Shop Profile:

4 State Trucks & Chrome Shop Mafia

Notable builds/trucks: Ivy’s Poison, Project 351, Kwitcherbitchin’

Location: Joplin, Mo.

Phone Number: (888) 875-7787

4 State Trucks owner Bryan “Bossman” Martin says his shop’s calling card is a “mild to wild” approach – from small custom upgrades to tricked-out custom builds, he and his crew can oblige.

The shop opened in 1979 as a new and used parts store and repair center in the quad-state area in southern Missouri. In the late 90s, the shop started selling chrome accessories and doing custom installation and upgrade work.

Today, 4 State Trucks – and its truck club, the Chrome Shop Mafia, which gained notoriety on the CMT series Trick My Truck – operate a fully-stocked retail store with parts and accessories, installation shop, customization and fabrication shop and salvage yard.

Martin says the shop’s custom work is all about options – for whatever part, he says, 4 State carries a variety of different options to choose when upgrading.

“I think that’s what differentiates us from other chrome shops,” he says. “We carry such a wide scope of accessories, customers always have an extensive menu to choose from.”

4 State Unveils Rewards Program

The gang at 4 State Trucks is rolling out a new customer rewards program – The Mafia Chrome Card –  that will offer discounts on chrome, accessories and truck parts and other perks.

CSM gear is available upon signing up for the program, and a 12-month membership is $99. Chrome card members will receive discounts on all regularly priced items and same-day shipping on any orders placed before noon. The card offers priority scheduling for installation work, and cardholders will receive discounts of 40 percent for all regularly price CSM logo items and apparel.

Cardholders will receive email updates about new products and current projects and are eligible for premium VIP parking at the Guilty by Association Truck Show and Customer Expo held in Joplin, Mo., each October.

To get more information about the card, call 4 State Trucks at (888) 875-7787.

ChromeShopMafia Announces…

GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION TRUCK SHOW

October 1-2 2010!

Get ready!  Make plans now to attend the 2nd annual Guilty By Association Official Event. It’s a cross between a truck show, customer expo, and an open house.

If you plan to only attend one truck show this year, make it this one!

There will be representatives here from the top brands and leading manufacturers in the industry to answer questions you might have about their products.  They’ll be here specifically to help you out and show you what’s new in trucking accessories and aftermarket products!

Lots of sales and promotions are planned including a huge sidewalk sale with blowouts and low, low prices on lots of merchandise.  You’re invited to take a tour of the shop and the store while you’re here…catch up on what’s happening with the gang and mingle with the crew at 4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia!

If you like Burgers & BBQ, be ready for some great food right here on site plus lots of fun for the entire family. Nightly concerts will include The Brent Baker Band and the Matt Coleman “Live” show! Check out our website www.Chromeshopmafia.com for lodging and additional event information.

Drivers, if you want to participate in the Truck Show, we ask that you pre-register your truck by calling 417.624.2900, ext. 11 prior to the event!  This is a low-stress show, not a cleaning contest. Just come out and wash, shammy, show off your truck, and enjoy a great couple of days with us.

We look forward to seeing all of you in Joplin, MO, October 1^st and 2^nd 2010 at Four State Trucks, the official home of the Chrome Shop Mafia, for the Guilty By Association Truck Show & Customer Expo!

Stay tuned for more event information coming your way this summer!

Contact Information:

4 State Trucks

417.624.2900, ext. 11

www.chromeshopmafia.com

KWITCHERBITCHIN’

By Ashley Vice

(Lead photo by Paul Hartley)

Complaints come over the CB about high fuel prices, low pay and long hours. Texas owner-operator Drennon Durham’s response is lacquered across the rear window of his 2007 Peterbilt. One word say’s it all: Kwitcherbitchin.

Drennon Durham, owner of Kwitcherbitchin.

“Easy Money” is the 23-year-old entrepreneur’s CB handle, given to him by a fellow trucker in recognition of Durham’s success at such a young age. “I consider myself pretty young for a guy with a fleet,” he says. Kwitcherbitchin was Durham’s special project in his eight-truck fleet, launched when he was just 20 years old.

Fully customized by the Chrome Shop Mafia of 4State Trucks in Joplin, Mo., the Pete 379 extended hood flattop looks more decorative than durable, but Durham and the Mafia recognized and delivered on the need for a balance between showmanship and serious business.

The 550-hp Caterpillar and 18-speed Eaton Fuller transmission enable Durham to haul drilling rigs, pipe and equipment with little difficulty other than keeping Kwitcherbitchin’s candy-apple-red finish safe from damage. “I scratched it the other day, and I liked to have cried,” Durham says.

