwood Excelon separates. The system was wired up and made ready to pound by Advance Audio's own Matt Fontaine. Special Thanks To Bosely Tires, Justin "Juice" Cline, and Suzy Demitras, Russell's wife.
Owner's Quote:
"Thanks to my good friend, Juice, for keeping me focused on my truck and keeping me from losing interest in it. Keep it low and free, baby."