Power Ranger
Mike Mckinney Jr.'S '87 Ford Ranger
Scott Depot, West Virginia
We Say: Either Mike likes watching the Japanese superheroes on Saturday morning or he just wanted a funny name for his truck. We bet his license plate is one of those you don't get until you're watching the truck pass you up on the street.
The 411
Rims/Tires: 15x7 Wheel Vintiques Gennie with '40 Ford V-8 hubcaps / 195/45R15 Nexen N3000
Engine: 347-cid small-block V-8 / Edelbrock aluminum heads / Ford Racing camshaft / Holley Street Avenger 670-cfm carburetor / T5 World Class manual transmission / Zoom Performance Products clutch
Suspension: DJM Dream Beams / Suicide Doors upper and lower airbag brackets / relocated radius arms / custom front shock mounts / frame notched for tie rods and rear axle / rear shocks moved forward 2 inches / Firestone 255c airbags / 10-gallon air tank / manual valves
Body Mods: Shaved door handles, mirrors, emblems, marker lights, fuel door, and stake pockets / cowl-induction hood / roll pan / spun-aluminum fuel cell
Interior: Stock bench seat recovered / black dashcover / Grant wood-grain steering wheel / 23-inch-tall shifter with brass knuckle shift knob
Holy Crap, That's an LS Motor in There!
Jeffery Baum's '98 Chevy S-10
Conroe, Texas
We Say: Luckily for Jeff, he works in the service department of a Chevy dealership and can find all sorts of cool factory parts for his truck. The coolest modification is the addition of an LS motor under the hood. It's pretty rare to see this particular engine in an S-10, and hopefully Jeff will finish this project so we can feature it.
The 411
Rims/Tires: 20x8 MB Wheels Senna / 255/35R20 Kumho
Engine: 5.3L V-8 swapped from '02 Suburban / Current Performance wiring harness / PCM tuned by HP Tuners / Sanderson headers / MagnaFlow catalytic converters and mufflers / 4L60E transmission / 3.73:1 posi rearend
Interior: Floor shifter and console from Blazer / cut-down driver seat to fit console / chrome door handles from GMC Envoy
Go, Go Mini-Truck
Brandon Veillon's '86 Mazda B2000
Sunset, Louisiana
We Say: This mini-truck is done up pretty clean and looks just plain fun to drive. We figure it gets some sweet mileage to boot.
The 411
Rims/Tires: 17-inch Cadillac Escalade wheels / low-profile grips
Body Mods: Shaved tailgate handle, emblems, door handles, antenna, roll pan, and bed seams / custom-made grille / clear turn signals / DuPont Dark Rich Blue Effect paint
Interior: Bucket seats from '96 Camaro / all other pieces painted black
Audio/Video: Dual head unit / Pioneer 6x9-inch speakers
Plastic Fantastic
Mark Burgio's '91 Dodge Dakota
Albion, New York
We Say: The complete plastic bodykit combined with a set of airbags definitely make this ride look a lot lower than stock. Just don't get it near an open flame!
The 411
Rims/Tires: 20-inch Brazen / 245/35R20 Nankang
Suspension: Drop spindles / parallel four-link / C-notch / airbags on all four corners / five-gallon air tank
Body Mods: Smooth bumper with mesh inserts and Street Scene valance / shaved door handles / custom graphics on hood and sides / custom side skirts / APC roll pan and spoiler / custom fender flares / soft tonneau cover
Interior: Tweed upholstery with Plexiglas logos
Audio/Video: Blow-through speaker box with four 12-inch Crossfire subwoofers / DVD player / two video monitors