ONWER: Sal Napoli RIDE: Mazda...
ONWER: Sal Napoli
RIDE: Mazda Cab Plus
LOCATION: Las Vegas
If you've been reading Mini Truckin' for a while, you've probably seen the name Sal Napoli. By a while, we mean 10 years or more because Sal has built a few cover trucks in the past. Sal's old-school Toyota convertible was rebuilt three times, and three times, it won a cover spot.
Now a spry 36 years old, you'd think Sal might have moved on from minis. Sure, he's built other rides, but he's always kept a mini around. Sal owns this killer ex-cab longbed Mazda with a hardtop convertible. The story about how this truck came into his possession is a whole other deal. A few years back, one of Sal's buddies bought the then-brand-new truck off the lot. They bombed it around for a bit, pimped it out, and drove it to the local runs. Sal bought, cruised, and sold the truck, which then went to some dude in Indiana of all places. Homie in Indy parked the 'Dawg for a few years, then eventually moved to Las Vegas - the home of Sal Napoli. He saw the truck and bought it back. Sal then changed things up a bit so that the truck was current and fresh, with all the mods you see here.
If you own a Mazda, you'll recognize many of these mods right off the bat. The most obvious is the longbed conversion, which was the result of an accident at a river run. The longbed is also a 4x4 model, the Holy Grail of Mazdas, being the most rare of creatures. Although the truck's a convertible, it's unique with a slider in the hardtop. The top comes off easily, and with the way everything is capped off, it looks ultra clean. The truck is 'bagged on 18-inch Prime wheels and painted House of Kolor's Red Pearl, with graphics by Ryan Evans. The truck is simple, yet looks timeless in its execution. Sal Napoli has done it again.
The Low Down
Wheels/Tires 18x8-inch Prime wheels with 215/35R18 Nitto tires
Suspension/Chassis Full airbag suspension / 2,500-pound Firestone 'bags front and rear / suspension performed by Musso Motorsports
Body Modifications Shaved door handles / shaved cowl / roll pan / flush tonneau cover / motorized tonneau cover kit from AutoLc / everything installed by Musso Motorsports / 4x4 Mazda hood / 4x4 front fenders / 4x4 bedsides / 12-inch frame-stretch for longbed conversion / all-metal convertible conversion / 40x40-inch Street Beat sliding ragtop / longbed and convertible conversion by Scotty Schwartz / billet grille / Catz headlights / clear corners and taillights / accessories provided by Unique Motorsports
Paint Painted by Musso Motorsports and Ryan Evans / House of Kolor Red Pearl basecoat over a white base / flames and graphics in House of Kolor's Sunset and Sunrise Orange Pearl with highlights and shadows
Interior Stitchwork by Jesus Reynoso of Aztec Upholstery / sand-tweed seats and door panels / color-matched dashboard and accessories / custom center console / custom tweed bed kit / console and bed kit installed by Bob "Grampy" Kaminskis / white-faced gauges / billet steering wheel / skull shifter / accessories provided by Unique Motorsports
Stereo All stereo work performed by Unique Motorsports in Las Vegas / Alpine 7863 CD player / Eclipse 3322 and 3122 amplifiers / two JL Audio 12W6 subwoofers / Two 6-1/2-inch MB Quart separate sets / AutoLoc and Hoffman Industries provided all the accessory electronics and the alarm system / 25-pound solenoids for the doors / power-window kit
Engine/Performance Stock Mazda four-cylinder
Special Thanks Al Nakata / Joe Musso at Musso Motorsports / Prime Wheels / AutoLoc / Ryan Evans / Adam Madrigal / Bom Kaminskis / James Alcaraz / Catz Lighting