According to Joe Overfelt, Mafia body shop manager, Kwitcherbitchin was customized to fit its owner’s personality with a blend of “flash, style and attitude.”

Durham made a few changes to the truck before taking it to the Mafia, but the makeover was a collaboration, as are many of the Mafia’s custom projects: Durham’s ideas and CSM’s artistry, under the direction of Mafia boss Bryan Martin.

“Bryan and I sat down and made a list of things I wanted done to it,” Durham says, “and $40,000 later, here we are.”

That list was extensive, including a shiny stainless frame cover caressed with a custom airline box. The headlights, single squares mounted in the truck’s 22-in. American Eagle front bumper, are among the most talked-about features.

“Most of the time truckers want to know where the headlights are, because they’re easy to miss going freeway speed,” Durham says.

Kwitcherbitchin is outfitted with WTI rear fenders and a set of outlaw-styled front fenders to make it look just a little lower to the ground.

“You know lower is better,” Overfelt says. They also “dropped” the look of the cab and sleeper with a set of custom cab/cowl and sleeper panels. The job didn’t end there.

“We gave it attitude with a huge audio/video setup so Drennon can draw a crowd at the local truck stops with his old classic country boy tunes,” Overfelt says. The setup combines four 10-in. subwoofers and two 1,000-watt amps with a Panasonic head unit. The truck has a 20-in. flat screen with a DVD player and an Xbox 360. Durham says he’s considering adding satellite.

“The boys here at CSM love building trucks, but it makes it that much sweeter when the trucks we build fit the owners to a T,” Overfelt says.

Only a year since the truck was customized, Durham already is thinking about taking it back in for a few updates. “I would like to stretch it to 379 inches, so the wheelbase and the model would be the same,” he says.

At press time, Durham planned to show off Kwitcherbitchin at the 2008 Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Championship at the Mid-America Trucking Show. After that, it’s back to work. Durham recently sold his fleet, seeing the opportunity to pay off debts and make a good deal of money in a short time. He plans to continue working for the company he sold to.

“All the big guys around here are buying out the little guys to avoid competition,” Durham says. “It’s just easier to work for someone else and let them deal with the headaches, like taxes.”

He kept one truck: Kwitcherbitchin. “A guy offered $155,000 for it, but I have almost $200,000 in it and wouldn’t sell it anyway,” he says.

Selling his fleet, he says, gives him the opportunity to go to shows – and keep customizing. “Why not?” he asks. “I like to change things up and be different.” Durham says neither he nor his truck is what people imagine when they think of the trucking industry — and that’s the way he likes it. — CR

Shedding a little more creative light on those custom steering wheel options

By Bruce W. Smith

Few items on a custom rig makes as much of a statement to the owner about their truck than the steering wheel. It’s what the owner hold’s on to day in and day out and casts an eye toward innumerable times during a driving stint. It’s also the one singular item that catches the attention of all those who peek inside the cab—even if for an instant.

What makes the choice of wheel so important is it serves multiple functions –especially in conjunction with working rigs.

This custom billet wheel goes perfect with this rig's brushed aluminum dash.

First it has to be comfortable to the touch. Nothing is more annoying than to have a steering wheel that feels awkward when you’ve got to keep your hands on it hours on end.

Then it has to make a statement, whether it’s subtle, in-your face, or somewhere in between. And lastly the steering wheel of any custom big rig has to be a compliment to the interior.

Finding exactly the right one for your truck probably isn’t going to be that easy. After all, there’s a wide selection of “traditional” styles from which to choose and the offerings are getting even wider as you’ll soon see. So to find the perfect custom steering wheel may require quite a lot of shopping.

The easiest way to go “custom” is to paint the wheel of you like to match or compliment your rig’s interior.

Wood and chrome are always a nice mix to carry the nostalgia look.

“ ‘Painted to match’ steering wheels is very popular right now,” says Bryan “Bossman” Martin of 4 State Trucks’ Chrome Shop Mafia fame.

“ What we do is take a wood steering wheel, sand it, prep it for paint, paint it with automotive-grade paint and clear coat it. This way a driver can keep his dashboard, door trim, floorboard and steering wheel all the same color, which really gives the interior a smooth ‘hot rod’ look.”

Another growing trend is to have metal steering wheels powder-coated or “chromed” in a variety of colors. A new chroming process a company in southern California offers allows you to “color” the wheel (and just about any other interior trim part) to suit a variety of color tastes and looks.

