OWNER: Shane Simmons RIDE:...
OWNER: Shane Simmons
RIDE: '88 Mazda B2200
Hometown: Columbus, Mississippi
Club Affiliation: Relaxed Atmosphere
When one is building a show-stopping mini, the factors that contribute to the progression of the build are often negative. Frequently, it seems that time itself is against the dream of building that perfect mini. The only tool that one can truly rely on to assure their custom hits its pinnacle is persistence. Shane Mitchell of Columbus, Mississippi, knows this firsthand, as his '88 Mazda B2200 was parked behind plenty of hurdles.
There was a decent time frame to be expected due to the fact that Shane's Mazda was bought off the bank for $200 and was the resting place for a fallen tree. The trophy hauler was pulled from a shallow grave and was patched up from the driver-side A-pillar to the front passenger-side fender. Now that the Mazda was taking its true form, Shane had to add his own flair and give the Mazda designers a lesson on what cool is.
Since Shane is not claustrophobic, he felt the cab could do for a quick change. He enlisted the help of Chop Shop Customs in Columbus, where the cab was body-dropped 2 inches and chopped 1 1/2 inches. This doesn't seem like much, but it's subtle modifications like these that sets Shane's ride apart from the rest. Shane also had a dilemma with his right arm not tanning as easily as his left, so the Mazda was converted to right-hand drive.
Having a schedule that consists of going to school from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then going to work from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. doesn't leave much time for extracurricular activities. Add onto that the fact that Shane also had his kids during the weekends - which didn't mean he had extra help. If that doesn't throw sand in your air valve, then we don't know what will.
Work, kids, school, plus the mini-trucker's inability to leave things alone and not change their mind, are all factors that impede the process of finishing. Thank God for patience being a virtue, or else every month would be a construction issue and we would have a once-a-year painted and done special. Good work, Shane - it's clean as hell.
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 16x8-inch Eagle 213
Backspace: 5 inches
Tires: Nitto 205/40R16
Chassis Modifications
Suspension type: Airbags
Front suspension: Firestone 2,500-pound airbags
Rear suspension: Custom two-link
Airbag/cylinder type and size: Front: Firestone 2,500-pound airbags; rear: Firestone 2,600-pound airbags
Valves: 3/8-inch SMC valves
Compressor: Engine-driven
Frame mods: Step notch
Gas tank: 16-gallon RCI fuel cell
Performed by: Chop Shop Customs in Columbus, Mississippi
Body Modifications
Shaved: Door handles, B-pillars, cowl, antenna, emblems, driprail, gas door, taillights
Frenched: Angled license plate in tailgate
Body drop: 2 inches
Chopped: Top chopped 1-1/2 inches
Front end: 4Runner front end
Back end: Full skin combo with flush LED
Taillights: Custom Classic 42-inch LED
Suicide doors: Affirmative
Exterior bolt-ons: Billet mirrors
Misc: Grille shell cut for '03 Ranger headlights, gas filler located behind license plate
Performed by: Chop Shop Customs
Paint
Brand and colors: '05 Mercedes Red
Style: Single color
Performed by: Jay Burchfield of Burchfield's Body Shop in Columbus
Interior
Seats: Mazda buckets sans headrests
Material: Malibu Sand tweed
Dash: Fiberglass
Door panels: Covered in tan tweed, billet door pulls, billet window cranks
Center console: Custom-made, flows from the dash to the back of the cab, painted to match
Flooring: Tan carpet
Headliner: Malibu Sand tweed
Steering wheel: 14-inch billetMisc: Custom dash and console, right-hand drive, Auto Meter gaugesPerformed by: Seats by Creative Upholstery, all else by owner
Stereo
Head unit: Clarion
Mids and highs: Memphis 6 1/2-inch components
Amplifier for mids and highs: Memphis
Subwoofers: Two Memphis 10-inch subwoofers
Amplifier for subwoofers: Memphis
Performed by: Chop Shop Customs
Engine/Performance
Fuel delivery: Weber carb
Header/exhaust: Pacesetter
Driveshaft: Mazda 4x4 slip shaft
Battery: Relocated to rear
Inner fenders: Modified trailer fenders
Performed by: Chop Shop Customs
Special Thanks:
Brian Bobitt, Tiffany Bobitt, Allicyn Coleman, Jay Burchfield, Gerald Noland, Audio Advantage