THE AIRIZONA ARTWORX BUILD UP.

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Sandog said:

What the hell, here it goes. I have been in the scene for several years. Started when I was 17, had a 1991 Toyota truck, had it lowered, finally got the paint done, and had a drunk driver take it away before I could go any further. It was a bad deal, and I was lucky to walk away from it. Always being a fan of toyotas, I wanted another but could never afford to buy one. Finally about 10 years ago, I bought an 02 tacoma that was bagged previously, but I wanted to make it my own. I worked on it quite a bit, learned alot of lessons, had to redo some of the previous work, and had to redo alot of my work. Trial and error, you know how it goes. Stored for the winter to do a stock floor body drop, figured I would get it out one last day, drove it to work and never made it home. I was stopped in rush hour traffic and tagged from behind by a lady that never hit the brake, needless to say I was the salami in that sandwich, and another truck down. Thinking I was cursed with toyotas, I bought a new F150, those are not as easy to bag, and I had to sell it becuase my wife lost her job. Finally back in a position to get a truck, last summer I bought a 4runner off of ST Kenny in Tx. It is a good start, but I wanted to redo it. So, here I am, smack in the middle of another one. I have never had the glory of finishing a truck. Something has always happened to prevent that. It is like I am not meant to have a truck featured in a magazine. It kills me.

I changed up the frame a little as it was already stock floored, just needed alot of little stuff. Got it powdercoated and am trying to put it back together. I am working slow, and trying to get all the pieces powdercoated and detailed to the max. It is a great start for sure. Hell, I spent 50 bucks on grade 8 hardware just for the front suspension the other day. It would fulfill a lifelong dream to see the truck in a magazine, let alone at Sema. I have never asked for a handout for anything in my life, and have already purchased an Accuair setup, wheels and tires for my project, among alot of other misc items. I just have no idea how I am going to ever get this thing painted and the interior finished to where it needs to be. With work slowing down, and all the money I have already spent, this may be a 5 year project lol. I dont expect to win, I know there are alot of better candidates who are more deserving, but what the hell right. The pics before paint are not a show truck waiting to be repainted, but rather a good start to a long ass project. I am trying to do it all myself, and let me tell you, seperating a 4 runner from the frame by yourself in a 2 car garage is a bitch. I dont have alot of minitruckin friends that live close, and my neighbors are a bunch of hillbillies that dont understand. I had a rendering done, and had some sponsors listed thinking it would help me get a deal on their product. Reno made me a great deal, but the others not so much. Gotta try right? Thanks for looking.



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i really like runners and u have a great story man im sure u have alot of hard work into that truck

I have traveled to many shows in the past, and made alot of friends. I am not afraid to do it again. I want to hit RA, Showfest, Slamily, Camp N Drag and Tex Mex, as well as the Sema show. Helping out is not a problem either, but I must warn you, I am no body man. I can do about anything else though. You guys do some killer work, and I have loved that accord you guys did on juice since I first saw it at Showfest 05. Thanks for your time and for doing something so awesome for what many call a lifestyle. I like to call it an expensive ass hobby that is about to cost me a marriage lol. Keep up the killer work!

DONT FORGET GUYS WHEN U POST ANYTHING ON HERE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REPOST A PICTURE OF THE TRUCK U OWN WITH IT THAT WAY I INSTANTLY KNOW WHO U ARE AND I DONT HAVE TO GO BACK AND MATCH UP UR NAME WITH A PREVIOUS PICTURE U POSTED.....JIMMY

Edited: 1/8/2011 4:41:20 PM by DD PREZ

hmmmm what if i own a 1994 chevy 1500 but its a 4DOOR 5LUG SHORT-BED home made i know its not a mini but it would b a great canvas lol i also own a 1999 LEXUS GS300 its beautiful w/ only 82'XXXmiles

