With its rich paint scheme, custom cuts on the tops of the stacks and sleek lines achieved by eliminating fuel tank straps and bolts, Bryan Martin’s Mob Sled drew plenty of attention at the 2005 Pride & Polish.
“Show truck” has an added meaning for Bryan Martin, whose highly customized vehicles showcase his Joplin, Mo., businesses, Chrome Shop Mafia and 4 State Trucks.
“We build one custom truck each year and take the truck to every show we can make,” he says.
Martin doesn’t enter Pride & Polish judging because his businesses, which include a salvage yard, give him an unfair advantage and because his customized rigs are non-working – indeed, often non-legal on some roads.
Chrome Shop Mafia stars in the Country Music Television series Trick My Truck. In each episode, a truck is completely renovated.
“We try to give everything a little bit of a gangster-sinister theme,” Martin says. Mob Sled, for example, has darkened windows, a low-ride chassis and gangster graphics. “We try to put a little fun and entertainment in what we do,” he says, “instead of the same humdrum.”
