Summary

NASCAR star Clint Bowyer's custom Tundra built to honor America's Heartland. Planet Color paint with many hand painted details. All proceeds to benefit the Emporia Community Foundation. Will be sold at approx. 5:30pm Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Details

The Midwest has served as the backbone of our economy for many generations. Unfortunately, times have changed. Many manufacturing and farming jobs have dried up, leaving thousands of workers facing tough choices for themselves and their families. With local economies suffering, funding cuts for educational and cultural programs are becoming a necessity. Growing up in Kansas, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer saw these problems first hand. When asked to participate in the Sherwin-Williams Planet Color All-Star Challenge, Clint saw it as an opportunity do something positive for a region in need. The Kansas countryside is littered with weather-beaten 1950s trucks. Faded but still functional, they are symbols of Midwestern strength. These weathered trucks served as the inspiration for this custom 2011 Toyota Tundra. A Toyota Tundra was the perfect starting point for the project since every Tundra has been designed and built in the USA with over 80% American-made parts. A new Tundra was sent to Kansas-based Red House Custom Paints and after several coats of Sherwin-Williams Planet Color paint and countless hours of sanding, the new Toyota displays a finish that would take nature 50 years to create. The paintwork and details are extremely thorough and the 'wear' carries into the door jambs as well as inside of the bed. A hand painted white pin stripe runs the length of the body. The Toyota name is hand lettered on both doors with dealership-style callouts advertising 'sales, service and parts'. Further details include traditional pin striping on the hood and Bowyer's car number '15' hand-lettered on the fenders. Period correct body mods and accessories include a custom vertical-bar grille atop classic looking white bumpers, wooden bed stakes, a wood bed floor and a decorative gas tank. A custom louvered tailgate and tinted taillights round out the rear end. The 4.0 Liter Toyota V6 provides plenty of motivation in stock form but a custom MagnaFlow exhaust was added for good measure. For a modern take on vintage wheels, 20-inch smoothies were painted Mustard Yellow before being topped with custom chrome center caps. McGaughy's suspension components were added to help minimize wheel gap. In the cab, Rick's Upholstery of Mooresville, NC, added a custom seat inset patterned after a traditional Mexican blanket. Simulated wood grain trim pieces were also applied to the door panels and dashboard. The rest of the interior displays the high build quality and comfort associated with the Toyota brand. The end result is a truly one-of-a-kind Tundra that pays tribute to America's past while recognizing that manufacturing, farming and a hard day's work will always be a part of what makes our country great. **ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE EMPORIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION** **WILL BE SOLD AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30PM SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012**