It's pretty rare that we receive a tech sheet filled out completely, let alone one with all of the detailed technical information we like to read. Jamey Tiffany of Bethlehem, Georgia, brought a smile to our faces as he has put his heart and soul into letting us know just what kind of enthusiast he is and what he went through building his '88 Dodge D-50. Some readers might see this as having too much spare time, but the way we look at it is custom-truck building runs deep in Jamey's blood and he has more to express than he could ever put on paper.
Jamey got interested in minis at the age of 15 after moving to Georgia from New York. One of his new friends had a hammered-out Toyota on 15s, which baited the hook for the young and impressionable Jamey. What got him to bite was the cruise night in Gainesville, Georgia, where everyone hung out on the main drag and checked out the rides. Finally setting the hook was a phone call from his cousin about a truck he was selling. Jamey took the deal and the D50 was his.
Jamey is particularly attached to his D50 because it's the first truck he ever owned. Even though he's owned several custom trucks in the decade since buying the D50, he always found himself wanting to work on the Dodge. This truck also represents a lot of firsts for Jamey: the first air setup he installed, the first time he shaved a set of door handles (which turned into everything else); it was even the first truck that he ever body-dropped.
The D50 has quite a history. Jamey's replaced the doors and bumper twice, the hood, bed, and back window three times, the windshield and fenders four times, and wheels five times. He also replaced the tired 93hp motor with a 160hp Mitsubishi Starion turbo motor.
From the day he started out, Jamey has been honing his skills as a builder, getting better with each vehicle. He has no regrets about this build. The mistakes he made on this truck have only made him more aware of what to do right on the next one. His advice to new mini-truckers is to form a game plan and stick to it-your wallet will be a lot heavier, and there'll be less heartache. Most importantly, always remember that it's just for fun.