Owner: John Arnold
Ride: '93 Toyota 4Runner
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Sometime in the late '90s, Shaun Carlson, a former editor at Mini Truckin' magazine, took on a very difficult build. The plan was to build a '93 Toyota 4Runner. This wouldn't be an ordinary build; it would be low and radical. It would have innovative paint and be a real show-stopper. Once a donor frame and body were picked up, it was time to put it on the ground. The 4Runner was body-dropped, which back then was a really big deal. Even in today's standards, body-dropped 4Runners are not very common. However, this wasn't what would make this 4Runner stand apart from the crowd. It's the paintjob, which was done by Kal Koncepts and Air Syndicate. With a low stance and outstanding paintjob, this 4Runner would become a show devastator.
Unfortunately for the 4Runner, the late '90s wouldn't get to see the truck come out and play. Shaun lost interest in the project and the rolling shell was soon put up for sale. Luckily for the 4Runner, a minitruck enthusiast out of Kentucky found out about the ride. In 1999, the 4Runner ended up in the hands of John Arnold. John already had experience with slammed minis, having owned a few Mazdas, but his new adventure into truck ownership was a completely different scenario. This truck was more of a piece of history than your standard rocker dragger.
So, to John, finishing this truck and keeping it looking the same was important.
The first thing to tackle was the wiring nightmare. When he first got the truck, it took years before it would run. It was a mess: wires here, and wires there. He acquired it with a few different transmissions and an assortment of parts. John now wishes he would have just done a motor swap and called it a day. But, eventually the truck would run. The next step was the interior. Here, John and the crew at Scott Jrs. would remake the interior with everything custom, including a one-of-a-kind dash and custom seats.
The truck can be seen at local shows in the Kentucky area, and it has attended SEMA shows in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the truck more complete, expect to see it at more shows in 2008. If you see it at a show near you, be sure to walk up and see a piece of history.