When we sit back and think about the trucks of the '90s, we have fond memories of a simpler time when air shocks ruled and wheels measured less than the legal age to smoke a cigarette. Indeed, it was a great time to be a mini-trucker. To roll a truck with a bumpin' sound system was just as cool as owning one that was fully shaved. Dragging frame was a novelty, and draggin' body was almost unheard of. James Quinn's mini takes us back to the good old days of mini-truckin', and it does so with a ton of cool mods and a clean style.
James bought his truck brand-new off the dealer lot. Throughout the years, he has seen trends come and go and stuck with what he knew about building trucks. The Acura Integra bucket seats found in the cab of James' mini were almost a prerequisite interior upgrade back in the day, and they still look great with gray tweed covering them now. Gabriel airshocks can be found at all four corners of this truck instead of today's standard airbag suspension, but James has upgraded them with Co2. This is a milestone upgrade for an air suspension that most mini-truckers used bike compressors to operate. Beneath the fiberglass bed cap, a classic walk-through conversion allows the thunder of the Rockford Fosgate subwoofers to enter the cab, while a tweed bed kit creates a show-worthy environment. It's not every day you even see a truck with a cap and walk through. Even the side-opening tailgate is an ominous nod to minis from the past, and it makes the perfect statement when viewed along with the exquisite paintwork. James' Nissan is a veteran of the West Coast show circuit, and just knowing that he still rolls out at shows to school all of the new kids makes us feel warm and fuzzy all over.
THE LOWDOWN
Chassis/Suspension James first installed the rear air shocks with a mono-leaf suspension back in 1994. In 1997, he removed the torsion bars from the front suspension and added front air shocks and then the Co2 system that runs through 1/4-inch, high-pressure, rubber air line.
Wheels/Tires Billet Specialties Psycho69 wheels measure 18x7 inches in diameter and are stuffed into 215/35R18 Nitto NT-450 tires.
Body Mods T Creations of Las Vegas slapped a Toyota 4WD bumper and valance onto the front end of James' Nissan, and then followed that with clear lenses at all four corners. A smooth roll pan, shaved door handles, a shaved third brake light, a suicide tailgate, and a shaved tailgate handle make up the body mods.
Custom Paint House of Kolor's Sea Green and Blue Pearl combined with numerous other colors to create the graphics on James' truck. Again, T Creations gets the credit for the awesome paintjob.
Interior Divine Car Audio of Las Vegas reupholstered the Acura Integra bucket seats in gray tweed, as well as the dash and headliner. Two-tone variations of gray also adorn the three-dimensional graphics on the door panels. The bed kit continues the tweed work and serves to hide the wheelwells inside of the bed. The final touch is a wheel-matching Billet Specialties Psycho69 steering wheel.
Audio System Divine Car Audio put an interesting twist on subwoofer enclosure design by sinking the Rockford Fosgate 12-inch subs into the bed floor of James' mini. The 6.5-inch component speakers took up residence in the usual door locations, and Rockford Amplifiers provide the power necessary to rattle eardrums and make dogs howl. A Majestic head unit and equalizer take care of the sound processing duties.
Engine/Drivetrain To aid in his truck's lowered stance, James had the two-piece driveline shortened and the exhaust system tucked above the framerails. The four-cylinder engine was then outfitted with an FBI air intake and K&N Filtercharger.
Owner's Quote "I'd like to thank my club, No Clue Customs, as well as T Creations and Divine Car Audio."