Keeping the Mini-Truck Scene Alive

Trends are one thing, but styles are a different story all together. It’s rare that what’s popular today will be so tomorrow, let alone a decade from now. A genuine style separates fads from a look that will stand the test of time. In the street truck scene, new trends are constantly circulating. That’s healthy and allows for evolution and innovation. Nevertheless, it’s the iconic styles that endure. Arguably the most iconic is an authentic, clean and custom mini-truck. In a constant whirlwind of flashy builds, it can be hard to keep up with what’s considered “cool,” but a clean mini doesn’t have this problem. Its cult-like community and widespread appreciation have immortalized these tiny custom trucks for generations. It’s this love for minis, and a desire to promote the culture that surrounds them, that inspired Bradley Krasucky to take on his most recent project.

In a constant whirlwind of flashy builds, it can be hard to keep up with what’s considered ‘cool,’ but a clean mini doesn’t have this problem.”

The truck had already enjoyed a long life in the scene, and was first customized by West Coast Customs in the early 2000s. Currently, Krasucky’s classic mini features a host of extensive chassis modifications to achieve the traditional laid-low stance. The Taco boasts a full back-half custom frame, which supports a narrowed rearend and the custom suspension configuration. Dictating the travel of the back-half is a hand-built 4-link setup that uses Firestone airbags. Up front, custom-painted Michigan Metal Works control arms, stock spindles and Slam Specialties airbags have been installed.

The body-dropped Toyota draped over the custom chassis and suspension tucks classic five-spoke rollers. The Boss 338 wheels are finished in titanium gray with polished lips. The front wheels are 18×7, and 20x8s are staggered in the rear. Each wheel is matched with Pirelli rubber for a durable and sticky combination. The ultimate pairing of the wheels and body drop create the simple tucked aesthetic that is the mark of the mini-truck scene. Disc brakes, visible through the spokes of each wheel, further the aggressive stance of the little Toyota. The neo-classic Tacoma sports an equally definitive fuel-injected 2.4L that’s given a bit more character by a custom K&N intake and Flowmaster mufflers to open up its air tubes.

Though the truck’s body, paint and graphics had already been customized, Krasucky took on the project intending to add personal touches. His own shop, BK Customs & Collision, took control by adapting a front bumper from a 4WD Toyota 4Runner, which they sectioned to better match the body lines. The rear bumper, door handles and gas filler were shaved smooth. Fender lights, also from a 4Runner, were grafted and molded into the shaved tailgate for an ultra-clean rear exterior. Finally, a custom sheet-metal section was fabricated for the bed floor. After the labor-intensive bodywork and finish prep were complete, Krasucky’s Toyota was covered in a graphic combination of DuPont Scion Blue and Volvo Silver with orange highlights by Jackson’s Pinstriping.

Keeping it simple and sticking to his guns, he reignites the scene’s grandeur with a Toyota that’s doing its part to keep mini-truckin’ alive and well.”

The fully customized interior complements the wild paint job and top-notch bodywork. The paint and graphic work extend over the tops of the door panels and beneath the windows. Tweed covers the custom-embroidered bucket seats and stretches through the dash. The dash bezels are paint-matched to the exterior’s blue-and-silver paint scheme. The final touches are a classic hot-rod-style shifter and Billet Specialties steering wheel.

The custom elements and features in Krasucky’s Tacoma work together perfectly to create a mini masterpiece. Keeping it simple and sticking to his guns, he reignites the scene’s grandeur with a Toyota that’s doing its part to keep mini-truckin’ alive and well. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

Owner

Bradley Krasucky
1995 Toyota Tacoma
El Campo, TX

Engine

• Toyota 22R four-cylinder
• Factory five-speed manual trans
• K&N air filter
• Flowmaster muffler

Chassis & Suspension 

• Custom back-half chassis
• Custom 4-link rear
• Narrowed rearend
• Firestone rear airbags
• MMW front upper and lower control arms
• Slam Specialties front airbags

Wheels & Tires

• 18×7 and 20×8 Boss 338 wheels
• 215/35R18 & 245/35R20 Hercules tires

Body & Paint 

• Shop: BK Customz & Collision
• Shaved door handles
• Shaved gas filler
• Shaved rear bumper
• Shaved tailgate
• Custom sheet metal bed
• Sectioned and adapted 4Runner bumper
• LED 4Runner fender lights molded for brake lights
• 2 ½-inch body drop
• Custom paint graphics
• DuPont Scion Blue
• DuPont Volvo Silver
• Orange pinstripes by Jackson’s Pinstriping

Interior & Stereo 

• Custom-embossed tweed door panels
• Custom tweed, embroidered bucket seats
• Custom headliner and carpet
• Custom tweed-wrapped dash
• Paint-matched blue-and- silver dash bezels
• Pioneer head unit
• Custom shift knob
• Billet Specialties steering wheel

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Thanks to everyone who put work and heart into this piece of art; my boy Luis Rodriguez for finding the truck for me; Philip Barone for selling the truck; the guys at BK Customz & Collision for getting the truck purring like a kitten; and my wife for letting me keep my dreams alive and growing.”

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