After Anthony Tyminski finished his '86 Nissan 720, he wanted to stick with the same brand (since he already considered himself a Nissan nut) but roll something newer. In late 1996, Tyminski bought a brand-new '97 Nissan King Cab and threw himself into building what would eventually become one of the East Coast rides that constantly vie for Best of Show trophies.
Anthony began this project with subtle changes, making the truck more of what he had always wanted in a custom mini. Since Anthony is a body repairman at a local body shop, this part of his buildup was a no-brainer. After work and on weekends, he slowly shaved and molded his way toward the perfect Nissan Hardbody. Anthony soon found himself wanting more and more, and his Nissan rapidly changed to reflect the leaps and bounds being made. The more he became involved with the mini-truckin' scene and realized what he wanted, the faster Anthony worked to make his truck a piece of rolling artwork.
At some point, Anthony caught the bug that compells mini-truckers to lay their trucks as close to Mother Earth as possible. With this new fever, he decided that his truck needed to be body-dropped. Anthony didn't just do a shallow 2- or 2-1/2-inch body drop - he went all out. His body drop was full-tilt at a whopping 4 inches of total body slam. Since he was working with the only mini-truck to sport tons of interior room, his body drop made the truck exceptionally low and still afforded him the ability to drive it comfortably.
Since day one, Anthony made sure he had a direct hand in all the craftsmanship of his Nissan. We feel this is the best way to build a custom truck since no one will care as much as you do about your body-dropped baby. In three years of total build time, Anthony created a clean Hardbody that any other mini-truck would have a tough time beating. Because of this, we're kinda glad that Mr. Tyminski doesn't live on the left side of the nation. Then again, maybe it would get some people off their cans and into the garage more often. In any case, Anthony's ride serves as a shining example of what can be accomplished if you put your mind to something and keep at it until your dream is finally realized. We hope you enjoy poring over the images of Anthony's incredible Hardbody. No matter how kick-ass you think the truck is by looking at the images, you must see this truck in person to appreciate how incredibly detailed and visually pleasing it truly is.
The Lowdown
Wheels/Tires 17x7-inch Budnik Scissor Six billet wheels with 5-1/4-inch backspacing and 205/40R17 BFGoodrich tires.
Suspension: Installed by owner and Jeff Zalfino / AIM Industries 2-inch dropped spindles / Firestone airbags all around / Belltech shocks / Pete & Jake's four-link / smoothed and painted frame using VW Silver
Body Modifications: 4-inch body drop / '92-'95 Toyota 4Runner front bumper, headlights, and grille / 4x4 Nissan Hardbody front fenders / chrome electric side mirrors / shaved door handles / shaved hood squirters / shaved emblems / shaved cowl panel / shaved fuel filler door / shaved marker lights / shaved tailgate handle / molded tailgate / rolled rear pan to bed and tailgate / shaved taillights / shaved third brake light / suicide doors / Hi-Tech LED taillights / custom-rolled rear fenders / bodywork by the owner
Paint: House of Kolor Organic Green by Frank Bratoli in Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Stereo: Pioneer head unit / Phoenix Gold 350-watt midrange amplifier / Phoenix Gold 600-watt subwoofer amplifier / two 10-inch Kicker Solo-Baric subwoofers in King Cab enclosure / Pioneer tweeters mounted in-dash / Pioneer midrange speakers mounted in the doors / wiring and installation by owner
Interior: Stock seats, dash, headliner, and door panels wrapped in sandstone tweed / fiberglass center console (houses air gauges and air controls) painted to match Organic Green exterior / billet dash vents / sliding ragtop / installation by the owner and Tom's Upholstery in Butler, New Jersey
Engine/Performance: Engine dropped 1-1/4 inches / ceramic-coated headers / polished engine pulleys / chromed valve cover / chromed power steering tank / polished brake lines / painted brake booster / painted battery box and miscellaneous accessories
Miscellaneous: The truck has made appearances all over the East Coast and taken trophies everywhere it's been. Anthony has enjoyed wins at the Carlisle All-Truck Nationals, the Magnetic Minis Bash, the Garden State Nationals, and the Sullen Creations and Low Rollers' End of Summer Bash.
Special Thanks: Frank Bratoli / Anthony's parents / Jeff Zalfino / Anthony Cetani / Anthony's girlfriend / the members of Down and Dirty