“We spent two years on research and development taking the best from modern chrome plating applications,” says Scott Oliver, one of the owners of Wheel Creations Plus Inc., in Fresno.

“This process utilizes a pure chrome that is a higher standard than can be used in traditional plating. We also utilize titanium and nickel for strength and adhesion, finished with a German basecoat and topped with clear developed for the space program and used by Mercedes-Benz.”

The result, according to Oliver, is show-quality, long-lasting plating with a deep clear coat to give the parts a color tint to match or compliment the vehicle.

Oliver says, “Our plating process is ideal for plating mirror brackets, air cans, air-intake tubes, radiator surrounds, headlight housings and other ‘common’ accessories found on big rigs.”

REALLY CUSTOM WHEELS

Such a process opens the door wide for doing some really cool custom touches with steering wheels. For example, you might find a billet-style wheel from the likes of Colorado Customs, True Customs, Details, or Billet Specialties and have it chromed with the new process to the color or look you really want.

Taking that a step further, have your own steering wheel designed and built to make your cab really special. Several of the custom steering wheel manufacturers offer such services.

The newest custom trend is designing your own wheel like this one from True Customs.

“Our specialty is building one-off steering wheels,” says Mike Miller, owner of M & M Machine, LLC, which is also the home of True Custom Steering Wheels located in Carriere, MS.

The company is very well-known among the classic and custom car crowd and has recently expanded to offer their creative talents to the custom rig audience.

“All our customer has to do is send is their design, even if it’s scratched out on a napkin, and we can build the steering wheel,” says Miller. All the customer has to do is supply us with the proper steering wheel adapter and the bolt pattern. We’ll do the rest.”

That brings up another important point about steering wheel upgrades as pointed out by Martin during a recent visit to their custom shop in Joplin.

“Steering wheels for big rigs are definitely not a ‘one style fits all’! Nearly every truck make and model takes a different wheel,” explains the Bossman.

“A wheel off of a tilt-column generally won’t fit a standard column; a wheel for a 1985 Peterbilt won’t fit a 2005 Pete; a steering wheel for a Columbia Freightliner won’t fit a Freightliner Classic, and so on and so on,” he says. “What that means for us as chrome shops is we have to keep about 100-150 steering wheels in stock to accommodate owners of all types of trucks.”

For the custom rig owner setting out to use a wheel of his own choice this means getting the right adapter.  There are at least two good sources: Grant Products and Details. Both offer adapters and installation kits to fit the batter part of rigs being customized today.

A quality steering wheel puller is a must-use tool.

INSTALLATION TIPS

As for the installation side, some caution there as well to make the swap/upgrade smooth and trouble-free.

“You need a good high-quality tee-bar-style puller to change-out a steering wheel,” says Joe “Lil’ Joe” Overfelt, the shop manager for 4 State Trucks and the Chrome Shop Mafia.

“Those cheap import tools can cause a mountain of headaches! You are dealing with a $600-$700 steering column and the last thing you want is to damage it by stripping out bolt holes, pulling threads, or damaging a steering shaft.”

“Another touchy issue on installation of a steering wheel is making sure you’ve got it ‘centered.’ Most times if you just guess at it’s position in relation to the front wheels you’ll realize a mile or so down the road the spokes are a spline or two off-center,” says Overfelt.

Making sure the wheel is centered and aligned with the front tires during installation saves both time and money.

“This means you have to do the complete R & R procedure all over, which is a big waste of time and money. What we generally do is make absolutely sure the wheels are perfectly straight before we pull the original steering wheel.”  (Check out or steering wheel how-to, “Get A Grip,” Summer 2009, for more tips.)

So there you have it. When you start thinking about interior customizing/personalizing, let your mind wander a little more than the steering wheel displays at the local chrome shop or e-store.

As you’ll see in our showcase below, you might be surprised at what you can find with a just a little more research and your own special creativeness. — The Editors

STEERING WHEEL SHOWCASE

Here’s a look at a just a few of the newest offerings in steering wheels for custom big rigs. Take the time to go to the manufacturer’s web sites to check out other wheels that are sure to turn your cab around. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

LOW LIFE

Colorado Customs’ Low Life ($500) custom wheel features a solid billet aluminum design and comes in a 14-inch to 18-inch size range. The Low Life is available in flat or gloss black powder coat versions with pin-stripe options and is clear-coated for durability. Fits most rigs with an optional adapter.  www.ColoradoCustom.com (714) 441-2498

