Owner: Will Spier Ride:...
Owner: Will Spier
Ride: '87 Toyota Hilux 4x4
Hometown: Keiser, OR
Club: Magical Minis
There are a million ways to build a minitruck. For Will Spier of Keiser, Oregon, and his '87 Toyota 4x4, it was to go big.
As in 62 inches from the bottom of the rocker to ground zero. Yes, we know that this isn't your typical minitruck, but none the less, it is still a minitruck. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to respect it.
Starting this project off, Will began with the body mods. Can you imagine having to shave door handles 10-feet up? Welders were warmed up to close the holes created by the removal of the door handles and tailgate handle. Finishing the smooth appearance is a roll pan laid in place of the factory rear bumper. Mike at Kaos Customs was given the task of making sure the canvas was properly smoothed before laying down coats of paint, along with several colors of pearls resulting in a killer set of ghost flames. After returning to Will's garage, the finishing touches to the body were applied. Capping the front end is a phantom billet grille and a '92-'94 front bumper with billet insert.
After the exterior refinements were completed, the tall-truck-to-be was sent off for some comfort zone interior tricks. The door panels, seats, dash, and headliner received several yards of tweed. To bring it all together, Will needed to add some bling. It came by adding a billet flame steering wheel, and window cranks. He finished off the interior by painting anything that wasn't wrapped in tweed and added gauges to the A-pillar to help monitor the 4.3L V-6 under the hood.
While the truck was away getting the interior and exterior handled, Will busied himself with collecting the necessary parts to fabricate and install the new lift for this behemoth. With the parts in stock, Will got to the task at hand, fabricating brackets and mounts, welding steel and grinding, showering his garage with sparks. The entire stock suspension was tossed into a scrap heap to make way for the custom-fabricated four-link front and rear. The factory frame received extensive bracing and plating to handle the fabrication necessary to put this truck in the clouds. Drop-down caging was created from heavy-gauge tubing to create a mounting location for the link bars, airbags, and shocks. For the finale, a set of 49-inch Irok tires were painstakingly mounted on 20x12-inch Dick Cepek rims.
There's a lot of good reasons to do what we do. Most of the reasons need no explanation to minitruckers. Whatever your viewpoint, you've got to respect a guy like Will who takes matters into his own hands and does so without screwing up his truck. This Toy is one that works and we're sure everyone can find something about it to appreciate.
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 20x12 Dick Cepek DCI
Tires: Interco Super Swamper Irok 21/49-20LT
Chassis Modifications
Suspension Front and Rear: Four-link, Contitech triple bellow bags, custom airbag mounts
Shocks: Race Runner
Compressors: Two Viair 480c
Air accessories: Nitrogen tank, two 5-gallon chrome airtanks, eight GC Extreme air valves, 1/2-inch polished stainless steel airline, 15-gallon fuel cell
Frame mods: Reinforced, shaved and smoothed
Brakes: Rear disk conversion
Misc.: A lot of chrome and paint, chrome or stainless steel nuts and bolts
Performed by: Owner
Body Modifications
Shaved: Door handles, tailgate, taillights, key lock, window squirters, and bodyline on tailgate
Body mods: roll pan, LED taillights, tilt bed
Bolt-ons: Phantom billet grille, '92-94 Toyota front bumper and valance with billet insert
Performed by: Owner
Paint
Brand and colors: PPG Red and seven colors of Crystal Pearls
Misc.: Pearls used to create the ghost flames
Performed by: Mike at Kaos Kustoms
Interior
Seats: Toyota Celica buckets wrapped in gray and red tweed
Dash: Covered in gray tweed and painted bezels
Gauges: Auto Meter
Misc.: Colorado Customs flamed billet steering wheel and window cranks
Performed by: Mikey at Wren's Upholstery
Engine/Performance
Engine: '92 GMC 4.3L V-6
Header/exhaust: Hooker Headers and stainless steel exhaust
Misc.:Hydraulic steering, Optima RedTop
Performed by: Owner
Special Thanks by Owner:
To my fianc Sarah for supporting me and putting up with the long hours it took to build the truck. To Magical Minis and Del Smith for painting the frame. Art and the guys at Crusin Classics along with Scott and the guys at Exclusive Window Tinting. Mikey Wren for the interior and anyone else I may have forgotten.