White Out
John Mata Jr. hails from Anaheim, California and works on Truckin' Magazine. When he was working on it back in the day, he had copies of Mini Truckin' mags thrown across his room and garage. Pages were marked with tech stories that he followed to get his truck looking the way he wanted. He lowered it three times, first it was a 2/3-inch drop. He tells us that it was cool for a few months but it just wasn't l low enough. Then came the 4/5-inch drop and that was too low; he kept getting stuck everywhere. So he decided the 3/5-inch drop was the right ticket, still low but its drivable.
Work In Progress
Jake owns this '00 Chevy S-10 Xtreme equipped with the 4.3L Vortec motor. But for Jake, he liked the truck but it needed some serious altitude adjustment. He decided that an air system would fit the ticket nicely. He used 2500s up front along with Belltech drop spindles and 2,600s in the rear with an 8-inch notch, Suicidedoors wishbone three-link, and a raised gas tank crossmember. Controlling the suspension consists of 1/2-inch fills and 3/8-inch dumps, with two Viair chrome 480's filling two 5-gallon tanks. On the exterior of the truck, Jake added a Cervinis SS hood and a roll pan. He shaved taillights, door handles, mirrors, and antenna. Jake's truck sits atop a set 20-inch Devino wheels wrapped in Z-rated Falken tires.
Black And Tan-Gelo
Andrew Hensley started building his '95 Chevy S-10 when he was 15 years old. For the last two years he has taken this old beat up work truck and turned it into a very clean driver. He bought it for $2,000 and started adding his own personal touches to it. The suspension uses Air Lift's front setup and the back is bagged with the Suicidedoors five-link back-half and Slam Specialties RE8 airbags. Rolling attire comes in the form of 18-inch RVM wheels with 225/45R18 rubber. Before it was rolled into the spray booth Andrew decided to shave the entire truck and add a roll pan and a '98 S-10 bumper. The paintjob is a nice two tone with Tangelo Pearl on bottom, Amnesty Blue Pear on top and it was outlined in silver and green pinstriping. Andrew would like to thank his grandfather, Jim Hensley, for helping him build his truck.
Editor's Note: Getting your truck into Ridin' Around is a snap-of the camera, that is. All it takes is a couple of good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs. Please shoot and send photos of your truck only (no people, pets, Polaroids, or printouts) to: Mini Truckin' magazine, Ridin' Around, 2400 E. Katella Ave., Ste. 1100, Anaheim, CA 92806. It is important to include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it. This can include the buildup or any special history on the truck.