There is a special bond between a father and a son. Maybe it's because the son will carry on the family name or because a father has someone who they can share hobbies with. Whatever the reason, that bond is there. Sharing your hobbies is a great way to connect and strengthen a father/son relationship, whether it is baseball, fishing, golf, or going to a truck show. Participating in a hobby that both of you love gives you common ground and a reason to spend time together.
For James and Ronald Penwell, they found that common ground in mini-truckin'. It all started with James inviting his dad to attend a show-a run, no less-and hang out with him and his truck-club friends. After that weekend, a whole new world opened up to his dad, and at the age of 46, he was hooked. The end result of the experience was not only a tighter bond between father and son but also a pair of really nice trucks.
Ronald, in a way, is one lucky dad; when he decided to buy a truck, his son James was there to help him find one. It didn't take him long to find one, either. He found a completed Mazda that had only been shown a few times before the owner lost interest. The original owner of the truck, Andrew, sold the truck. The kid who bought it took it home, and for two years, the truck was just sitting, buried in a garage, forgotten. James made arrangements to go and peep the truck, and when he set eyes on it, James knew it was the one for his dad.
The Mazda was already 'bagged, and the body mods included everything shaved, a Toyota front bumper and molded valance, a full phantom grille, and a sunroof. The tailgate and rear pan were welded into a one-piece unit, accented with teardrop-style LED taillights. The Mazda lays hard on terra firma, thanks to its air suspension system, using a triangulated four-link, C-notch and torsion 'bag bracket setup.
The paint on the Mazda is a combination of House of Kolor and PPG in a free-flowing two-tone scheme with a mixture of HOK Sunrise and Sunset, and Magenta for the flame that breaks up the two colors. The interior of the Mazda features nearly a mile of tweed. Door to door, ceiling to floor, just about everything is wrapped in tan tweed. The stock bench was discarded, and Mazda 626 buckets were bolted in to make way for the custom center console.
There is still a lot more in store for this truck. As you read this, the truck has been stripped all of the way down to the frame, and the process of the stock-floor body drop is well underway. Also planned for the Mazda is a new interior, reworked bed floor, and a different set of rollers, and it will don a fresh batch of colors. The plan is to debut the Mazda at this year's SEMA Show, where Ronald plans to show everyone that he has what it takes to build a custom of his own.