Edited: 1/8/2011 6:07:34 PM by DisseveredCustoms

Jimmy, you already know me (Tony), my truck, and my story, just transfering over from the old thread...LOL... Little update though the truck is currently pictured in minitruckin mag and streettrucks mag under RA All-Sat Event show coverage. As far as updates on the truck I am slowly gathering parts together while I am building other projects for friends (Jds sonoma on 22s- build-up forum). I am also looking at houses and shops to try to expand my business which could help the project or kill it. So I am really hoping I have a good chance at winning this due to the fact that it will take me a very long time to raise the $ and find time to finish it. Hope to see ya at Bring the Noize next month (money permitting), and let me know ur shop hours cuz I would luv to check out all the shops in the area when I fly in before the show.

Jimmy this is awesome what u are doin. Here is a little more info about me and my truck build. I have built this truck in a 1 car garage while I was going to college, just working on it when i could and with little extra cash I had here and there. I did all the fab work myself with a little help from friends, and a ton of help from my dad (he did all my machinist work). The motor in the truck is an Ls1 out of a 98 corvette which was donated to the project by my good friend Josh Parton (havent paid him back for it yet). It was my dream to have the truck in a magazine, and last Relaxed Atmoshere All-star Event that dream became a reality. It got shot for MiniTruckin underconstruction and StreetTrucks blood sweat and gears, and is also the current underconstruction feature for www.cruisinthestreets.com. I also was blessed to recieve the best fab award at the show as well. I am extremely pumped and excitied to be recognized for my hard work, and now I am drivin even more to get this thing done quick. Now that one dream has been acomplished I have a new one. I am currently building customer projects in order to put together the $ to finish my truck. I am a small town guy from southern illinois but I am looking for anyone interested in helping get this truck finished so i can debue it at sema 2011. I dont have any sponsors or a booth for that matter to get into the show but I am welling to bust my butt and or do anything to get there. So i hope that i am a candidate for this, but if there is a more deserving fellow I hope that it makes there dreams come true as well. I am truely honored to be a part of such a great truck scene!

Edited: 1/11/2011 9:37:37 AM by WHIZ

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AZ ARTWORX said:



Here are a few pictures of it now.

This is much closer to what i would like:

The colors I like for the green and silver: Snakeskin Green Pearl and Metalic Bright Silver both were originally 08 Viper colors I believe.

looks like u have alot done so far....i see alot of surface rust why has it been sitting so long... what makes u the truck to pick...please remember to repost one photo with ur reply

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AZ, the surface rust you see if from the parts we got from the donor toyota that the front clip came off of, I have no idea how long they sat with the toyota before I bought it for parts. Honestly, the Rodeo made it to Summer Madness 2010 right after Fab work, and after Fab work It sat at the drive line shop for two months while they waited for the shortened chromoly axles to be made. I've only had it back for about a month or so, since that time I've had to worry about the holidays, with a 14 year old son, my spare money went to his Christmas presents and such.

Regarding what makes it the truck to pick, I honestly just put the pics up after seeing Bob make the post. Regarding the logistics in the issue, the truck itself sits 10 minutes drive from the Las Vegas convention center aka SEMA show grounds, I have the ability and means to transport it to sponsors photo shoots and anything that may prove difficult for someone out of the south west. Additionally, it's not a common mini, as of this time I only know of two others that are in the show scene.

I'm an average Joe mini trucker single father of a teenage son, I have no saving grace story to make it or me the one to pick.

No matter what happens thanks to you and Bob for giving us minitruckers this opportunity!