TRUE CUSTOM WHEEL

M&M Machine can custom build any steering wheel design to fit your rig. The custom wheels ($469 for a 14-inch) are built from solid aluminum plates and come ready to bolt. Send M&M a sketch, and they will build the custom design to match the interior of your custom rig. www.truecustoms.com (601) 749-4325

VIP29

VIP WHEELS

As of late, Vehicle Improvement Products has been making steering wheels for the military. They do, however, still make steering wheels for trucks that will do any custom rig interior justice. For a more contemporary, flashy look, the 18-inch VIP49 might do the trick. It features four chrome-plated spokes and a flamed rim design. For a traditional, elegant style, the 20-inch VIP29 features two chrome-plated spokes and a top-grain leather rim.  www.vipwheels.com (847) 395-7250

BILLET STEERING WHEEL

Details Show Truck Acessories’ 16.5-inch three-piece wheel features an aluminum cast ring and a solid billet center. The back of the steering wheel is detailed the same as the front, so the the wheel’s custom look can be seen at any angle.  Details manufactures  all of its accessory products out of solid aluminum. The wheel is available at all of Detail’s distributors and comes with black or unfinished rings and ready to paint. www.bigironbling.com

GRANT DRIVER SERIES

Dress up your trucks interior with Grant’s new Driver Series Wood steering wheels. Hand finished mahogany wood accentuates a chrome steel spoke. For comfort, leather accents the spokes for a soft but firm grip where you need it most. Available in two and three spoke designs. www.grantproducts.com; (800) 952-6947

4 State Trucks/CSM celebrate 30^th anniversary with Joplin blowout

The invite for the early October truck show simply said, “Come join us for our 3oth Anniversary Celebration. We guarantee a good time will be had by all.”

When you get an invitation from the boyz at the Chrome Shop Mafia like that there’s no way one can turn it down. You just know the turn out is going to be good and the hospitality terrific.

We weren’t disappointed, either. When we arrived Friday afternoon at 4 State Trucks Joplin, Missouri, compound the rains had subsided and the cold winds had begun to diminish.

We also found 97 trucks on site—72 of them registered in the Chrome Shop Mafia’s Truck Show.

It was the first day of their two-day gig, and Bryan “Bossman” Martin and his brother Bryce were up to their cold ears trying to get vendors and show participants shuffled around and squeezed into 4 State’s parking lots.

“Weather wise it wasn’t looking too good yesterday and this morning,” says Bryan. “But this storm’s blowin’ out and it’ll be good tomorrow.” And it was.

Unlike miserable Friday, Saturday morning was perfect for a truck show; the sky was clear and blue, the temp cool and crisp, and the wind just a light breeze. By 10am the crowds were rolling in and by noon parking spaces for spectators were getting very hard to find. By 2pm it was a capacity crowd.

Ice Road Trucker Alex Debogorsky

Freightliner was showing off their new 2010 Coronado and giving away four NASCR tckets w/pit passes and four Petty Driving Experience to some lucky winners later in the day.

Alex Debogorsky from Ice Road Truckers was there to shake hands and sign autographs, as were the CSM gang who were celebrities themselves. Dozens of people lined up every time the Bossman gave “VIP” tours of their shop and showroom during the day, too.

We also learned a dozen of the rigs on display were treated quite special by being photographed by Paul Hartley for the Chrome Shop Mafia’s 2010 calendar.

“Saturday night a huge bonfire we lit off in the 4 State compound as Matt Coleman & Road Hammers wound up the crowd with some kickin’ tunes,” says Martin of the end-of-day events. “And there was no shortage of BBG and food thanks to our friends at Red Hot & Blue ( a local Joplin purveyor of such cuisine.)

“Everybody in attendance was relaxed, havin a good time, ‘all smiles’ and had a ‘spring in their step’ as Joplin was ‘right where they wanted to be,” say the Bossman.

Form what we could tell, the 30tth anniversary bash was a winner. We have been told we’re on the invite list for next year’s October Fest—Chrome Shop Mafia style. Woooo-Hoooo!—CR

GBATS WINNER’S LIST

Winners:

Poker Run: Jayme Snow

$650  gift pack: Shannon Crenshaw

$1000 gift pack: Chad Blackwell

$2000 gift pack; Cupp Farms

Lights:2nd – Jerry Kissinger

1st -  Billy Carter/Steve Hendershot

Paint:  2nd – Matt McCord

1st  – Jeremy Graves

Interior:2nd – Dallas McCord

1st – Paul Saline

Stereo: 2nd -Colin Stuart

1st  -Jeremy Graves

Peoples Choice:

