Written by: Alex Brackett & Andrew Beasley
01/26/2022
“Growing up with a family heavily involved in cars, going to car shows every weekend, I’ve seen a lot so my standards have always been high.”
Andrew drew his inspiration for trucks & hot rods from a very young age through his Grandfather’s background with drag racing and the NHRA. He loves and appreciates all styles, but his soft spot for mini trucks led him to purchase his Sonoma from a family member who bought it new in 1993, making him only the second owner.
The variety and creativity among the mini truck culture is unparalleled. Wild paint jobs, crazy billet wheels, the mind-bending body work. It’s one of those genres which has earned its place in the culture through hard work, respect, and the utmost attention to detail.
“When I was 16, I slowly started making it my own. I installed the first drop kit, different wheels, restored the original paint and removed all the molding/badges, just small subtle things. I knew exactly what I wanted to build though, the exact truck I wanted to replicate - so I started hunting for parts.”
The difficult part about modifying a vehicle as unique as this - in a style as unique as this - is availability of parts. Almost nothing is in production anymore so everything must be sourced second hand. With very few connections in the scene, it took Andrew over a year to tick off all the boxes.
The truck is based off of several popular builds from the 90s, with subtle touches true to Andrew’s personal style. The heartbeat along the tailgate, the Work Rezaxs, all an expression of his personality. Overall, the combination of period correct styling with a few modern twists make Andrew’s truck a project that can be appreciated by members of both mini-truck and stance culture.
“It’s a very sentimental vehicle to me - and not only because it was my first vehicle. I learned a lot at a fairly young age and now I have the knowledge to do so much more to it. Most importantly the friends I’ve made on this journey with this little truck mean the world to me - and I’m very thankful for that.”
