While lowriding maintained its presence primarily on the West Coast, the minitrucking phenomenon seemed to easily transcend the Southern California lifestyle and took shape in many communities where more traditional forms of automobile customization prevailed. The minitruck is also a popular alternative because the money invested in traditional lowriders far exceeds the average enthusiast’s bank book, if he or she doesn’t want to take out a second mortgage or worry about every ding and dent that comes with a streetable vehicle.
Matt Hodgson’s first encounter with lowrider culture came as a young man when he was exploring the pages of the popular Lowrider Magazine in search of examples of the fairer sex but found cars instead. In February 2007, he bought a 2006 GMC Canyon crew cab and decided to take the project in the opposite direction of the sky. For the first year, he drove the truck around without a single modification made. At the time, he was satisfying his need for low-profile vehicles with a “bagged” Toyota Tacoma and a few other vehicles, but gradually sold off his stable to focus attention solely on the Canyon.
The first modification required the reinforcement of the frame to support the new ride height. He sent the truck to John Shepherd of Shepherd Chassis who built a dual-railed frame from scratch and incorporated all the necessary Air Ride components needed, which would help lower the truck. Because the bed was a longer version that usually does not come with the crew cab, Shepherd extended the frame 11 inches. In the meantime, the bed was delivered to another body shop to be raised in anticipation of the lowered suspension. The tailgate was modified to half of its original height, and suicide doors were installed in the rear.
| Stats box |
| » Wheels: KMC Haze 22-inch on Nitto NT555 tires |
| » Performance/suspension: cold air intake, Summit 7-inch Brake Booster/Brake Master Cylinder, custom handmade intake manifold, two 5-gallon air tanks, ASCO 3/8-inch manifold valves, two Viar 480 compressors, Slam Specialties RE-7 airbags, |
| » Exterior: 11-inch frame extension, shorted rear axle, 6-foot bed conversion, one-off half gate, raised bed floor with custom inner fenders, shaved tailgate handle, shaved gas door, motorcycle gas cap in bed floor, suicide rear doors |
| » Interior: Air Ride gauges mounted in stock HVAC controls, painted interior plastic trim, Sin-City Kustomz billet shifter |
Multiple 5-gallon air tanks were installed, supported by ASCO manifold valves and powered by two Viar 480 compressors. Slam Specialties air bags were installed on the four corners, and because of the new height, the fuel tank had to be relocated to the rear of the frame to avoid any combustible accidents. Because many of the external parts would interfere with the frame in their current position, parts were reconfigured and hundreds of wires had to be lengthened and fitted to custom harnesses. To keep the original hood from being replaced on the truck, Hodgson had modified the intake manifold so it would sit snugly inside without issue.
Hodgson’s list of future improvements is as long as his list of original upgrades and includes new wheels, upper and lower billet grilles, a hide-away license plate and shaved door handles and third brake light, to name a handful.
What do you drive? A 2006 GMC Canyon crew cab.
Why do you drive it? Because it’s awesome to see the looks on people’s faces as you cruise past them 1/4 inch off the ground.
What makes your truck so special? It was the first driving body-dropped, long-bed crew cab GM355 in the U.S. and possibly in the world. It also sports some very unique modifications like a “half-gate” and suicide rear doors.
What was your most memorable driving experience? One of my most memorable would be my nine-hour solo drive home from a show in North Carolina. Just an open road and good jams.
What music are you currently listening to in your ride? Currently Dave Matthews Band is on constant rotation.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in the build process? Everything with this truck continues to be a challenge! I guess the biggest challenge is that it’s nowhere near completed. There is still much more to do!
What was the first car you owned? I bought a 1994 S-10 when I was 16 and lowered that 6 inches in the front and 7 inches in the back. I used to get stuck on speed bumps.
And your first ticket? What was it for? My first ticket was a speeding ticket; 45 in a 30.
