TRICK YOUR TRUCK

by POWER INVERTERS: AC & DC IN CONCERT

Stainless visors are classic accoutrements that never go out of fashion.

So what’s the truck-about-town going to be sporting for 2007? Interest in Country Music TV’s popular new show, “Trick-My-Truck” is sending folks into the chrome shops in record numbers. The chrome-conscious driver needs to know what’s hot and what’s not.

You really can’t go wrong with the old stand-bys, as long as they’re shiny. On the outside, the chrome-crazy trucker is adding train horns, big eight- to 10-in. stacks, rolled or boxed-end bumpers, right on down to chrome or stainless cowl extensions, center panels, and drop visors.

Sonny Nelson, who manages the chrome department at the Iowa 80 World’s Largest Truck Stop, says the simple things are the biggest sellers at his massive shop. “One of our most popular items are rocker panels, which is just a strip of chrome with adhesive backing that you buy by the foot — you can put it anywhere,” he says.

When it comes to what wins at the truck shows, Nelson says a good paint scheme really draws the eye, and then all the chrome details — visor, bumper, right down to the lug nuts — round it out. “That’s what makes the truck, it has to work as a package.”

The boys at Chrome Shop Mafia/4 State Trucks out of Joplin, MO know a thing or two about making things work as a package, and have parlayed their skills with paint, chrome, and stainless steel into Trick My Truck, a CMT show that turns everyday trucks into rolling works of art.

Chrome Shop Mafia’s Scott St. Germain says the show has had a big impact on sales at 4 State’s shop. “Since the show started we’ve seen a tremendous increase in guys coming in wanting to change bumpers, visors, stacks, stainless/fiberglass fenders, stainless deck plates, custom stainless tool boxes. I would think those components will be the biggest new hits for 2007.”

He says chrome and stainless bits are still “real in”, but painted parts are coming on strong “because we incorporate a lot of painted stainless parts in the show.” Plus, with painted parts, there’s far less maintenance involved in keeping them looking good — “you just wash’em and put a coat of wax on them. We think that’ll be big in 2007 too.”

LED lights are the very latest.

Interior

The view from the inside will also see a few changes for 2007 according to Carol Watson of New Jersey’s ATW Chrome. Look out for jeweled instrument switches and gauges at your favorite parts store, as well as wooden steering wheels (with chrome accents).

The summer truck shows of 2006 revealed a lot of hardwood floors in the better-dressed trucks, but St. Germain says painted aluminum floors are where it’s at for 2007. “We take the original floorboard out and build an aluminum floor which we paint with a similar design as the outside of the truck, or at least a complimentary color — that’s real hot.

“We’ve also been taking out all the dashboard wood accent parts from the factory and painting them to accent the outside colors. Same with the steering wheels.” St. Germain says billet steering wheels — aluminum wheels milled out of a solid piece of aluminum — are also big.

And in a nod to the trucks of yestseryear, the Chrome Shop Mafia crew have been installing auxiliary shifters to give their custom rigs the old school look and ride of the compound tranny. “We take a 13- or 18-speed transmission and put the high-low on a dimmer switch, and put the direct and OD on the auxiliary shifter.”

If you’re out to win big on this summer’s show circuit, you’ll need to spend a little dough. The stakes are definitely going up these days.


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