Owner: Victor Monge Ride:...
Owner: Victor Monge
Ride: '87 Mazda B2000 EX Cab
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Club: No Regrets
Now that most of the major vehicle manufacturers of the world have decided that minitrucks need to be bigger, it has left Us without that brand-new $10,000 truck that we could get financed with our job at the local auto parts store.
Trucks are now bigger and more luxurious and come equipped with standard amenities, such as air conditioning and power windows. What happened to the trucks that just came equipped with a heater and rubber floors?
We are all going to have to learn a few things from Victor Monge, the owner of this laid out '87 Mazda. Victor took what money he had at the time, 12 years ago, and went down to the local auto auction. We're sure if you google your city name and auto auction something will come up. You could come across a smoking deal like what Victor came up on. He picked up his new Mazda for 400 bucks. But if you are expecting a perfect truck for 4-bills you are sadly mistaken. Victor knew that if he wanted his truck built right he was going to have to work hard on it. Working hard was nothing new to him, as he has done upholstery all his life out of his shop in Bakersfield, California. Around town he is known as "The Mazda Guy" owning as many as eight Mazda's at one time.
In the 12 long years that Victor has owned the Mazda, it has been through many changes. First things first, he replaced the parts that were missing when he picked it up from the auction. Second, he updated the old air shock suspension with airbags and installed 4x4 sheetmetal. The locals in Bakersfield would often laugh at him because his truck was 12 different colors and he rolled around with no windows, except the windshield, for almost three years. Victor didn't care what anyone thought because he knew there wasn't really a reason to primer it one color as he was slowly doing the bodywork, new modifications, and prepping it for paint.
With the truck finally straight, Victor sprayed the truck silver but was not happy with the end result. Being on a budget he had no choice but to roll it that way for a few years until he could strip it all down to redo it. His goal was to get the truck done and roll it to the last Resolutions show. Victor got his truck completely done top to bottom but the motor gave out days before the event. Nevertheless, Victor got the truck repaired and as you can see in the pictures, the Mazda came out beautiful inside and out. So go checkout your local auction, look for those deals, and just like Victor did, work hard and be patient.
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: (front) 19-inch Alba Bank (rear) 20-inch Alba Bank
Tires: (front) Nankang 225/35R19 (rear) Nankang 245/30R20
Chassis Modifications
Suspension Front: Torsion bar setup, Firestone 2500 'bags
Suspension Rear: Relocated shackles, 'bags over axle, Firestone 2500 'bags
Compressors: Two Viair 450c
Air accessories: Nitrogen Bottle and regulator
Frame mods: Step-notch
Misc.: SMC 12mm valves, 5/8-inch airline, 5-gallon air tank
Performed by: Brandon "MacGyver", Mike Bishop, and Matt Kirkpatrick
Body Modifications
Shaved: Door and tailgate handle, inside door locks, bed seams, and antenna
Bolt-ons: Billet grille, clear corners, Diamond headlights, 4x4 fenders and bed, Checkmate Tonneau cover, 2600i hood, 5-lug conversion
Performed by: Owner and Fabio Fuentes
Paint
Brand and colors: Planet Colors Fritz the Cat Green
Performed by: David Parra, and Craig Frazier
Interior
Seats: Factory bucket seats wrapped in tan suede with custom stitching
Dash: Color matched
Misc.: White face gauges, kick panels dyed to match the suede, Trendz billet steering wheel, pedals, custom center console pinstriped by Craig Frazier
Performed by: Owner at The Interior Shop
Stereo
Head unit: Pioneer DEHP80MP
Mids and highs: 31/2-inch Polk Audio in dash, Polk 51/2-inch components in the doors
Subwoofers: Kicker 12-inch Competition
Misc.: 1,000-watt Sony Xplod amplifier for the sub
Performed by: Owner
Engine/Performance
Intake: K&N air, oil, and fuel filters
Misc.: Chrome accessories
Performed by: Billy Rays Machine Shop, Gary Langferd
Special Thanks From Owner
To all who helped me over the last 12 years work on the truck. My family, my son Ethan, and my girlfriend for all their support in good times and in bad. My club No Regrets for pushing me to finish the truck.