Sometimes things don't go as planned. When Robert Sandoval's father bought this '99 F-150 in 1998, it was supposed to be a work truck; and it was, if only for six months. Robert took the reins when he was 16 and had modest plans for the truck. He went through a few paint schemes and was enjoying the pride of owning a custom truck, but one trip home from work changed all that. A broken driveshaft left the truck sidelined, so Robert decided that if he was going to spend some time under the Ford, he might as well body-drop it.

While I had the opportunity to drive the 2008 Dodge Durango Limited AWD for a month, I was able to experience a variety of driving conditions. I live in Huntington Beach, California, and to me a sunset cruise down Pacific Coast Highway while listening to the Beach Boys, or making a day exploring the back roads of Bakersfield while singing along with some ol' Buck Owens and country tunes, was time well-spent. I was even able to squeeze in a desert trip to Las Vegas while blastin' some Bon Jovi and Sammy Hagar.

The photos you see here of Matt Spence's '04 Expedition are from the second photo shoot we have done on this SUV. The first shoot was on my very first trip as a Truckin' editor, and my experience on the whole could be categorized as a disaster. Without going into too much detail: I missed an entire photo shoot, paid more money for a cab ride (that didn't get me to my destination) than I have for plane tickets, and was swarmed by the thickest cloud of mosquitoes I have ever witnessed. To put it nicely, the photos I managed to shoot of this Expedition failed to do it justice, so Senior Editor Dan Ward picked up my slack on a recent trip to Texas.

While it is no secret the vast and robust truck market is on a slight decline-due to the ever increasing fuel prices-building not one but two totally matching truck and boat combinations might not be the most economical venture to pursue. When the plan was formulated back in early 2007, however, fuel prices hadn't escalated to where they are now. And the marketing plan that was built around garnering lots of media companies, as well as numerous Truckin' advertisers and SEMA partners, was simply too good not to fulfill these unique projects.

There comes a time in a truck builder's life when the most vital of decisions must be made. Should one submit to the forces of gravitational pull and introduce the truck's frame to the pavement, or is higher ground tops? For some, this quandary will lead to an extensive list of pros and cons. For others, the choice will be dependant on how close the trusty credit card's balance is to officially becoming red flagged. Bobby Martins from Sadistic Iron Werks found himself in the latter category, once he saw the $1,200 price tag for each of the shocks he would need to lift his "budget" '95 Toyota into pre-runner status. Suddenly, joining the minitrucker battle against towering speed bumps and gaping dips in the street didn't seem so bad.

There is no mistaking a truck with a paintjob even Sunkist would envy. Jos Salcedo told us that this '01 Chevy Silverado is his 'normal' daily driver. Here in California, it isn't all too common to see a 'bagged, bright-orange truck mobbing down the street; but everything is said to be bigger in Texas, so that must explain it.

Ford is the king of limited edition vehicles. We have a hard time keeping track of the special edition F-150s, and that's our job. Then there's the Mustang, which takes it to another level. The Ford F-150 Foose Edition includes 22x9-inch forged wheels with Pirelli 275/45 rubber, a lower body kit, two-color graphics, a billet grille insert, and a lowered suspension. Those are just the parts you can see from the outside.

There are a lot of reasons to choose a vehicle for a project build. Some pick a classic body style that they have loved for years, some people see the potential in a late-model truck, and others pick what's hot just for the challenge of raising the bar. When Juan Prieto, owner of Performance Off Road & Automotive Accessories in Bakersfield, California, was looking for his first big project, he left the decision up to his son, Johnny. It was Johnny's idea to build an H2, and it was also his idea to paint it blue and use the Fox Racing Shox logo as a theme throughout the build. Juan agreed with his son on all accounts, and he bought the '05 H2 you see here. It's probably worth mentioning that Johnny was 4 years old at the time.

Active in the sport of drag racing most of his life, Ed Thomas from Cambridge, Maryland, decided to file his collection of timing slips away and pursue a new hobby: traveling the Southeast show circuit with his beautiful, new OZE pickup. From the moment Ed first saw the OZE Rod Shop's new body style, it was love at first sight. The swoopy profile of the 118-inch wheel-base truck is unique with its lush balloon fenders, side exhausts, and reverse curved bed. The OZE stainless steel grille is a wraparound style, flanked by frenched teardrop headlights, and modernized with HID lighting. In addition to the curved side windows, the OZE Sport pickup also features a lift-off Carson top that provides the best of both worlds; a serious concern when you need warmth during Maryland's brisk winters and air-conditioning while traveling Florida's sultry show circuit.

Looking at this lifted Chevy HD, you may think, oh another lifted fullsize with flames. Well, you'd be partly right, but the magic lies inside those doors. Fiberglassed door panels, headliner, sub enclosures, and a painted dash are just some of the insane modifications made to this truck. However, if you look too closely, you may feel a little uncomfortable-as the airbrush work is both provocative and from another realm. This truck holds nothing back, which is a big reason why we like it so much.

Every year, Godfather Customs builds a fresh batch of custom vehicles to showcase what the aftermarket has to offer. Pulling talent from all across Georgia, the show vehicles give guys like us the inspiration to build our own trucks. So, without further ado, here's how Godfather Customs transformed its '06 F-150 SuperCrew into a custom daily driver.

Think of this feature as the one that got away from our horsepower issue (which was last month, for our new readers). We're not exactly sure how a Screamin' Hemi Orange Ram slipped through the cracks, but here it is, in all of its blown, Hemi glory: Mr. Norm's Dodge Ram Super Truck.

