Building a custom truck is a battle! Pencil and notebook in hand, you find yourself perplexed by what you should build and how you should build it.
While your friends have been more than vocal in voicing their opinions of what your buildup should include, it's time YOU decide! Here are some question you may want to ask yourself when you hit that "builder's block" and can't seem to figure out where in the world you're going with your truck.
What's Your Style?
What features on a truck just make you giddy? What excites you the most? What spikes your curiosity, or makes you raise your eyebrows and think, "Now THAT'S sick"? To what do you say "I've always wanted...." This is YOUR personal preference, so it doesn't even matter what anyone else in the world has to say. Note these features and qualities.
If there's something you think you might like, but aren't sure, do your research and form an opinion. Go to shows, scope out the scene, and hit up forums. Ask for opinions, but don't let anyone tell you there are cut and dry stylistic "musts" in building a mini truck. There are commonly accepted mods, such as bags, rims, body drops, paint, sound systems, and so on, but these are not MUSTS, so don't feel obliged to "fit the mold."
What's Your Goal?
Do you want a cover truck? A hopper? A tribute? A daily driver? A weekend toy? An under construction project? A custom fabbed suspension setup? The lowest/highest truck? To build something you've never seen before? Your goal will dictate how you build your ride! Often you'll have multiple goals; try identifying them.
What's Within Your Means?
How much are you willing to spend? How much time are you willing to put into it? What's your timeframe? If you aim for the stars but don't realistically have the means, you could end up abandoning your project in discouragement.
Combining your style, goals, and means should be a good start to creating some plans and overall directions for your ride. Merge your notes from each section and see what you can come up with! Hopefully that light bulb in your mind will illuminate, and you'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you want to do with your ride. When these areas mesh together in a way that makes sense to you, you should be anxious to head down to the garage and make your vision come true!
I pondered over these questions for months and months in regards to my Dime, and finally, I have a plan. . .