Owner: Christopher "Eli" Griffin
Ride: '92 Mazda B2200
Hometown: Meridian, Mississippi
Club: Relaxed Atmosphere
One of the coolest things about going from state to state, year after year for shows is meeting and getting to know so many different types of minitruckers. We all share similar stories, but bring our unique outlooks and personalities to the table. The name Eli Griffin might sound familiar, probably because he's been around the block a few times. His last appearance in Mini Truckin' was the cover of October 2005 with this very same truck, which was dubbed Reincarnation. And Eli definitely brings a personality and flair all his own to every ride he builds.
To catch you up on the story, Eli's first Mazda, which was featured in '01, burnt to the ground and fueled Eli's fire to build a new one. So, after a battle finishing that '92 Mazda, Eli and the boys at Twin States Customs began to kick around the idea of going for a rebuild on the same truck. It only took a second, as Eli is always eager and willing to grab the Sawzall and start cutting.
Wanting to keep that same sleek and clean hot-rod look that he's strived for with this build, Eli knew that the changes needed to be big enough to make an impact, yet small enough to remain classy. Eli also knew reinventing Reincarnation would include a body-drop this time around. So, doing what any minitrucker would do in his shoes, he began cutting away and planted his truck on the ground in no time. Keeping with the clean hot-rod look, the next step was to find a nice wheel that was still unique enough to set this truck apart from the rest. Eli came across Coy's Wheel and knew right away that they were the wheels for this build. Wanting to go bigger than the previous 18s, but still maintain a staggered look, Eli settled on a 20, 22 combo, which tuck nicely into the wheel wells after the body-drop.
The next big step was to ditch the fully detailed Mazda motor in favor of something with a little more rumble. Only the best would do for this build, so a 383 stroker found itself bolted between the framerails of Eli's new Reincarnation. With a new stance via a body-drop and big rollers, a super-slick motor, and more detail work, all that was left was to lay some color and redo the interior.
For the interior, Eli decided it was time to add some tunes, so he turned to Justin McCary to handle the sounds. With an arsenal of Rockford Fosgate gear, Reincarnation now sounds as good as it looks. After the interior and stereo were out of the way, it was time to do what Twin States does best. Eli and the crew quickly made work of the old two-tone, and switched it up to a much brighter Hot Hues DuPont Viper Red on top and Bright Platinum on bottom, which would be sure to finalize the amazing changes in such a short amount of time.
Once again, Eli and his buddies accomplished their goal of building a very clean, yet drivable cover truck. Congrats, guys. Job well done! Be sure to check out The Lowdown for all of the detailed specs.