When Ted Padiotis turned 15, he was bitten by the mini-truckin' bug and was forever changed. At his first truck show, Ted walked the aisles of custom trucks and vowed that one day, he would own a mini-truck worthy of competition. From then on, he daydreamed of what kind of truck he would let loose on. Ted decided he would build something a little different, so he wanted to start with a platform that doesn't get too much custom attention. On April 15, 1999, Ted drove a brand-new '99 Nissan Frontier off the lot. Still only 16, Ted began to do little things here and there to personalize his Frontier. Since most of his hard-earned cash was spent on the truck, Ted just worked, saved, and planned. When he had gathered enough funds to start his project, he began by swapping out his front rotors and hubs for the Toyota five-lug conversion. He also had the rear axle re-drilled to five-lug so he could bolt on a set of 18x7-inch Giovanna Corsicas. With that step out of the way, the funds were again low, so back to working and saving Ted went.
After about a year and a half, Ted was itching to put his Frontier on the ground. He wanted to 'bag his truck more than anything, so after he put together enough dough to make it happen, he still had to find somebody he could trust with his prized possession. When Ted came across Xtreme Kreations in Stafford, Virginia, he knew right away that he would have no problem letting them take his ride from stock to slammed via a full airbag suspension. Using Firestone airbags and a Chassis Tech four-link, Al Hupp and his crew had the frame of Ted's Frontier planted smack on the pavement. While the truck was at Xtreme Kreations, Ted also decided he wanted to smooth the exterior by ditching the door handles, shaving the tailgate, and installing a pair of Caddy tails. Once the exterior was ready, a bright-red DuPont paintjob was sprayed on. This step really brought Ted's vision to life. With keys in hand, Ted jumped in his freshly 'bagged and painted Nissan and drove his truck home with a grin from ear-to-ear.
Ted was content with mobbing his newly 'bagged Frontier around town for a while, but knew he wasn't done yet. Again, once funds permitted, it was time to revamp the interior. Fairly savvy with stereo systems, Ted built his own custom sub box to house four 10-inch Sony subwoofers and the Sony five-channel amp that powered them. He also wired up an Alpine CVA-1005 in-dash, motorized monitor to control the Xbox and the rest of the audio/video system. After handling most of the stereo duties, he drove down to Custom Auto Interiors in Springfield, Virginia, to have them finish the interior. While they wrapped Ted's seats and door panels in with red and black vinyl, Ted's buddy David Escobar brought the rest of the interior to life by color-matching some of the interior panels. With the engine painted and detailed to match the interior, all that was left was to go through the truck and detail the undercarriage, the inside of the bed, and finish any last-minute details before heading to his first major show. Ted built his truck for himself and to drive, but the trophies he has pulled in really encourage him and congratulate him on a job well done. And we agree. He deserves every single award he gets. Check out the Lowdown for the rest of the details.
THE LOWDOWN:
Wheels/tires: 18x7-inch Giovanna Corsicas wrapped in Avon 225/40ZR18 rubber
Suspension/chassis: Five-lug conversion with Toyota rotors (front); axle re-drilled to five-lug (rear); 'bagged by Xtreme Kreations with Firestone 'bags all the way around / relocated Belltech drop shocks at all four corners / Chassis Tech reverse four-link
Body Modifications/Paint: Body mods by Xtreme Kreations / Shaved door handles / shaved tailgate handle and smoothed tailgate / custom cowl hood / Lund roll pan / shaved taillights / Caddy tails / Checkmate tonneau cover / painted DuPont Red Pearl
Interior/stereo: Dash and interior trim painted by David Escobar / seats upholstered in red and black vinyl by Custom Auto Interiors / custom center console / Alpine CD changer molded into dash / Alpine CVA-1005 in-dash monitor / Sony Synthesized graphic EQ XE-744 / custom box houses four 10-inch Sony subwoofers / Sony XM-40SE0X five-channel amplifier powers Sony mids, highs, and woofers / Xbox / MOMO steering wheel
Engine/performance: Custom air intake / Flowmaster 2-1/4-inch exhaust / Optima battery relocated to bedSpecial Thanks: Al Hupp with Xtreme Kreations / David Escobar for his help with the interior paint