At every show ESM attends, it seems we can always find a clean Nissan pickup that has been tricked out. Nissan mini-trucks look sick as hell when they are done right, such as being hammered flat to mother earth like this little blue body dragger is. The owner, Brandon Barefield, of Cleveland, Tennessee, is a true blue mini-trucker (no pun intended) and is a member of Acrophobia (the fear of heights... no kidding, huh?). This built for show mini-truck was a long-term goal for Brandon and we say that goal can be checked off on his things-to-do-list! So, what did it take for this little truck to become the eye catcher that it is? Well, Brandon may shrug and say it was simple, but we will let you, our readers, be the judge... read on!

The first thing on Brandon's list was to do what all true blue mini-truckers do... ground it! After doing some measuring and a few calculations, Brandon decided that a 3¼" inch body drop with an air bag suspension would do the trick. Michael Derrick, compadre and fellow Acrophobia member (as well as a past feature here on ESM), assisted Brandon in his construction of a low dragger by helping out with the body drop and suspension work. A lot of garage time was evident and in fact it took four years of total garage time to be exact!

Starting under the nose, the stock spindles and springs were swapped for a set of two-inch dropped spindles from Chassis Tech and a set of 2500lb airbags respectively. Moving rear ward, a monster C-notch was welded in along with a custom tubular cross member. A Pete and Jake's reversed four-link was also added, along with a set of Toxic shocks, and 2500lb airbags to smooth out those bumps in the road. The stock fuel tank mounts were modified in order to raise the tank two-inches, so Brandon wouldn't cause a sudden environmental hazard while throwing sparks down local Tennessee highways. To get the rear wheels to tuck properly, the rear end was shortened three-inches and painted Sherwin William Hawaiian blue to match the truck's exterior. With the suspension work and body drop good-to-go, it was time to do some serious bodywork.

Brandon did a lot of the bodywork himself, but also had some assistance from a friend, Heath Dunn. For starters, the plan was to shave everything on this little body dragger. To accommodate such a plan, a molded tailgate skin was installed, the tailgate was welded shut, the factory taillights were shaved, and the fuel door was shaved. Inside the pickup bed, the stock inner fenders were cut out and replaced with a set of trailer fenders to help with clearance issues when the bags were purged of air. The bed also received the smooth treatment and was boxed in for a perfect looking pickup bed.

With the rear body work completed, Brandon set his eyes upon the front end. Keeping in line with his original plans of "smooth," Brandon proceeded to shave everything including the emblems, door handles, mirrors, antenna, drip rails, third brake light, wiper cowl, and the front corner lights. To help with clearance issues with the new AEM air intake system, a hole that mirrors the air intake was carved into the sheet metal. The Nissan also received a few parts from a Toyota 4x4, including the front fenders, chrome bumper, and chrome valance. Finishing off the nose includes a Trenz phantom style billet grille insert.

After the body work was completed and the truck was prepped for the paint booth, Brandon called upon Paula Ziggler to spray the Sherwin-Williams Hawaiian blue over the mini-truck's metal skin. Once the paint had dried, the paint was wet sanded and detailed to a deep gleam.

The interior of this mini-truck received a lot of tender loving care as well. To kick things off, the top section of the dash was smoothed and painted to match the exterior Hawaiian blue paint. The remaining dash area was shaved of everything, including A/C controls, vents, speedometer, and radio before it was covered in gray tweed. The gray tweed also flows to the paneling, seats, and headliner. The door panels and headliner even received a set of 3-D flames. Finishing off the interior works is a Grant GT steering wheel and a Trenz polished billet flamed rearview mirror.

Finishing off the mini-truck, as well as the build, Brandon selected a set of 18x7½" chrome rollers with 215/35/18 Nitto rubber laying down the black marks. After all, what is a mini-truck without the appropriate rolling stock?

Brandon's truck is a perfect example of what can be achieved with the help of friends and family and four years of patience. Some would crank out a project like this in a few months, but being a true blue mini-trucker doesn't necessarily mean you get things done fast, it just means you adhere to the principles of all things mini-styled. Well, Brandon, mission accomplished!

Shout Out: "Thanks to Michael Derrick, Paula Ziegler, Heath Dunn, Family, and Friends!" -Brandon