The Disappearing Mini Truck?

Future Changes in the Mini Truckin Hobby

Posted January 5 2007 04:11 PM by 5569
Filed under: Editorials, Truck Observations, Mini Truckin' Culture

With true mini truck production diving at a sad and alarming rate over the years, have you ever wondered what that means for the future of mini truckin' as we know it?

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The Tacoma of today towers over the Toyota pickup we once knew, and the Colorado annihilated Chevy's hopes of a mini. Let's face it - the trucks of today all follow the trend of bigger, bigger, bigger, which I find a little ironic with the ever-increasing fuel prices and simultaneous diverging trend of small and efficient hybrid cars.

That means that the true minis are aging, and it seems logical that as they age, fewer will be on the road.

Does that mean mini truckin' will take on a newer, evolving form that parallels the automotive market, with mini truckers building Scions, PT Cruisers, HHR's, crossover SUV's, and whatever else is hot and new?

Or, will mini truckin' stay true to its roots and stick with mini trucks? In this case, could mini truckin' actually be raised to a new and higher level, due to the increasing rarity of finding a mini truck and the decreasing availability of parts? Will it ever reach the point where an average, air bagged dime a dozen S-10 may actually become something special to show your grandchildren someday? Where we might one day say, "Wow! Where in the world did you come up with a '92 Toyota to bag and body drop like that?!"

We'll just have to see.

Reader Comments:

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1. Don't forget about the Ranger now! Ford has yet to kill off the last 'true' mini-truck, though there are rumors. So I guess that means the Mini-Truckin needs more Rangers, which wouldn't be a bad thing!

- Posted January 11 2007 06:29 PM

2. "So I guess that means the Mini-Truckin needs more Rangers, which wouldn't be a bad thing!"

I think lots of people would agree with this...

5569 - Posted January 18 2007 05:55 PM

3. don't forget nissan's frontier it still a mini by all means...

vectorw8 - Posted January 24 2007 03:11 PM

4. Just wait 'til the Chinese start importing stuff. I'm sure there will be a mini-truck boom all over again. Sure, they'll probably be garbage, but if you're gonna cut 'em up anyway, who cares?

Edward A. Sanchez - Posted January 29 2007 10:48 AM

5. i agree there should be more rangers in the scene but also we should "dig up" the unused minis like dakotas (1st-2nd gen) and if the chinese were to import stuff like "esanchez" says i believe they could be prosperus and create new possibilities while remaining a uniqe and different aproach to the hobby for a little while though once that dies where are we going to be what will we do? ps.auto companies suck

123fme - Posted February 26 2007 12:23 PM

6. I agree with the Ranger idea, and I think it would be something new and different for the Chinese to import something. I have seen a few good Colorados, I am a fan of them. The Colorados are still the S-10 only it resembles the Silverado. There are still some trucks you can make in to a mini, for example the Silverado C1500. Not many people will lower a C1500(atleast in my area) and it would be different from the "dime a dozen S-10".

The Nissan's are nice as well, and again I haven't noticed many of those around my area either. Im not sure if the Blazer would be considered a mini truck but they are nice as well, and many unique things can be done to the Blazer. That is pretty much all I have to say for now.

InvestedCustoms - Posted March 13 2007 01:56 PM

7. YES, there's still plenty of trucks for us to use and abuse!!! just start cutting them up ;)

Mike Alexander - Posted March 23 2007 03:02 PM

8. I guess my 2004 Taco is going to be collectable.

jetman1979 - Posted June 5 2007 06:00 PM

9. I guess my 2004 Taco is going to be collectable.

jetman1979 - Posted June 5 2007 06:01 PM

10. I think after awhile the trucks will start getting smaller again. Little bitty minis are cool but ones that are a little bigger aren't bad, I'm a big guy 6 foot 330 lbs. Still didn't stop me from drivin my 1980 Toyota though.

LongRoof - Posted August 12 2007 12:48 AM

11. As bad as I hate the Ranger, it looks to be the only true mini left aside from the Frontier. The only reason I can figure for the auto companies in the U.S. to quit making minis is greed. They want you to pay the extra for the Colorado, or Dakota, or newly changed to midsize Tacoma. They don't care about those of us who want to buy the most economical truck possible so that we will have a little left in our pocket to customize it. That is just one of many reasons that older minis are popping up everywhere. People are buying them dirt cheap and rarity of parts is forcing people into being better fabricators to replace or customize panels. It is true that the midsize trucks are more spacious and more luxurious than minis in stock form...in more cases. But they need to be complimentary to mini trucks as opposed to replacements for them.

skydime - Posted August 15 2007 02:57 PM

12. "But they need to be complimentary to mini trucks as opposed to replacements for them."

exactly! I'm still waiting for lil diesel compact pickups to arrive/return. You can't beat a true mini truck in terms of function, fuel economy, and overall good style. but whatever, makers don't think so.

5569 - Posted August 16 2007 10:26 AM

13. well its because every body wants to look like a *** rap star with there 28 inch wheels and suv that get 4mile to the gal
just look at how many older guys purchase a dualy but never tow anything?why

thegundr - Posted September 2 2007 09:01 AM

14. look how many times in a decade they change the body style greed greed
they even came up with a plan to eliminate the old restorable cars that sit in the parts yards each state gets a fed credit for every car they crush now all the parts cars are gone except import crap kia because the parts on the shelves are not there

thegundr - Posted September 2 2007 09:08 AM

15. its kinda like a pendelum swinging... far left to far right.. we are just really left right now...
I would have to assume that with the fuel crisis we are facing and how alternative fuels are being considered, the need for mini's will return. If weight considerations is what brings back the mini.. well i'm all for it. I've seen all the mini's go away.. when i was 16 back in 1988, my first was a mini.. and the streets were flooded with them.. now all you see are huge chunks of steel running the roads... thank God for the xb and vehicles like this that are keeping the smaller vehicles alive...
Minis have to return...
If not.. I'll have to ressurect as many as I can find over the span of my life. I got the sickness when i was 15 from my first Truckin mag.. and I've been a mini trucker since...
I've posted this same article in my forum as well... if you'd like to see other comments on this subject copy and paste this link in your browser.
http://dropculture.forumotion.com/Free-For-All-f37/-p3962.htm#3962

dropculture.com - Posted September 4 2007 08:10 AM

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