METAL MAYHEM
TO MANY, TRUCKS ARE JUST A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT FOR THOSE OF US IN THE SCENE, IT’S ALL ABOUT STYLE. Accentuating the original lines of trucks is a basic design choice most of us make, but some top-notch builders are developing reputations by going far beyond the usual. For them, stock trucks are just a starting point, and the name of the game is reinvention.
Adding or deleting lines calls for a full investment of talent and vision that goes above and beyond the work-a-day customizer. Making big changes can be a risky proposition, but sometimes you just need to gut through the worry and actually do the mods to know whether or not they’ll work. Knowing when to go big and when to exercise restraint is part of developing what it takes to be a customizer who can do things that others only dream about.
Throughout the many years that Street Trucks has been around, we’ve seen all types of rides. Although we’ve been awed by many trucks, we are rarely surprised. After so many years, we’ve pretty much seen it all and we’ve learned that there’s a point where a customizer can go too far with modifications. Though we encourage new things, if you change too much, you can end up with a truck that looks nothing like what you started with.
Unless the goal is to have a completely unrecognizable truck, most customizers try to improve upon the factory look. Shaving items and adding new lines is all about achieving a subtle change that suggests the new look is simply the way the truck arrived from the factory, but better. Top-notch custom work will always look better than the factory version. Trucks are built to a minimum factory standard that is far from perfect.
During the customizing process, some trucks are pared down to their most basic, raw form. If the work is done correctly, they can exude a specific type of unrefined beauty. Most of us prefer fully finished rides, yet there are some who will argue that trucks look better wearing a bare metal finish. We can appreciate the sentiment; you can get a real feel for the work that goes into a truck when you see it in all of its naked glory. But, if we’re honest, the end goal for most of us is a finished, painted ride that’s recognizable as a C-10, an F-100 or a Tacoma—just better.
Our cover truck has undergone many years of construction and keeping it bare metal was more of a necessity than a choice while it was in the mock-up stage.
The team at Little Shop MFG maintained a steady pace to get all of their modifications just right so that when the time comes, the truck will come together easily.
Little Shop really stepped up its game during this particular build process, designing intricate parts on the computer, and then having them cut to spec by an outside source. This is an excellent method because it ensures that the parts will be exact every time. Though the build process has been long, the light at the end of the tunnel is just beginning to appear. We shot the truck for this month’s cover in its current unfinished state because we think it’s an important accomplishment as it is, but we can’t wait to see the truck finished.
Once we discovered that the truck was going to be blown apart for its final build stages, we seized the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shoot it as is. Even unfinished, it’s still an inspiration, driving home the truth that building a full custom truck isn’t an overnight proposition. We hope you enjoy the in-progress photos, and once the truck is finished, we’ll shoot it all over again to reveal it in all of its shiny, painted glory.
LITTLE SHOP REALLY STEPPED UP ITS GAME DURING THIS PARTICULAR BUILD PROCESS, DESIGNING INTRICATE PARTS ON THE COMPUTER, AND THEN HAVING THEM CUT TO SPEC BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE. ”