In the popular Nickleback song, "Rockstar," Chad Kroeger sings "Get a front-door key to the Playboy Mansion." Well, with this huge Chevy HD you don't need any keys, because you could just drive right over the gates. Larkin Riser from Sibley, Louisiana, wanted to party like a rock star and wasted little time making the truck unique, after getting the new truck in 2002. Painted blue and white and lifted on 40s, the truck was heavily vandalized. So, like any VIP rock star, Larkin whipped out his limitless credit card and started over. His persistence paid off, as the truck you see now has its own star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

If you're 50-plus years old, you might remember the Disney film "Old Yeller," which is about a family in Texas during the post civil-war days. In the movie, a young boy named Travis comes across a stray dog, who he names Yeller, and it becomes Travis' best childhood companion. The story takes a tragic turn when Yeller fights a wolf in defense of the family, then contracts rabies and has to be put down. Poor Travis leaves his boyhood and enters his manhood. The movie was imbedded into every young child of that era for its poetic tragedy.

Built for GM to showcase the potential of aftermarket suppliers for the Chevy Colorado, this Crew Cab 4WD is ready for any terrain in its path. Sand-covered beaches, snow-laden back roads, or better yet: trails entrenched in mud. This purpose-built Chevy is able to navigate through it all. Designed and created by MBRP, the Canadian team wasted little effort in transforming the truck into a capable rig. The end result saw a low-buck midsize receive a total makeover.

It's a dream of every custom-truck enthusiast to be able to say their hands took part in most of the build. Being a true hands-on owner adds to the truck's integrity. Brandon Bowden, a 27-year-old custom-truck fanatic and member of Negative Camber, from Muskogee, Oklahoma, can proudly say he spent many hours, along with experts, to complete his very cool, red '88 Chevy Silverado.

Harold Robinson from Camden, South Carolina, has been a custom car and truck fanatic since high school. We won't say when that was, but it was more than a few decades ago. During the late '70s, Harold began purchasing and collecting more high-quality street rods of the '30s and cruisers from the '50s. He currently has 14 custom rides in his collection. Very cool.

Just when you thought you've seen the most beautiful '53-'56 Ford F-100 known to man, you discover another favorite. That was the case with Steve and Becki Haessly's red '56 Ford F-100, named "Hot Blooded." As you proceed to salivate while viewing the images on the following pages, it will be hard to disagree that this is probably the sweetest '56 you have laid your eyes on.

Walking the endless rows of custom rods and muscle cars in Daytona at the annual Turkey Rod Run, Jennifer Kelley, a junior in college, saw a classic truck and told her dad, Ken, "I want you to build me a truck." That simple request sent Ken, owner of Kelley's Koncepts in Savannah, Georgia, on a search for a suitable truck project that would satisfy his love of '30s-era rods and her desire for a truck. After dropping less than $2,000 for a far-from-perfect '36 Ford pickup, the project was underway and graduation was only 11 months away.

An owner of a Cadillac Escalade knows about style, sophistication, and power. After all, it comes from the factory making 403 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque, so there aren't any mice running the engine in this fullsize SUV.

When we first met Shocker monster truck driver and owner Pat Gerber, we instantly got along with him. It's hard to miss his humility, easy-going personality, and the appreciation he displayed while shooting his vehicles. After thinking about his unique situation-he owns an off-road shop and gets to drive a monster truck for crying out loud-we thought he had it made. However, after finding out this '07 Chevy Suburban 2500 4WD actually belongs to his wife, Randi, we realized his smile was from something else. Pat is married to a woman who understands his need to turn wrenches, get dirty, and go play in the dirt all day. Some guys have all the luck.

The last time we found ourselves behind the wheel of an H3, it was powered by the only engine available at the time, a 3.5L I5. Since then, the I-5 has grown to 3.7L and received a boost in power, but enthusiasts were clamoring for more. The Alpha is Hummer's answer. The standard 5.3L V-8 in the Alpha is just the right amount of engine for this chassis. While future H3s will be available with a 3.6L DOHC V-6 or a diesel, the 5.3L offers the power and torque for everyday driving with little sacrifice in fuel economy, as compared to the 3.7L I5. When pushed, the engine really gets the H3 up and running. With 33-inch tires and 5,000 pounds to push around, the Alpha isn't exactly quick, but it's no slouch, either. Despite the increased spring rate in the torsion bar and the leaf-spring rear axle, road manners were good; not cushy, but we had no complaints from any of our passengers.

Sedan deliveries and panel trucks were a staple of small businesses in the past, because they had plenty of utility with their wide-open cargo area and huge metal panels perfect for pinstriping a business name on the side. Today, at least in America, there are very few choices when it comes to panel trucks, which is why Larry Seabert decided to do something different with his '87 S-10 extended cab. Larry owns Tech-Ni-Kolor Autocrafters in Dwight, Illinois, and his V-8 powered S-10 had served him well as a daily driver and shop truck, but it didn't turn heads like it could if he put some of his metalworking talent into it.

Good 'ol Southern boys are a different breed from the suit and tie-wearing middle class American man. we (I can say that because I'm from Georgia) were raised to respect our mommas, fear our daddies, and treat others with a certain level of respect. discipline and patience are other common lessons learned growing up below the Mason-Dixon line.

When Hypertherm needed to build a platform to display its line of plasma cutters, it could have chosen a trendy compact car, but since it makes more than one plasma-cutting system, the company decided to go a bit bigger. Enter the '08 Super Duty.