2008 was a weird year. There were a lot of changes at the magazine, which turned out to really not change much for you guys. Like the Jeffersons, we moved on up from the seventh floor of our Orange County office building to the eleventh floor, and the view is pretty much the same. The next time an earthquake hits though, we'll just have a lot more stairs to run down while screaming like little girls to escape the building. Galen Armenta left Sport Truck to go work on Mini Truckin' magazine, so now we all have a bit more work to do both at the office and on the road but we've managed to make that transition pretty painless. The price of gas went through the roof, and yet the turnout at many of the better truck shows, including our Havoc tour, was still impressive. For as many changes as we've been through, things really haven't gone that sideways, which is nice. The one thing that hasn't changed a bit is our annual recap of all things cool in the truck world. Without further delay, here's the staff's picks of the best stuff from '08.
'08 Kevin Aguilar's Favorites
Favorite Model:
Dayna Delux
Why Kevin Picked Her:
Dayna has been in the rockabilly scene for quite some time and has become one of its top pinup girls. She sticks out from the rest of our models because of her alternative style. We were lucky enough to snag her for two different shoots that appeared in the same issue.
'08 Kevin Aguilar's Favorites
Favorite Show:
Tex Mex
Why Kevin Picked It:
Throughout the year, I went to plenty of shows. I would have to say my favorite of the year is Severed Ties' Tex Mex show because it shined a new light on the three-day run. It started as a small benefit show and grew to encompass a whole weekend event filled with activities. On top of that, everyone camped out at the show and used tents to get away from the early morning thunderstorm that poured down a ton of rain.
'08 Kevin Aguilar's Favorites
Favorite Truck:
Chris Caldwell's '07 Chevy Silverado
Why Kevin Picked It:
Like always, there are many nice trucks to pick as my favorite. This truck still jumps out to me because it was monumental in the scene. Not only was it one of the first new-body-style Chevys to get air ride, but it was the first to lay body to the ground. Shortly after Chris purchased it, he threw out the factory frame and built a new one from scratch. Then, he followed this up by completely finishing it up and taking it to the '07 SEMA show.
Favorite Tech:
"Spit Shine For An Old Clunker"
Why Kevin Picked It:
This piece started out with Mike wanting to do an engine dress-up story for the classic-themed issue. My '62 GMC was the perfect candidate for it, and along with the help of Calin, I went to work on it. In the story, I showed how $60 in chrome parts, cleaning supplies, and spray paint could refresh a dirty engine compartment. It's a simple mod that can be used on many different vehicles that need a little touch-up work. In the end, my newly restored engine compartment got the truck to score full-coverage insurance. Because the engine was somewhat restored, my insurance agent was able to see that I have plans to fix up the truck and that I wasn't trying to cheat them by claiming it for more that it's worth.