Owner: Shane McPherson
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
Ride: '00 GMC Sonoma
Club: Notorious Addictions
The chain of events leading up to Shane McPherson's feature shoot with MT is probably familiar to nearly everyone who reads this magazine. His story mimics most of the mini-truckers we meet at every show we attend, so it was no surprise to us that this wasn't his first project truck. Shane's story, and life in general, began after acquiring his driver's license. At age 17, Shane bought his first mini, a '95 Chevy S-10. He worked on it for a while and then sold it to build another mini, a '98 GMC Sonoma. He worked on the Sonoma for some time before letting it go, once again incomplete. By 2000, Shane finally hit his stride, founding the club Notorious Addictions and completing his '00 Sonoma, his nicest truck thus far. The years between his inauguration into our sport can be billed as a learning experience. His club is now 10 members strong and his truck is a super-clean example of form and function. The friends and knowledge that Shane earned throughout the years helped his project progress along at a rapid clip. As shop manager at JR's Truck Accessories in Marietta, Georgia, Shane has the golden key to a sweet shop with all the tools he needed to work on his ride. He and his friends took full advantage of the keys and spent many late nights wrenching on his mini to get the stance and styling together. Their hard work paid dividends, and the 60 hours of work in the paint booth netted them quite a few First Place trophies at shows like Slamfest and Mini Nats. To delve further into the buildup of this awesome mini, check out the photos and The Lowdown.
The Lowdown
Chassis/Suspension Working after hours with Ken Baker, Shane converted the front suspension from stock using Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and Firestone 2500 airbags. The rear suspension was set up after the frame received a 9-inch monster notch and a Pete & Jakes triangulated four-link. The Firestone 2600 'bags were then mounted beneath a bridge crossmember and plumbed with 3/8-inch air line. MAC 3/8-inch valves control the air that is provided by a 6-gallon reserve tank and a Viair 450 compressor. A set of four Pro Shocks was sent out for chrome-plating along with the rear differential cover before being installed on the chassis.
Wheels/Tires 18X8-inch Eagle 212 rims and 215/35ZR18 Falken GRB tires fill the front fenderwells, while 20X8-inch rims and 255/35ZR20 tires tuck into the custom wheel tubs nicely.
Body Mods The quest to alter the truck's appearance led Shane and Robbie Reavis to install a GMC Envoy front bumper and APC Euro taillights. From there, the hood squirters, door handles, tailgate handle, and antenna were removed from the truck and their respective holes were shaved. The rear steps on the bed were also shaved along with the third brake light.
Custom Paint After spending many nights block-sanding all of the altered bodywork, Al Adams and Billy Goff sprayed 18 different colors of DuPont paint to give Shane's truck its two-faced appearance. Shane then came in and striped and airbrushed all of the graphics before the clear was applied.
Interior The exterior painting was then carried to the inside of the truck where 22 different interior panels received matching colors. Black velvet material was also tastefully applied to the doors and glove compartment. The finishing touch is a Carriage Works Blaze model billet steering wheel.
Audio The delights of watching DVDs while sitting in the cab of the truck were made possible by installing a 7-inch Accelle monitor in the dash. To reproduce the soundtracks of his favorite movies, Shane installed a Panasonic 801 head unit and Kenwood Excelon coaxial speakers in the factory locations. Shane then built a 1.6-cubic-foot enclosure to house a single 12-inch Xtant subwoofer behind the seats and powered it with a Kenwood KAC-5426 amplifier.
Engine After 'bagging his truck, Shane tossed the stock fuel tank in the garbage and replaced it with a polished fuel cell, mounted inside of the bed. The 2.2L four-cylinder motor was then outfitted with an APC polished air intake and a Street and Performance throttle body spacer.
Owner's Quote "Thanks to everyone who helped out and believed in me! To Keli for her patience, Al Adams and Billy Goff for the paint work, Ken Baker for the suspension, and my parents for their support."