Copper Crazy Toyota Hilux with a Bite

Back in ’68, Toyota created the pickup truck it designed and named HiLux. In spite of the name, the Hilux was only a luxury vehicle compared to the Toyota Stout. It actually replaced the Stout in most markets. The Hilux remained on the Toyota line until 1995 when the Tacoma was introduced.

With Daniel’s passion for the Hilux and love for copper, it was only a matter of time before a masterpiece would be created.

Daniel Croquart has an affinity for mini-trucks and Toyota models in particular. With increasing prices on the older Toyota trucks, Daniel hadn’t been able to reel in a Hilux until he came into some money after selling a full-size he’d been working on. He found and purchased a ’92 Toyota Hilux in Dayton, Ohio, about three hours from his home in Indiana.

Daniel’s impulse to buy had him overlooking some serious problems. The Hilux had already been adjusted via air ride from the first owner but it needed a whole new suspension and rearend. All the 4-link bars were bent and needed to be replaced, so Daniel worked hard to get his mini to running and driving status. At this point, Daniel was preparing to tear the truck down and make it custom when he and his wife filed for divorce. The truck he worked hard to get had to be sold off with most of his assets. His friend Shawn Miskell purchased the Toyota and Daniel’s dream deviated from his original plan.

As he was getting back on his feet about two years later, Daniel asked Shawn if he wanted to sell the truck back to him, and Shawn agreed since it was just sitting in storage. It was back to square one as Daniel began getting the Hilux prepared for his upgrades. The entire Toyota was torn down and a Mustang Silver was sprayed as a basecoat. Daniel has love for all cultures and wanted to bring a lowrider-style paintjob to his Toyota, so he contacted Josh Culver at Culver Customs in Kentucky. House of Kolor and Matrix paint were added in all types of patterns and styles throughout the truck. All the bodywork was prepared and fixed during this process. The hood was removed and fixed by Chad Walls along with all the imperfections on the bed. This is where the uniqueness took an unexpected turn.

Daniel has always loved the element copper.

“It has always fascinated me, just the way that it looks,” he says.

Daniel purchased a full sheet of copper from a local heating and air business and drilled 316 holes around the truck body. He installed rivet nuts to bolt in the copper panels and trim. He constructed an entire air tank out of copper to add some innovation. The trim pieces for the copper panels along with the taillights, bezels, tank straps, and mirrors were sent out to Frank Armenta in California for high-end polishing and engraving.

Daniel brought the Hilux to Tim at Tim’s Trim Shop in Seymour, Indiana, for a complete interior overhaul. On the dashboard, Daniel wanted something unique to him, so he contacted Zac Reel to airbrush pictures of his three daughters Zoe, Mina, and Lyla on the front dashboard. When it came time to install all the audio inside the Toyota, he and Shawn Miskell worked all day installing the entire NVX system with the Kenwood in-dash at the helm.

With Daniel’s passion for the Hilux and love for copper, it was only a matter of time before a masterpiece would be created. Daniel wishes to thank his now wife Jessica and their three daughters for helping along the way and understanding the passion it requires to build such an impressive work of art. A special thanks goes to Chad Walls for the help with the paint, Shawn Miskell for the audio assistance, Josh Culver for all the patterns and leafing, and NVX Audio for all the tunes. A very special thanks to Chris Knotts for lending us the airport for the shoot.

Copper Crazy has exceeded all expectations and is a certain head-turner at every show Daniel and his Toyota Hilux attend.

TRUCK SPECS

 Chassis

Front Suspension

• Slam Specialties 2,500-pound bags
• Beltech drop spindles
• Stock upper and lower control arms

Rear Suspension

• Triangulated 4-link bagged on bars
• Slam Specialties 2,600-pound bags
• Two Viair 444 compressors
• Slam Specialties manifold
• Copper-plated 5-gallon Specialty Suspension tank hard-lined with engraved mounting straps
• Suspension done by Todd Wilt

Drivetrain

• Engine: 22re, Spectre cold air intake
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Rearend: Narrowed 2.5-inches on each side

Body/Paint

• 2006 Mustang Silver basecoat done by Chad Walls
• House of Kolor flake paint
• Matrix mix of colors
• Patterns, gold and copper leafing all done by Josh Culver
• Front corner lights shaved
• T-Rex phantom front grille
• LED headlights
• Chrome bumper and valance
• Cowl hood done by owner
• Shaved handles
• Harley Davidson side mirrors engraved
• Bed smoothed and shaved
• Cadillac taillights with engraved bezels
• Sheetmetal bed floor with bedliner done by RLC in Columbus, Indiana
• Copper sheet cut into graphics, bolted to bed with billet aluminum trim, water jet cut out and engraved
• License plate bracket made by Welch’s Chop Shop
• Engraved and two-toned in copper and chrome
• Custom acrylic-etched license plate

Interior 

• Distressed vinyl-wrapped seats
• Door panels and sub enclosure with floral design inserts
• Dash painted silver
• Portraits of Daniel’s kids airbrushed on dashboard, all done by Zac Reel
• Carpet installed by Tim’s Trim Shop in Seymour, Indiana
• Acrylic tall hot-rod shifter with etched floral pattern
• Billet Specialties steering wheel
• Stereo
• Kenwood single-din
• NVX Audio speaker components
• 4-inch speakers in dash
• Tweeters on pillars
• 10-inch subwoofer mounted on center console
• Two 5 ½-inch speakers mounted on front console facing out
• Two 6 ½-inch speakers behind the seats
• Five-channel NVX Audio 500-watt amplifier with crossovers
• Built by owner and Shawn Miskell

Wheels & Tires

• Wheels: 18×7 and 20×9 ½ Boyd Coddington Slayers
• Tires: 225/40ZR18 and 255/35R20 Lionheart tires