Whiz

Well wow. Where to start. Okay Lets start with me. Im Currently Deployed to Iraq for the 7th Time since the push of Fallujah. I have a wife, and two wonderfull kids that miss their Dad. The story behind the truck, Its a 1994 Chevy Silverado; bagged and Stock floor body dropped sitting on 22 inch Rims. This truck used to belong to a good friend of mine who was just getting into the MiniTruckin scene when he was gunned down in Santa Maria California (R.I.P Ruben Alarcon). He started to bag the truck from learning how to weld to getting the motor tuned up. All of which just didnt go right, because he was just learning. After his death I bought the truck from his Dad to help with the Funeral Costs and it all started with me from there. It was a daily crapper-driver. All over the place; rear end didnt line up right and was just a set of wheels for me to roll around till I got $$ to hook it up. Well that day came without any notice or funds in the bank. The back half of the truck came out from under me when i was coming around a corner to pick up my wife for lunch. Being an Active duty Marine, I really didnt have any money to just start from scratch. So, I went to the bank and got a loan to get the beast back on the road. I took it to Syndicate (Lil 'D) and he re-bagged the truck for me because i was on deployment again. He did the tubular Back half on it before his boss actually said to stop doing all the custom work for so cheap. I was a Marine and into MiniTrucks, that was all he needed to know to help out with the truck for the $$ i didnt have. My Passion has been this truck that slowly has drained everything i have but is well worth the dedication I have to my Friend Ruben to Finish this for him and his Family. I promised his dad that I would swing it by when its complete. That has been 5 years and going now. I have been with =SunSet= SoCal San Diego for some time now and love rolling my truck to shows.. yeah I said Roll my truck. I dont like having a truck I cant drive and I refuse to put it on a trailer. Just the though of that gives me goose bumps; only because when I drive that truck I drive it with pride. I have the pride to say, this was my friends truck and he didnt wrong me so i refuse to put anything less into it but my all. My dedication to the Country that I serve for and to my truck are the same. You dont have to ask me twice to do anything for it. Since I was leaving for this deployment and my love for trucks I traded my 03 Yukon for a bought it that way 1974 Chevy C10. My mentality for this was a Big Brother Little Brother theme for the trucks, since Ruben and I were like family. I would finish his Project as he rests in Peace and I would start a legacy to call my own in his name.
I have provided some Pictures of both trucks. In case I get lucky and you pick one of the two.

Well wow. Where to start. Okay Lets start with me. Im Currently Deployed to Iraq for the 7th Time since the push of Fallujah. I have a wife, and two wonderfull kids that miss their Dad. The story behind the truck, Its a 1994 Chevy Silverado; bagged and Stock floor body dropped sitting on 22 inch Rims. This truck used to belong to a good friend of mine who was just getting into the MiniTruckin scene when he was gunned down in Santa Maria California (R.I.P Ruben Alarcon). He started to bag the truck from learning how to weld to getting the motor tuned up. All of which just didnt go right, because he was just learning. After his death I bought the truck from his Dad to Help with the Funeral Costs and it all started with me from there. It was a daily crapper-driver. All over the place; rear end didnt line up right and was just a set of wheels for me to roll around till I got $$ to hook it up. Well that day came without any notice or funds in the bank. The back half of the truck came out from under me when i was coming around a corner to pick up my wife for lunch. Being an Active duty Marine, I really didnt have any money to just start from scratch. So, I went to the bank and got a loan to get the beast back on the road. I took it to Syndicate (Lil 'D) and he re-bagged the truck for me because i was on deployment again. He did the tubular Back half on it before his boss actually said to stop doing all the custom work for so cheap. I was a Marine and into MiniTrucks, that was all he needed to know to Help out with the truck for the $$ i didnt have. My Passion has been this truck that slowly has drained everything i have but is well worth the dedication I have to my Friend Ruben to Finish this for him and his Family. I promised his dad that I would swing it by when its complete. That has been 5 years and going now. I have been with =SunSet= SoCal San Diego for some time now and love rolling my truck to shows.. yeah I said Roll my truck. I dont like having a truck I cant drive and I refuse to put it on a trailer. Just the though of that gives me goose bumps; only because when I drive that truck I drive it with pride. I have the pride to say, this was my friends truck and he didnt wrong me so i refuse to put anything less into it but my all. My dedication to the Country that I serve for and to my truck are the same. You dont have to ask me twice to do anything for it. Since I was leaving for this deployment and my love for trucks I traded my 03 Yukon for a bought it that way 1974 Chevy C10. My mentality for this was a Big Brother Little Brother theme for the trucks, since Ruben and I were like family. I would finish his Project as he rests in Peace and I would start a legacy to call my own in his name.
I have provided some Pictures of both trucks. In case I get lucky and you pick one of the two.

