Dustin "3-D" Artz
Rockwell, NC
Skund Up Kustoms
1989 Mazda B2200inline_mediumwraptextright31019457/features/mazda/1001mt_custom_1989_mazda_b22001001mt_04_+1989_mazda_b2200+rear_left_view.jpgTrue

Takashi "Frank" Yashiki
Gunma, Japan Severed Ties
1996 Nissan Hardbody D21

You spoke, and we listened! You guys wanted to see some feature worthy 720S so our search took us far and wide.

The Lowdown

Rolling Attire
Wheels: 20x10 Limited Alloys painted black
Tires: 245/35R20 Nitto NT 555

Very few people can claim their hobby as their life's work, and in saying such are able to enjoy every minute they spend "working." When Jason Hagler of Prattville, Alabama, goes to work each day, he's living his dream of working on custom rides. When he has some alone time that's not being taken up by work or home life, he's also living his dream. His dream of buying a truck, building it 100 percent by himself, and turning a plain-Jane S-10 pickup into something amazing has become a reality.

This isn't the first truck of Shane Thompson's to make the pages of a magazine. The very first truck he built was featured in the Oct. '04 issue of Truckin' on page 242. It was a much simpler truck, with a clean exterior and interior that made it magazine-worthy, but it was no where near the downright nuttiness of this '00 GMC Jimmy. After building the neon-green '94 S-10, Shane got a real taste of what it took to build an incredible mini-truck, yet he felt that he still needed to accomplish more with his next project. Once he made up his mind that he wanted to build the "lowest truck on the biggest wheels" around, he went hunting for a good platform.

Robert McIntosh bought his truck in December 1998 with some very basic intentions. The truck cost about $18,000, which isn't pocket change, so he wasn't planning on going all out this time around. He just wanted to lower the truck a bit and slap on a little bling-bling. Some very interesting facts about Bobby: He's already built an '86 'Yota and has been in the scene for a few years; he's in Negative Camber. So, how long do you think he was able to roll a barely lowered truck on rims? We're pretty sure you guessed correctly by saying not long at all.

Chris Gaddie walked the showgrounds dreaming, plotting, and planning very patiently for three years. He saw mods that worked - and a lot of things that didn't - saw stuff he liked, and stuff that made him wonder if the owners were colorblind. Slowly, he formulated a picture in his mind of what his version of the ultimate showstopper would look like. Chris then decided that he would build a truck to "have something that no one else has."

Rolling Attire
Wheels: 18x8-inch Boyd Coddington Rodders
Tires: 225/40R18 Toyo Proxes

More often than not, custom builds consume months, if not years, before they reach completion. But For a minitruck junkie like Jerry Hatfield, waiting longer than 46 days to get his next fix was simply out of the question.

OWNER: Atsushi Mori
RIDE: 1996 Toyota Hilux
HOMETOWN: Toyota, Aichi, Japan

In an age of "reality" TV and shows like Dr. 90210, nowadays it almost seems that if you don't like the way something looks then surgery is the key to fixing it.inline_mediumwraptextright25336652/features/toyota/0912mt_1996_toyota_hilux0912mt_02_+1996_toyota_hilux+rear_right_view.jpgTrue

Chad Silvey
Ballarat, Victoria
Tough Street Cars
1973 Holden HQ 1 Tonne Uteinline_mediumwraptextright30864861/features/chevy/0912mt_1973_holden_hq_1_tonne_ute0912mt_02_+1973_holden_hq_1_tonne_ute+steering_wheel.jpgTrue

The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 20x7.5 Incubus Lures
Backspace: 40mm
Tires: 225/30R20 Falken

The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 20x9 Foose Nitrous
Tires: 245/35ZR20

OWNER: Elizabeth Tomlinson
RIDE: '98 Nissan Frontier
HOMETOWN: Southaren, MS
CLUB: Relaxed Atmosphere

When you look at trucks in a magazine or on the show field that really standout, usually the first thought that comes to mind is; "that guy built a sick truck".

