1996 Toyota Tacoma - Chump Change

Some people have things holding them back during their buildups. For some, it can be local law enforcement, crazy weather, a low budget, or living in a country where any type of modification is considered completely illegal. For Brandon Perry, out of West Virginia, it was not one but three tours in Iraq that slowed his progress down.

Brandon was gone for six to eight months at a time, and when he returned home, he spent his time sweating away in his one-car garage. However, it wasn't all fun and games. Even when he got home and was ready to work, things didn't always go to plan. "One time, the truck fell off the jackstands, and another time, paint came off the hood while buffing it, and the best time was when I ran an air compressor down the driver door-right after painting it," he told us. But, the worst instance for Brandon was when he had to sand for a straight month to make his truck straight. It gave him a respect for guys who build trucks all day, every day, from their shops. Having built the whole thing himself, he really understood this; the only thing Brandon didn't do on his build was sew the seat. "My wife did that part," he said. Hey, you gotta give credit where credit's due.

Having come from a lowrider background-and he still owns a few-Brandon put a lot of attention to detail in his truck. "I wouldn't do anything different, I learned a lot, and I had a blast building it. The good times, the bad times; it was all worth it," Brandon declared. He painted it in his garage and you'd never know the difference. One of Brandon's proudest accomplishments is the fact that the truck never rolled into a shop. It did, however, take five years, and the help from some friends, to finish it. At the end, they stripped the truck down from being primered and completely rebuilt the entire truck in three months, which was perfect timing for John Jackson to spot it and shoot it for us.

Brandon would like to thank several people for this build, including family and his club, AcrophobiA. We would like to thank Brandon for proudly serving his country, and for helping to keep minitruckin' alive and well in West Virginia.