QUEST FOR PERFECTION

For those of you that have never met a mini-trucker, the style and approach may seem foreign to what you’re used to. Points are won based on all the rad stuff going on underneath the skin instead of outside of it — although for those that have reached the point of happiness for their owners, the focus tends to switch to aesthetics, and you know it’s going to be damn good. That said, some of the best mini trucks in the country have never seen a spalsh of primer, as the owners have spent so much time worrying about what you don’t see at first glance. These guys love a serious amount of fabrication and the never-ending pursuit of low. Steven Van den Broek’s is no exception, however, he has gone around the clock a few times as he admits, as this is his third rebuild. As it sits, this ’97 Hilux is bagged, shaven, fitted with an ITB-packed 1UZ, and a 200hp bottle of NOS. But of course, the fun doesn’t stop there. The interior has been retrimmed white, with the outside getting 18x9-inch Foose wheels, along with six-pot front and four-pot rear Wilwood brakes. Steven, always on the quest for perfection, wasn’t happy with the chassis and is building a new chassis with new air. The old chassis had a lot of dragging damage — a hazard of the style — and the C notch was too small to lie the rails flat on the ground. The new chassis includes a single larger air tank, with bigger valves and lines all run to look super clean. Seven-inch bags are now in place of the previous sixinch examples. While it’s in the shed, Steven thought it rude not to touch a few more pieces, and has already planned to undergo more custom body work, as well as a Sinco single turbo setup with custom plenum built over the ITBs, while the heads will receive some serious port work and a set of Kelford cams. “This is the third, and hopefully final, rebuild,” remarks Steven.