Masked Ernie's Wife Melissa.
any people have been asking me about the Raider, so I'll just come out and say it. The Raider is on hold for the moment, and yes, I am sorry about that. The truck is no longer a priority for me at this time. It's a great daily and I can jump in it and go anywhere, anytime. It's actually kind of convenient. But don't worry, this doesn't mean I'm not working on my other trucks. The two other Mitsus are still in full swing.
Project STK TRUK is sitting in my shop, body-dropped, four-linked, laid-out flat, and just waiting to be finished. At the moment, I'm still waiting on dropping the motor, welding up the floors, and finishing the bed. It's been a crazy ride and it turned into my "Mike Alexander" project. It started out nice and simple: I was going to do a basic 'bag job and body-drop on a Mitsu to drive everyday. Now, of course, it has turned into an even bigger project. We went from having Escalade stocks on it to doing a five-lug conversion and running 20s on it. Now it's completely out of control. No Regrets II is now officially called "Bring it On!" I changed the name of the truck in response to some challenges I've received from other Mitsu owners. (DIB crew) I assure you, it's all in good fun. That truck is sitting at Bio Kustumz getting worked on little by little. But it's definitely not just sitting collecting dust. This truck is the most exciting thing going on for me right now. But enough about Mitsus. I'm sure you're tired of reading about the Mitsus. Let's talk about a new truck.
I sold my '66 Cadillac, so a new project made its way into my garage, and it's not a Mitsu. Please, hold your applause. I recently picked up a '98 Toyota Tacoma-and yes, my wife was pissed. This truck was somebody else's project and I'm basically going to finish this truck, which was pretty much a beater when I bought it. We've named it "Rags to Riches" and we're going to build it in fewer than 90 days. I'm not crazy, so I'm not going to try to build this thing in my backyard with just the help of Steve and some other friends. I made some phone calls and convinced a few other guys to help me out. Nate from Defiant Customs (viewable at www.defiant-fab.com), and Josh, from Nostalgic Restyling, are both taking on some of the heavier tasks at hand. Also, the website www.autoaccessorywarehouse.net has teamed up to get this Taco lined up with all of the little things that make minitruckers happy. Keep an eye out for more on this truck. Let's see if I can break the curse of the never-ending build and get this hoop-tie back on the road again. Wish me luck![Editor Mike Alexander: "He's gonna need it! Ha, ha!"]