One Kickass Dakota And A Perfect Photo Submission
Pete Glowinski's '99 Dakota R/T
Jacksonville, North Carolina
We Say: Last month, we presented our Homegrown Hauler awards in which we shuffled though truck submissions to show the best vehicles owned by our readers. While putting that special feature together, we came across several worthy trucks with inadequate photos for print. So this month, we're doing something different and showing you what not to do when taking a photo of your vehicle for Homegrown Haulers.
We love showcasing readers' trucks, but good photos are essential. Pete's photo is a perfect example of what we're looking for. You'll notice the background is clean without any distracting objects such as people or other vehicles. Also, the truck is well lit and not cropped off by the edge of the image. The photo is from a digital camera and works for our minimum requirement of 4x5 inches at 300 dpi. So if there is any picture that best represents what we like to see, it would be this shot.
The 411
Rims/Tires:
20-inch replica R/T / low-profile rubber for street driving and 28-inch Hoosier drag radials for racing
Engine:
Factory 360 short-block V-8 / 1.92 R/T heads / 52mm F&B billet throttle body / Mopar M1 intake manifold / performance camshafts / roller rockers / Mopar headers / Spin Tech exhaust / 4.56 gears / electric fan from Dodge Viper / MSD 6AL ignition / custom PCM flash device
Suspension:
2/2.5 Hotchkis drop kit with coil springs for the front and leaf-spring hangers for the rear
Body Mods:
GTS fiberglass hood / clear turn signals / Street Scene mesh grille and mirrors / soft tonneau cover
What He Wins
Judging by the Engine mods, it's clear that this truck is built to go fast down the straight-aways. According to Pete, his best quarter-mile time in this truck is 13.5 seconds at 102 mph. And, we're pretty sure he's done his fair share of burnouts. Knowing that gearheads like Pete can get addicted to the smell of burning rubber, we're making it a little easier for him to get his fix at home with this scented candle. To go along with the tire-smoking sensations is a miniature tire-and-wheel keychain.
Polaroids Are No Longer Accepted
Joshua Miles' '05 Gmc Canyon
Denton, Texas
We Say: Not only are Polaroids too small for us to print properly, but Polaroid just announced that it will soon end production of instant film. The background in this photo is a bit too cluttered with vehicles and houses, but using your own house as a backdrop is OK.
The 411
Rims/Tires:
20-inch Boss 313 / 275/45R20 Yokohama
Interior:
Factory seats received yellow inserts / various plastics were painted to match the body color
Suspension:
2-inch lowering block in the rear
Body Mods:
Billet grille / bug deflector / hoodscoop / black euro taillights / rear roll pan
Audio/Video:
Jensen touchscreen head unit / JL Audio speakers with amplifier / two 12-inch subwoofers in a ported box with 400-watt amplifier