When Chris Dyer's old Honda Civic took a major crap on him, he needed to get into another vehicle and fast. At the time, he didn't have a ton of dough to spend on a new vehicle, but he was still choosy as to what he would buy. His main requirements were that whatever he bought would have to be affordable and respectable, no matter what it was. To the delight of custom-compact-truck owners everywhere, Chris picked up a '91 Nissan Hardbody standard cab and began making plans to modify the truck. Since Chris is a hot-rod builder by trade, he already knew the ins and outs of building something typical into something extraordinary. While he wasn't going to build the truck to be a trailer queen, he did expect better-than-average good looks and precision when it came to assembly and the vehicle's overall appearance.

It's not every day that we get a chance to put a female's ride on the cover. In fact, as you might know, this is the first issue in the history of any custom-truck magazine to ever feature all girls' rides. So we thought it only appropriate to head up the Chicks Special with one of the baddest mini-trucks ever built. You better believe that this mini is one to be reckoned with. If you thought it was embarrassing getting beat by a girl in your old karate class, then you might want to get a hold of Jennifer Lacey's show schedule so you never have the misfortune of going head to head with her on the showfield. Chances are, she will kick your butt there as well, since she is the first girl ever to take home the coveted Best of Show trophy at Showfest in Greenville, Mississippi.

Brandon Brooks has had many, tricked-out cars in the past. He knew, this time around, things wouldn' t be the same for him. "I wanted to build something different, that wasn't 'bagged or body-dropped, and something everybody would enjoy," said Brandon. Building a basic, clean and stock truck, however, wouldn't work with just any truck. Brandon chose a pretty-rare truck he knew would attract a lot of attention. He went with a '68 Datsun 521 pickup. Brandon went on to tell us, "The most interesting thing was not actually seeing the truck when I bought it. I actually had the motor work done, and the truck painted before I had it shipped to me." He did this because he knew there are a lot more Datsun shops in the So Cal area than in the East Coast, where he currently resides. So, finding the truck was the first step, getting it running and looking nice was second, but what about finding all of those hard-to-find parts he needed? That would be the biggest adventure of Brandon's build.

The Lowdown

Rolling Attire
Wheels: 24-inch Rozzi Egos
Tires: 295/30ZR24 Toyo Proxes

Body Modifications
Shaved: Door handles, aerial, side indicators, fuel filler, SR5 stone guards, tailgate handle, cowl panel vents, windscreen wipers, '02 front valance, door mount mirrors, and roof bulge
Frenched: 3rd brake LED light above rear window.
Front end: Toyota Surf flush headlights, grille and Parker lights/indicators, '02 SR5 front bumper with shaved front valance, factory bonnet, bulge raised 35mm, and 4x4 front guards
Back end: '00 HiLux taillights fitted, roll pan.
Taillights: '00 HiLux
Exterior bolt-ons: Custom electric mirrors with LED indictors
Misc.: Electric one-piece surf glass fitted. Side Extra Cab window resized-so bottom is level with front door glass-rear wheeltubs and notch removable cover, inner side panels in tub lengthened to match wheeltubs, and all seams welded.
Performed by: Fabrication and installation by John (Dad) and Shaun Milde

The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: 18x7.5 KMC Units
Tires: 215/35ZR18

Nate Walker
Tulsa, OK
Relaxed Atmosphere
1998 Chevy S-10inline_mediumwraptextright30809487/features/chevy/0912mt_1998_chevy_s100912mt_02_+1998_chevy_s10+custom_interior.jpgTrue

Matt Gyles
Vineland, NJ
Negative Camber
1997 Toyota Tacoma

Every Now And Then A Truck Comes Along That Is Sort Of Like Your Favorite Novel, Tv, Or Comic Book Series; No Matter What, You Follow It Every Step Of The Way.

Every show season presents a new modification to the truck that makes you crave for more! Just like your favorite TV show, you literally chomp at the bit waiting for a new episode to find out what happens next.

Brian "Izzy" Crane is an eager minitrucker, who got into this pastime to do more than party and play. For the most part, Izzy was a typical young minitrucker. He was the sort of enthusiast who couldn't wait to get to a show, set up his ride, and help others, so he could begin to soak up anything and everything about building custom rides. What we learned, however, was Izzy was mature far beyond his age.