BAGGED B2K
No scene embraces the construction side of things more than mini-trucking, with the mini-truck guys revelling in the display of half-complete projects that feature off-the-chart levels of fabrication awesomeness — it’s built into the culture, really.
Twelve-years deep into the build, Wiremu’s ’84 Mazda B2000 is a mixing of new and old school, which is show cased by the ’80s pinstripe and factory beige paintwork, with a set of late-model Hilux steelies in oxide red.
Under the bonnet there’s a Mazda 13B built by Curran Brothers Racing (CBR) using all-new parts straight from Mazda and packs a 200-shot of nitrous, electronic fuel injection (EFI), an electronic ignition with Bosch coils, a Microtech LT-10c, and an S5 fivespeed with three-puk clutch. “I always wanted fuel injection — it had to be an old ute with late-model features, like EFI and air-ride,” Wiremu explained. Staying true to the blend, he decided against running an under-dash pedal setup, choosing instead to extend the factory booster forward, similar to what you would see in an old Ford, which allows clearance for the front wheels and wild injection setup.
With burnouts on his mind, the ute will run on E85 to help keep things cool while on the pad, delivered via dual EFI Hardware throttle bodies with 1000cc injectors that sit atop a custom manifold. CBR has been tasked with tuning, with the final dyno tune and set up of the nitrous yet to come — there are whispers of some extra porting if the numbers don’t match Wiremu’s expectations.
As suggested earlier, the crown jewel of the modern mini-truck is the chassis work, and this example includes a custom C-notch with custom airbag mounts to hold the Slam Specialties RE-6 bags, fed by quarter-inch valves and lines with two Viair pumps and a single air tank — the front cross member has also been modified. The rear diff is controlled by a custom three-link, selected over a four-link to allow the factory fuel-tank location to be used to stop the tray from being overtaken by a fuel cell or air-ride gear.
The B2K has just undertaken a complete strip down, with everything to be panelled and painted, with the wellside joining the party — although it’s been extensively modified to fit the new notch and wheel height — which will hide all that lovely chassis work. Not to leave any stone unturned, the interior will also be freshened up, and the B1600 seat will receive a reupholster.
Wiremu hopes to unveil the ‘completed’ truck at the 2017 V 4&Rotary Nationals, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Hopefully, it’ll also be swinging on the skidpan that day.