Bobtail – Thomas Ivy

Combo – Jeremy Graves

Competitors Choice:

Bobtail 2nd place……..:Doug perkins

Bobtail-Best Of Show..:Matt McCord

Competitors Choice:

Combo 2nd Place…….:.Jeremy Graves

Combo Best of Show..: Wayne Baker

Larry Martin Memorial Award.: Randy Huddleston

2010 CSM CALENDAR TRUCKS

Hoewing Trucking

Troy Huddleston

Randy Rebillard

Andy FIero

A.Wise Trkg

Dave Schroyer

Chad Blackwell

Gary Salisbury

Jeremy Graves

Nathan Deacon

Paul Saline

Doug Perkins

[View with PicLens]

12►

By Lanier Norville

“Hot rodding has no limits.” This, the motto of Flaming River hot-rod shop, is epitomized in its latest revival: the transformation of this 1987 Pete 379 Flattop into the smokin’ hot gangsta rig known as Blackbird.

Flaming River of Berea, Ohio, frequents hot-rod trade shows, showcasing its products and custom work, which is catered to early models of hot rod cars.

“We had a smaller truck, a GMC top kick,” to haul products from show to show, says Brett Domin, sales manager at Flaming River who oversaw Blackbird’s custom makeover. “The GMC really wasn’t meeting our needs. The Pete seemed to be a better fit.”

The hot-rod shop gave the old Pete a second chance at rollin’ in style by modeling it after the Lockheed SR-71 Mach-3 spy plane, which was used by the U.S. Air Force until 1998. The boys in the shop at Flaming River drew inspiration from the jet’s sleek, low profile minimalism – a look that translates well to big rigs — and named it Blackbird.

The redesigned Pete boasts custom machining, hot rod stainless pipes, a new interior and unique graphics that showcase the shop’s finest work.

On the outside, the frame, tranny, and final drive were soda blasted and painted to match the body. No, they didn’t shake up cans of soda and spray down the parts, though the process is not far off from that.

Soda blasting is a cleaning method that can remove dirt and rust without damaging metal or glass. The process involves shooting baking soda through a tube at high speed using compressed air. Know how baking soda shines up teeth? It works on trucks, too.

Once clean and rust-free, the frame, transmission and final drive received a matte black paint job at Priebie’s Collision Center to match the body.

The color, Jet Black, is a Dupont Finishes Hot Hue. The Flaming River team removed the fuel tanks; steps; trim molding; mirrors and brackets, cleaned them, and had Creative Powder Coating of Elyria, Ohio, give them a black powder finish.

The original aluminum wheels got a custom treatment with bead blasting, black powder coat and new chrome hub center covers and lug caps. The original 8-inch visor was replaced with a 14-inch black powder coated visor.

“The truck just looks so aggressive rolling up from behind,” Domin says.

New black bucket-style halogen headlights from Southern Rods and Parts contrast nicely with the classic long-nose design, while integral top mounted turn signals add extra custom flair. The exhaust system tubes received chrome plating and a new direction, rerouted to the side dump Lakester-style, a popular ‘50s style. “We wanted to give it that hot-rod look,” Domin says.

The Flaming River team removed the original Peterbilt logos, replacing them with billet aluminum ovals engraved with “Pete 379” and backlit by LED lights.

The custom integrated fuel tank and exhaust brackets also shine with billet aluminum and polished stainless steel. The custom bumper, made by 32 Chrome Shop of Pulaski, Wisc., is 22” deep and ridin’ low, at 4” below stock.

They left one vestige of the old truck intact: the bird-shaped hood ornament that the last owner had added. “We had changed so much on the truck that we just decided to leave that on there,” Domin says.

The team stripped and refurbished the cab and sleeper, including the upholstery. They installed four new Air Ride seats, a Flaming River steering column and steering wheel, a new headliner, interior door panels, and side/rear interior treatment in the sleeper. They even added a new dash cover and new wood cabinetry to give it a high-class look.

But Blackbird doesn’t just have looks to die for, it’s got the entertainment to match. The audio system includes Sirius satellite radio, CD and cassette players, MP3 player compatibility and new speakers.

Then there’s the Magellan GPS navi system, flat screen TV, DVD player and Playstation 3 that the team picked up from Best Buy.

To ensure a clear sound, Design Engineering Corporation of Avon Lake, Ohio, installed sound deadening insulation in the sleeper and the cab.

Though the truck hasn’t been seen on the big-rig show circuit yet, it’s something Domin sees in its future.