Nelson Zapata of Cypress, Texas, is a methodical kind of guy. He likes to take his time building his projects and focus on not only the overall picture, but the little details that make the big picture come together. It's led him to create the masterpiece of a truck you see on these pages. But being methodical and detail-oriented doesn't always prevent accidents, and sometimes the worst things happen to people who have the best of intentions. Such was the case when Nelson was towing his truck to a show one day when one of his fellow club members rear-ended the trailer and the truck simultaneously, causing a heap of damage and shattering a dream or two.
The Mazda was rebuilt and fixed, and now you'd never know that it was the victim of a pre-show disaster. It's hard to look at the truck without noticing the crazy tribal graphics laid down by Texas legend Pat Maxwell. The basecoat is silver with a violet pearl that's subtle enough not to distract from the graphics across the bottom of the truck and the hood. Dozens of colors were used in the design and accompanying pinstriping, and patterns were airbrushed in the panels for even more details. The layout flows over the shaved taillights, tailgate, and handles so that you'd never notice that they weren't there, so the other details really shine. The shaved pillars are a subtle touch that not many would notice, and the custom phantom billet grille with shaved corner lenses isn't something you see every day.
Inside, there are lots of other little details that make the truck shine. The seats are wrapped in gray tweed with leather inserts, as are the floor and door panels. The custom console built by D-Money at Bada Bing Kustoms uses a tweed tribal graphic to slash through the painted graphic across the middle, creating a unique, killer design.
Of course the stance of a mini is important, so Nelson took his truck to Loco Motiv to lay the truck on the concrete. The truck is 'bagged with Firestone airbags and KYB shocks, with a two-link setup out back to keep the rearend in line. 17x7 and 17x8 Billet Specialties Snyper wheels surrounded by 205/40-17 Nittos roll this beauty down the road.
This Mazda may look done, but Nelson's not so sure. He's considering body-dropping it or maybe doing some more motor or frame detailing. He's still got a lot left to go in his mind, and no matter how perfect it is he's going to make sure he covers all the details. It's the little things that give a custom truck its worth.