Converting Mini Trucks to Eco Boxes

[trikkonceptz]

Years ago I owned a 1996 GMC Sonoma. For several weeks it was in the shop being "Modified" for air suspension, verious body mods etc ...

During that time it had the bed off and that got me thinking ...

Knowing what I know now, I think an extra cab S-10/Sonoma would look freaking awesome, without a bed, a shortened frame and a boattail coming off the cab. I think that would make an awesome commuter car.

Think about how easy that would be. Shortening the existing frame and bracing it would be easy. The boat tail would also be easy as their are no complicated angles to deal with. Shortening the driveshaft is also easy and you still have the benefit of the entire cab and/or the option of doing this to a 4 door model.

Obviously not something to be done to a brand new truck, but for all the used pickups mini or fullsize, running around out there, this may be a killer conversion.

Photoshop anyone?

[Tony Raine]

to a certain extent, what you are talking about is an SUV version of the truck (s10/blazer, ranger/bronco 2/explorer sport)


my bronco 2 is a ranger cut down 'til the rear wheels almost touch the back of the front doors.

i like the idea though. on a bronco 2 enthusiast sit i'm on, more than one person put the single cab ranger body on a bronco 2 frame. while this was done for off-road purposes, it could also be done for aero with the right back-half.

you could also take the 2 door suv, cut off the back half of the roof, and make a new one at a better aero-angle. i would love to do this with a lowered, 2wd version of my present bronco 2.


not my vehicles, but give you an idea of where to start



heres a good candidate for photoshop

[Ryland]

shortening the drive train will change your steering geometry, a truck is also a work vehicle so if you remove the cargo area then what kind of work are you going to be doing with it? unless you are going to tow a trailer.

[Frank Lee]

Ha Ha~ a truck is a work vehicle?!? Not in America!

[jamesqf]

Why not get creative? Come up with a sort of origami rear end, so that when you don't need to haul stuff, it folds up into a nice aerodynamic taper?

[wagonman76]

Sounds like a good idea, but why shorten the rear? Itd give you plenty of room to make your teardrop shape, while having frame support underneath.

[Tony Raine]

i think its a great idea! small cars can cost quite a bit as gas prices go up. trucks/suv's aren't as bad. modifying a truck can also be good for people that live on really rough roads, or have to travel them on a regular basis.

my 4x4 bronco II got 30 mpg back when it was stock. of course that changed in the quest for more off road prowess.

i passed up a deal on another stock b2 with a blown trans for $350.

and you have to admit, the front engine / rear drive does make "creative" engine swaps a lot easier.

a teardrop can make a great cargo area.