I'd like to introduce you to project STK TRUK (Stock Truck). This is a project that many of you can relate to. It's being built in my garage, completely after-hours, and only with the help of friends. The premise is to show that it is possible to build and drive a project from the garage, using tools that are affordable and easy to use. We'll be making our own brackets, and making our own four-link and installing it. Like most minitruckers, I work late into the night, and the majority of this truck will be built in the dark, as you'll see in some of the pictures. Of course, we'll try and build as much as we can over the weekends when we're not at shows or covering assignments.
The majority of the tools we'll be using are what most of you will find in your own garage. Granted, not everybody has air tools, but I think it's becoming more common to find these in most garages nowadays. However, if you don't have a welder, I would definitely recommend getting one, especially since you can't really 'bag a mini without a welder. Most of my tools are very affordable, about 80 percent of the tools are Craftsman I have purchased at Sears over the years. The body saw I'm using is from Matco and it still costs less than $200. Like a lot of guys do, I borrowed it from my buddy, Steve, at Bio Kustumz, who is taking part in the buildup. I know we can't have all the tools we want, so sometimes we need to borrow them from friends. Regardless of what brands of tools you have, this will give you a good idea of what we're working with for the project.
The idea is to build this...
The idea is to build this truck into a mild custom. We plan on leaving the exterior and interior appearance as stock as possible, but give it a slammed and aggressive stance.
1a.
1b. We have two boxes filled...
1b. We have two boxes filled with mostly Craftsman tools. This isn't the first project they're tearing into. I guess you could say, they've been around the block.
2. Brand-new Dewalt Sawzall....
2. Brand-new Dewalt Sawzall. I had an older one from Home Depot, but Aaron's dog chewed through the cord. Damage? Roughly $110, out of Aaron's pocket.
3. This is the bandsaw...
3. This is the bandsaw that we'll use to cut our tabs and whatever else we find around the shop-hopefully, no severed fingers. This model was on sale at Sears and set me back about $120.
4. Here's an assorted collection...
4. Here's an assorted collection of tools. The grinder came from my dad's house a while ago, when we were 'bagging a Cadillac. I never gave it back (sorry, dad). The die grinder on the right has seen many projects and costs about $80-$100. The impact gun is from Sears and is part of its Professional series; it costs less than $200. Steve was nice enough to let me borrow the Matco body saw. He bought it new from the Matco truck for about $160-$180.
5. The chop saw and grinder...
5. The chop saw and grinder set us back less than $200 and are brand-new for this buildup. They were on sale and will come in handy to make good straight cuts and clean up our work.
6. The welder and torch...
6. The welder and torch are the biggest investments in the garage-other than the '53 Cadillac behind them. At a cost of about $2,000, you really have to save your lunch money to purchase them, but they'll be worth it. The large bottles come in handy when you don't want to make a trip to the refill station after every small job.