here goes, i bought my pathy a fears back with plans on building it. then never got to it and used it as a daily for a while. ended up selling/trading it to a buddy for a burban. sold that and decided to buy the pathy back and actually build it this time. since then ive gone off the deep end on the build, was supposed to be a simple yota clipped 3/4 frame build, now is a full frame, sheet metal arms, massive rod ends for the rear, carb'd 5.3L with a 700r4, 20" raceline billets, accuair, and the list goes on. ive built alot of trucks over the years but have yet to finiish one on my own, ive had this one being build for almost 2 year since i started buying parts and got it to a friends shop. i just want to see it finished and driving finally.

here she is when i bought it,



the design phase



the frame all tig'd with mig'd rear gusset plates



upper control arms



lower arms



heres the rendering from KEG-Media



heres a link to the whole build, hasnt been updated in a while though

http://infamousnissan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10560

Edited: 1/8/2011 5:38:16 PM by SteveO_SunSetSD

DUH~~~~~ NOW WITH PICS

Well wow. Where to start. Okay Lets start with me. Im Currently Deployed to Iraq for the 7th Time since the push of Fallujah. I have a wife, and two wonderfull kids that miss their Dad. The story behind the truck, Its a 1994 Chevy Silverado; bagged and Stock floor body dropped sitting on 22 inch Rims. This truck used to belong to a good friend of mine who was just getting into the MiniTruckin scene when he was gunned down in Santa Maria California (R.I.P Ruben Alarcon). He started to bag the truck from learning how to weld to getting the motor tuned up. All of which just didnt go right, because he was just learning. After his death I bought the truck from his Dad to Help with the Funeral Costs and it all started with me from there. It was a daily crapper-driver. All over the place; rear end didnt line up right and was just a set of wheels for me to roll around till I got $$ to hook it up. Well that day came without any notice or funds in the bank. The back half of the truck came out from under me when i was coming around a corner to pick up my wife for lunch. Being an Active duty Marine, I really didnt have any money to just start from scratch. So, I went to the bank and got a loan to get the beast back on the road. I took it to Syndicate (Lil 'D) and he re-bagged the truck for me because i was on deployment again. He did the tubular Back half on it before his boss actually said to stop doing all the custom work for so cheap. I was a Marine and into MiniTrucks, that was all he needed to know to Help out with the truck for the $$ i didnt have. My Passion has been this truck that slowly has drained everything i have but is well worth the dedication I have to my Friend Ruben to Finish this for him and his Family. I promised his dad that I would swing it by when its complete. That has been 5 years and going now. I have been with =SunSet= SoCal San Diego for some time now and love rolling my truck to shows.. yeah I said Roll my truck. I dont like having a truck I cant drive and I refuse to put it on a trailer. Just the though of that gives me goose bumps; only because when I drive that truck I drive it with pride. I have the pride to say, this was my friends truck and he didnt wrong me so i refuse to put anything less into it but my all. My dedication to the Country that I serve for and to my truck are the same. You dont have to ask me twice to do anything for it. Since I was leaving for this deployment and my love for trucks I traded my 03 Yukon for a bought it that way 1974 Chevy C10. My mentality for this was a Big Brother Little Brother theme for the trucks, since Ruben and I were like family. I would finish his Project as he rests in Peace and I would start a legacy to call my own in his name.I have provided some Pictures of both trucks. In case I get lucky and you pick one of the two.