Letters to the Editor - Paper Cuts - December 2003

  |   1994 Mitsubishi Mighty Max truck Bed Mini Truckin' Prayer
Dear God,
I pray as I enter upon the blacktop today, that you would keep my air pressure in full capacity. Keep me out of harm's way. Keep all my 'bags from blowing. Keep my stereo from draining my batteries. Please keep other drivers from running into me. Keep my other mini-truckin' brothers and sisters safe while they travel back and forth from show to show. I pray you'll keep my sparks from igniting my fuel lines. Dear God, this is my prayer as I take my mini truck out for enjoyment today.
Nathan Mahaffey
Church of the Twisted Torsion Nathan,
We all say similar versions of this little mini-truckin' prayer every day. So far, it's kept us safe - or at least, safe enough. Thanks for the inspiration. Crunkest Mag?
Wassup, guys?
First off, I want to tell you that I think you guys put out the crunkest magazine ever. I'm 16 and live in Houston and I recently purchased a '94 Mitsubishi Mighty Max Macro Cab, which I plan to turn it into a full-blown show truck. I had a '90 Mighty Max, but it was totaled a few months ago - such is life. Anyway, I'm planning on starting out by redoing my whole suspension, but I have two questions for you. First I want to put 18-inch Alba Battles up front and 20-inch Battles in the rear with a four-link, and I want my truck to lay flat on the pavement. What do you think will be the best setup to do this? Also, as I'm sure you know, the Mighty Max has a six-lug pattern and the Battles are five-lug. Do you think it would be better to swap a rear end from a Toyota and the hubs and rotors for the front or have a custom-made conversion to accommodate these rims? Thanks for your help and keep up the great work. L8R
Oscar
Houston, Texas
Hey Oscar,
Thanks for the letter, but what the hell is "crunkiest"? Is it a good thing? We sure hope so! Well, assuming it's a compliment, we'll try to give you some good advice. Your first question about the suspension setup is really up to you. You already said you plan on using a four-link in the rear to lay the back down. If you're going to be using airbags, there is a long list of things you'll need. Decide how fast you want it to be and then call Silver Star Customs at (662) 342-6763; the crew there will start you in the right direction. As far as the six-lug problem, most people go for the Toyota swap. For safety reasons, we don't really recommend using most adapters, but there are some good ones out there, such as the ones from Motorsports Technologies, (909) 514-0091. Once you install the 'bag setup and throw those rims on with the five-lug conversion, your truck will be well on its way to becoming the show truck you're working toward. Send us some pictures and keep us updated. Mini Truckin' Troopers

Dear MT,
Just wanted to let you know how much your magazine helps over here in Operation Iraqi Freedom. With the sweet rides and up-to-date events, it sure makes the days go by faster. There's no (Texas) Heat Wave for me this year - at least not one with any show trucks in it - but I look forward to seeing it in MT. Thanks to everyone at Mini Truckin'. P.S. My ride is on your MT Web site in the Ridin' Around section. It's the black S-10 called "My Baby."
A Mini-Truckin' Soldier,
Sgt. Hughes 1/44 ADA Sgt. Hughes,
It seems we have mini-truckers in all parts of the world, plenty of whom are serving our country. It's encouraging to receive letters from troops dedicated to protecting our freedom. We are all grateful for you guys and gals looking after our butts, so we are pleased to put out a magazine that you can enjoy while kicking Saddam's butt. Good luck over there, and hopefully we'll see you at the next Heat Wave. Stay safe. Lost Parts
Dear MT,
I recently purchased an '02 Mazda B2300 not knowing how hard it would be to find accessories for it. I can hardly find anything at all to fit it. One question I did have is, Would parts for an '02 Ranger fit? They are much easier to find than ones for my Mazda. Any help with my dilemma would be great. Thanks and keep on mini-truckin'.
Pvt. Delany
Cincinnati Pvt. Delaney,
Your dilemma isn't really that much of a problem because the Ranger and the Mazda are almost identical trucks. The major differences in the two trucks are limited to the exterior trim, available engines, and interior trimmings. Almost anything you need for your Mazda will fit from the Ranger. You can call many of our advertisers throughout these pages to find almost any accessory you're looking for. Another Shout Out From The Pen'
Dear MT,
I would like to send some words out to Tom Moscato about his S-10, "Shared Victory," featured in the Sept. '03 issue. I was raised around street-drag racing and am paying the price for that now. I will be driving a '95 S-10 extended cab given to me next month when I am released. Putting the illegal life behind me, I plan on joining the mini-truck crowd. I like that Tom built a tasteful truck and didn't go overboard with graphics or a crazy interior and that he kept the factory hood. I can only hope my S-10 turns out as smooth as his (except there'll be an LS1 motor under the factory hood.) Tom has a beautiful truck - nicely done!
"Shared Victory" Fan
Thomas "Auto" Konczal Thomas,
We agree 100 percent. Tom Moscato's truck is one fine example of an S-10 with style. As far as putting the illegal life behind you and becoming a mini trucker, good luck. We get more than a few letters from guys who are "cooling it," if you know what we mean. You can come out of prison a better man, though. Send us some pictures of your S-10 when you've begun to make some progress on its buildup.