Subtle perfection

By Jon Hansen

February 26, 2021

Deven Ramsey’s 2004 Tacoma

When it comes to building pristine trucks, Deven Ramsey of Wichita, Kansas, is no rookie. Having previously built a flawlessly bodied Tacoma that many people have seen at shows across the Midwest, it’s easy to say Deven had a specific vision when starting his latest project, an ’04 Toyota Tacoma. From the paint to the interior to the wheels and how the truck lays out, every little detail was painstakingly planned from day one.

First things first, Deven and Jim at Stone Cold Customs set out to get the truck bodied so it would lay out as perfectly as Deven envisioned, the whole body flush with the ground. Having spent plenty of time working on this same chassis style in the past, the team didn’t hesitate when planning how to build the suspension: a reverse 4-link setup for the rear with drop spindles and custom upper and lower control arms in front.

Once the Tacoma was sitting on the ground where it belonged, Deven sent it to his friend, Justin Cline, at Juiceland Customs for paint. Deven wanted to stay true to the Toyota’s roots, so he chose a basecoat of Toyota Supra Brite White. Next, ghost graphics were added with blue airbrush work throughout the body. The paint work provided enough detail to make people do a double take every time they passed the truck. Leaving no piece untouched, Justin carried the graphics through the doorjambs and onto the custom-built engine bay panels.

With a paint job that looks this good, rushing the interior design was out of the question.”

With a paint job that looks this good, rushing the interior design was out of the question. After many hours of planning and plenty of design changes, a theme was decided upon, and Michael Oden at Design One went to work. With the fiberglass dash and steering column carrying the body’s basecoat color, the interior was laid down in a white-and-gray scheme. From the perfect stitching to the matching graphic in the custom headliner, every part of the interior received meticulous attention. Throw in the custom JL Audio stereo setup by Street Beat Audio and the Intro Rally steering wheel and the interior was a wrap.

From the perfect stitching to the matching graphic in the custom headliner, every part of the interior received meticulous attention.”

There are wheel companies that always stand out from the rest. For Deven, Intro is the real deal. He wanted a classic, understated look, so he chose billet wheels with a satin-faced finish. From the steering wheel to the 20×8.5-inch Intro Twisted Rally wheels, Deven couldn’t go any other route to get the truck he’d envisioned for so long, and the end result was exactly what he aimed for from day one—perfection.

TRUCK SPECS

Owner

Deven Ramsey 2004 Toyota Tacoma Wichita, KS Negative Camber

Engine

2.4L 4-cyliner motor Spectre CAI with K&N filter Custom airbrush work on intake Custom-built and painted engine bay panels Graphics by Justin Cline at Juiceland Customs Manual transmission

Suspension

Shop: Stone Cold Customs Reverser 4-link with ’bag-on-bar setup Custom upper and lower front control arms Stock floor body drop Drop spindles Airbags Stock floor body drop Accuair E-Level management VIAIR compressors

Wheels & Tires

20×8.5 Intro Twisted Rally billet wheels with satin-faced finish 22535R20 Lexani tires

Body & paint

Shop: Juiceland Customs Toyota Supra Brite White paint Custom graphics and airbrushing Custom billet grille Shaved tailgate handle Custom roll pan White taillights Bed floor tubbed with new sheet metal Spray-on bedliner

Interior

Shop: Design One (Michael Oden) Two-tone gray-and-white vinyl upholstery Factory seats with headrests removed Stock headliner with embossing Fiberglass dash painted to match body color Intro Rally billet steering wheel Painted steering column Stereo by Street Beats Audio Wichita, KS Sony head unit JL Audio ZR650-CSi door speakers Two JL Audio 12-inch W1 subwoofers JL Audio HD 600/4 amplifier JL Audio wiring

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Street Trucks for the opportunity to be in the magazine. Thanks to Jim and Branda Stuart at Stonecold Customs; Kyle Rowl, Dave Snowden at A1 Fiberglass. A shout-out to George Embry for letting us shoot the truck on his property. A giant thank you to Justin Cline at Juiceland Customs for all of the hard work on the paint and graphics. Thank you to Michael Oden at Design One for the flawless interior work; Jason at Killerwaxx and Grant Cox for all the hard work he put into shooting my truck. Thank you to my Negative Camber family and, most importantly, a huge thank you to my daughter Reagan Ramsey. The best memory I have of this truck is taking you for the first ride in it. I love you.”