Brandon Burrell - MT Contributing Editor
December '07 Cover Truck
Joel Sadenwasser's '99 Toyota Tacoma
D-Lowest
Xtreme Lowz
I'm one of those people who, for a truck to really stand out to me, it has to have a ton of detail work. I'd rather see a truck with very few mods, yet all of them done right, than a truck with a million mods just thrown together. That's why I'm choosing Gromit's Tacoma D-Lowest. Now, normally I wouldn't vote for a truck that I haven't seen in person, but I've studied several photos of this truck and it is truly amazing. It is by far one of the best paintjobs I've ever seen, and it deserves to win Truck of the Year.
Justin Cross - MT Contributing Editor
April '07 Feature Truck
Drew Schoen's '05 Chevy Colorado
First One
OK, so I could be a little biased toward a Colorado because I own one, but there is no denying how clean Drew Shoen's Rado turned out. I watched Drew go through numerous style changes with it before he stuck with the one that graced the pages of our beloved mag. I can honestly say there wasn't a single thing out of place on that truck. The three-color paintjob was super clean, it was not overdone, and that theme flowed throughout the whole truck. From the black diamond-plate touches on the interior to the old-skool Chevy emblem on the cowl hood, he made sure every detail was there.
Max Fish - MT Technical Advisor
October '07 Feature Truck
Chad Messinbird's '01 HiLux
Respect
I have to admit, this was a new one for me. I've never had to pick a favorite before. There were a lot of really nice trucks this year, and it seems that as time goes on, the trucks keep getting better. After narrowing it down to the few trucks that really did it for me, I settled on Chad Messinbird's '01 HiLux. In my opinion, this truck was the best, because it was a fully functioning vehicle that could still do quite well at a show. The suspension was well-thought-out and had to be certified by an engineer in order to be driven on the streets of Australia. The paint is clean and simple yet still has a classy flair to it. And the fact that it still has the door handles was a clincher for me. All in all, this is how I would build a minitruck for myself.
Josh Fleetwood - MT Contributing Editor
April '07 Cover Truck
Lukasz Granicy's '76 Chevy Luv
Luv Toy
Out of all of the trucks I've seen this year, my pick for Truck of the Year has to be Lukasz's '76 Chevy Luv. From inside to outside, this truck is clean and detailed, and its hot-rod styling makes the truck really stand out. With all types of hot rods lying around his garage, Lukasz and his friends chose to build "1lowluv" and they ended up building one of the sickest Luvs around. It's black, blown, body-dropped, and sporting billets. What more could you want?
Phil Fowler - MT Contributing Editor
May '07 Feature Truck
Chris Voorhest's '87 Chevy S-10
Fullsize S-10
AcrophobiA
My vote for this year's truck will have to go to Chris Voorhest from AcrophobiA. If you have ever seen this truck in person, it is the whole package. From top to bottom, this truck is complete. Chris has done one hell of a job at building this truck, and his pride in it really shows. If you ever have the chance to see it in person, I assure you, you won't be disappointed.
Joe Greeves - MT Contributing Editor
December '07 Cover Truck
Joel Sadenwasser's '99 Toyota Tacoma
D-Lowest
Xtreme Lowz
Joel "Gromit" Sadenwasser's radical '99 Toyota is one of the most innovative minitrucks I've ever seen. It's chopped, 'dropped, 'bagged, suicided, and loaded with sheetmetal fabrication. This truck takes it to the next level with an awesome interior, elaborate audiovisual system, and radical paint. It easily got my vote for the Minitruck of the Year.
John Jackson - MT Contributing Editor
September '07 Feature Truck
Kevin Petitt's '94 Ford Ranger
On Fire
This was the first year that this was a no-brainer for me, and the first year I had voted for a truck that I personally shot. It's not often I see a truck that I wouldn't change a single thing on it, which is how I feel about Kevin Petitt's Ford Ranger. From the true-fire flames to the candy dash, this truck shows how cool a minitruck can be. Kevin paints for Razor graphics in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and is in a large rod club, but he still chose to build one of the baddest minitrucks I have shot to date. You can look for even more from this truck. Since it rolled out of Kevin's house and hit his neighbor's house, he has decided to shave up the bed and redo the paint. Look for this truck at a show near you in 2008.
Jennie Hendrex - MT Contributing Editor
September '07 Cover Truck
Scott Rupp's '64 Datsun NL320
What is it?
Negative Camber
Everyone who knows me knows I'm a Toyota girl at heart. But, sometimes there is a truck that astounds me in such a way that even my Toyota-lovin' eyes have to stray. Scott's '64 Datsun NL320 is my pick this year-by a landslide. Not only is this one of the rarest trucks ever, but it was done so perfectly that I was literally awe-struck when I saw it at Gator Drag earlier in the year. Having lived in Texas for about five years, I've had the privilege of not only knowing the owner and builders of this gem, but the previous owner, as well. I remember joking with the truck's previous owner, Keyth Iannelli, about how he was too big to fit in it when he bought it. He is 6-foot 1-inch, just like Scott. We gave him hell, then he sold it. But, we didn't know to whom he sold it. Now we know. Great job, Scott. I know a few of Scott's trials and bumps in the road, which got him where he is now with this truck. His glory was well earned. Congrats!