Most mini-truckers we know drive their trucks every day. However, because they are mostly sane people, they do not drag their trucks every day. There's nothing wrong with our estimation because draggin' inflicts some pretty heinous abuse on a truck. Sparks are cool, but we're realistic enough to know that holes in your framerails are not. The guy who owns this bitchin' green '92 Toyota mini is not your average, everyday mini-trucker. Dan Tebretts can actually claim he drives and drags the piss out of his truck every damn day, and he has the smashed in oil pans to prove it! A full-length skidplate has since remedied the violent abuse that punctured two previous oil pans beneath the fuel-injected 22RE motor. More impressive than his accomplishments in the domain of drag is that he really does drive his mini daily, hauling his four kids and wife around town. Dave is quick to point out that his show truck is driven hard and that it's currently being rebuilt so that a new set of 18s and 20s can be stuffed beneath the sheetmetal. That's another story altogether, though, and we're sure the miles of sparks he'll make between now and when the new rollers are bolted up will probably mean other aspects of the truck will be revamped, too. For now, let's check out just what went into the construction of a truck that had us getting out of bed at 4 a.m. on a Sunday in Greenville, Mississippi, to takes some photos. Check it out!
Owner: Dan Tebbetts
Ride: '92 Toyota Pickup
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Club: Severed Ties
The Low Down
Chassis/Suspension A tag-team effort between Dave and his friend Woody laid this 'Yota on the pavement with Firestone airbags at all four corners. You might also notice the severe amount of front-wheel negative camber when this truck is in the down position. That's because Dave 'bagged the frontend and added Nitro Drop shocks but did so without the aid of a set of drop spindles. At the rear of the truck, Dave had more help in the form of a step notch from Ekstensive Metalworks. The air system is plumbed with Ekstensive 1/2-inch electric valves and Firestone air compressors.
Wheels/Tires For rolling stock, Dave picked out a set of 17x7-inch Boyd Coddington rims and 215/40ZR17 rubber bands. The front wheels have 2 inches of backspacing, and the rear wheels have 5 inches of backspacing.
Body Mods A truck without body mods is like a stripper without her chrome pole: It just doesn't look right. Bodyworks by Wayne of Tyler, Texas, received the nod to customize Dave's mini to his liking. The front fenders were shaved and raked backwards slightly to accommodate the full-length phantom billet grille and make this Toyota stand out from the rest. Along the way, the headlights were recessed into the core support, and the front bumper and valance were also moved 1-1/2 inches rearward. Moving toward the back of the truck, the door handles and hood were shaved. The rock guards that once adorned the front of the rear wheelwell openings were shaved, along with the tailgate handle and fuel filler door.
Custom Paint When the shop was satisfied with the overall smoothness of the body, it sprayed the custom-mixed green paint over everything, including a new Snuglid tonneau cover.
Interior The interior of Dave's truck is one of the most impressive concoctions that we've seen in a long time. The center console is a beautiful myriad of paint, acrylic, and billet materials that was skillfully crafted by Matt Sturgell at Performance Audio of Tyler, Texas. The dash received its fair share of attention, too. It was sanded smooth and color-matched to the outside of the truck. A pair of '89 Honda Prelude bucket seats was re-covered in black vinyl and faux leopard-print materials to match the new black carpeting and black headliner. The centerpiece of the driver's area is a Colorado Customs Flame Classic billet aluminum steering wheel.
Audio/Video System Performance Audio pulled out all of the stops and tricks in its arsenal to build a super-clean system for Dave's truck. Monitors can be found everywhere in the cab, hidden in the sun visors and the stock radio opening. A Sony PlayStation was hard-wired into the system to keep Dave and his kids entertained at will. A Rockford Fosgate CD head unit takes control of the entire system and sends its signals to a Kenwood KAC-150 amplifier and a Rockford Punch 200A2 amp. The Kenwood amp powers the component speakers up front, while the Rockford amp pounds the living daylights out of the subs mounted beneath the rear jump seats.
Owner's Quote "Some of my friends call my truck Big Green. I'd like to thank my family, Mitch Henderson, John Hendrey, Mike Woodriff, Matt and James Tyler, Performance Audio, Maxfield Paint and Body, my wife, and my three boys, Tim, Tyler, and Tanner."