The Crappy Gas Mileage From a Quick Truck Award
Who: Matt Thompkins
Where: Aurora, IL
What: '99 Dodge Dakota R/T
Suspension: Stock
Engine: Blown 5.9L V-8 / Powerdyne supercharger pushing 6 psi of boost / MSD Ignition system / Taylor plug wires / Gibson headers and after-cat exhaust system / 180-degree thermostat
Wheels/tires: Stock
Interior: Custom A-pillar gauge pod
Audio/video: Stock
Body Mods: Mopar tonneau cover / Bed Rug bedliner
We Say: The 5.9L V-8-powered Dakota is a screamer right out of the box and also perhaps one of the most underrated high-performance pickups of all time. It flat-out hauls butt and has piss-poor fuel economy to prove it. Matt's is even faster and probably worse in the fuel economy department, but who cares?
The Baddest Truck on the Jobsite Award
Who: Anthony Pueblo
Where: Kentwood, MI
What: '00 Ford F-150 4x4
Suspension: 4-inch Rancho suspension lift
Engine: 4.6L V-8 / K&N filtercharger / throttle-body spacer / larger injectors / computer chip
Wheels/tires: 17-inch Antera / 37x12.50R17 BFGoodrich radial All-Terrain T/As
Audio/video: Nope
Body Mods: 3-inch body lift / 32 percent darker tint on the windshield, so he can see where he's going in the dark
We Say: If you have to drive your sport truck to work, then you might as well make it look cool, and if you have a hard time finding a parking spot at the job site, then think outside the box like Anthony. Hey, Anthony, next time stand on the other side of the truck where the sun is shining when you take the photo. Your truck would have looked much cooler that way.
The Low Snow Award
Who: Servando Davila
Where: Weslaco, TX
What: Dodge Ram
Suspension: (Front) Castellan's Customs 5/8-inch drop kit
Engine: Protech Racing installed Borla Cat-Back exhaust / Superchips programmer / Summit Racing headers / MSD Ignition system / AIRAID cold-induction system and throttle-body spacer / 3.73 rear gears
Wheels/tires: 20-inch Akuza wheels / Servando forgot to mention what size and brand of tires
Audio/video: Xtreme Car Audio installed a Kenwood head unit / dB amplifiers /two 15-inch BMF Crossfire subs / four dB drive component speaker sets / two 8-inch monitors in the headrests / 15-inch monitor in the dash
Body Mods: RT body kit / TYC taillights / Gaylord tonneau cover / Sir Michaels roll pan
We Say: She's smooth as silk, and she has a sweet rumble in the parking lot. What more could a guy want?
The Best Green Chevy With Torq-Thrust IIs Award
Who: Daniel Byington
Where: Duffield, VA
What: '95 Chevy Silverado C1500
Suspension: (Front) 2-inch Belltech drop spindles / (Rear) 4-inch drop shackles, hangers, and Toxic Shocks
Engine: V-8 swap four-bolt 350-cid / dual-plane intake / geardrive
Wheels/tires: 17x7- and 17x8-inch American Racing Torq-Thrust IIs
Audio/video: N/A
Body Mods: Goodmark cowl-induction hood / Sir Michaels roll pan / color-matched grille and side mirrors
We Say: Simple 'n' clean, it almost blends into that green background like a chameleon. That makes it hard for ricers to sneak up on Daniel and get the jump on him.
The "Yes, He Uses It!" Award
Who: Robert Tranchina
Where: Denver, CO
What: '99 Chevy "Sportbed" 4x4
Suspension: (Front) 6-inch Fabtech drop-down lift kit / (Rear) chromed traction bars
Engine: 5.3L V-8 / polished Whipple supercharger / Arizona Speed and Marine full-length headers / K&N Filtercharger / 4.56 gears
Wheels/tires: Elite Wheels / 35-inch SSRs
Interior: Flamed gauge face / billet door panels / Colorado Custom billet steering wheel / stock seats re-covered in leather
Body Mods: Mac's custom paint / taillight and third brakelight covers / Lund visor
We Say: Here's a man who ain't skeered to take his show truck off-roading. We tip our backward baseball caps and offer a hearty golf clap to you, sir.
The Future Tiny Tire Destroyer Award
Who: Aaron Csikosv
Where: Cedar Lake, IN
What: '93 Ford Ranger XLT
Suspension: (Front) 2-inch Chassis Tech drop coil springs / (Rear) 3-inch Chassis Tech leaf springs
Engine: Who knows? It has a K&N filtercharger on it, though
Wheels/tires: 15x8- and 15x10-inch KMC Relic / BFGoodrich Radial T/As
Interior: Grant GT steering wheel
Audio/video: JL Audio 10-inch subs in custom enclosure / Clarion amplifier / Kenwood head unit
Body Mods: Trenz billet grille / APC clear corner and taillights / Godfather Customs roll pan / Truxarossa mirrors / Low Glow neon / Billet Specialties accessories
We Say: Aaron says he quite frequently loses his driving privileges for doing "brake torques" in the school parking lot. He also says that he plans to add nitrous to whatever motor might be under the hood. Is this a recipe for disaster? Nah.