Letters To The Editor - Paper Cuts - October 2002

You Guys Kick Ass!
Thanks for sending the MT sticker and my dollar back. What's up with the Mr. T doll package? You didn't put the Mr. T bobble-head doll in the Taco, did you, Mike? Anyway, it's cool. I framed it with the dollar and your letter. Since you guys sent me a sticker, I figured I'd return the favor and send you my outdated other truck magazine sticker that used to occupy the space that my MT sticker now resides. I've had the Mar. '02 issue for quite some time now, and I wanted to say thanks for publishing Darrell Logan's S-10. I've wanted to see that truck for a long time, and I scored a bunch of useful information about his truck's hood bubble. Thanks again, and I'll see you at Pigeon Forge.
Adam C.
Ashland, Kentucky Adam
Well, thank you, too. We appreciate the comments, and it's good to know that people actually read this stuff. Mr. T is right here, safe on my desk, standing guard and pitying the poor fools who don't eat his cereal.   |   letters To The Editor October 2002 truck Bed Which Bed Do I Have?
I recently purchased an '84 Toyota Xtracab for a new project. I went to order a tailgate skin/roll pan combo, and the company asked whether I had the American or Japanese bed. What is the difference, and how can I find out which one I have?
Chris
via e-mail Chris
The American version of your truck's bed has smooth bed sides and the Japanese version has indentations in the bed sides and exterior bed hooks. The American bed looks much cooler. Hope for the Hard-Core
Do you ever just not work on your truck for about a week because you just wanna take a break from it? Do you ever look at it and say, "I have so much stuff to do that I'm never gonna get done," then just go in the house and flop on the couch? I like to think of myself as a hard-core mini-trucker, but sometimes I don't want to work on my truck for 18-hours straight. I hope I'm not becoming un-hard-core.
Jason
via e-mail Jason
Don't worry, we've all felt the way you do at one time or another. Building a custom truck can take a lot out of you if you don't take a break once in awhile. The key to not losing your mind when facing an uphill battle is to walk away now and again. Go play some Xbox or go cruising with a friend. One trip around the block in someone else's truck with all the honeys staring at you will be enough motivation to work on your truck again. Relax, you're still hard-core.   |   letters To The Editor October 2002 subwoofer Enclosure Audio Enlightenment
I just bought two amplifiers, a pre-made subwoofer enclosure. and a new head unit for my extended-cab Nissan Hardbody. What's the best way to mount all this stuff? I don't have room for everything in the cab unless I cram it all into the back of the cab. Oh yeah, I want it to sound good, too.
Tuneless in Tennessee
via e-mail Tuneless,
Buying an audio package with a pre-made sub enclosure is a good idea if you're on a budget. But just because your box isn't custom-built doesn't mean you can't make your system look custom-installed. The easiest way to install your equipment is to surface-mount everything by screwing the amps directly to the back of the cab (see above). Try to run all of the wiring underneath the carpet for a cleaner look. This isn't he cleanest way to install the equipment, nor is it the best-looking. I'd flush-mount your amplifiers in the bed of your truck if you don't have room in the cab (see above). In either location, you can mount the amplifiers and then build trim panels out of 1/4-inch fiberboard and cover them in material to match the rest of your truck. The trim panels can be mounted with panel plugs such as the ones that hold the door panels to the doors of your mini. You can also screw the trim panels directly down using wood screws. If all else fails, head to your nearest car audio installer for a true custom install.   |   letters To The Editor October 2002 grille To Cut a Phantom
I've seen a lot of Nissan Hardbodys at shows with full phantom grilles and shaved corner lamps. I'd like to do that to mine, but I need to know if I'll have to modify the grille after I shave the front corner lamps.
Mike P.
Tampa, Florida Mike,
If you look closely at the photo of the Nissan, you will see the gap between the phantom grille and the corner light. When you shave the light, you can wrap the sheetmetal into that area. Do it right and you'll have a tight-fitting grille with very little gap between it and the corner light filler panel. So the answer is, no, you won't have to cut the grille.