Ever wanted to drive a big rig, but just couldn't find the time for trucker school? A Tennessee man will answer your prayers for a starting price of $13,000 with kits that convert old Detroit pickups into mini-semis.


It took an Australian expat and hot rodder named Bob Suffern to come up with the designs for what he's dubbed Lil' Pete and Lil' Kenny. Lil' Pete uses a donor diesel Ford F-250 pickup built before 1998, while Lil' Kenny requires an older Chevy or Dodge long-wheelbase pickup.


Suffern says he designed the kits to simply bolt onto the pickup frame while meticulously retaining the correct proportions of a true 18-wheeler. The basic kit includes a new trucker-friendly dash, gauges and "sleeper" area; other options such as polished exterior gas tanks can be added, but the price rises faster than bad eggs from the diner in the Flying J.

Now if only someone would build mini kits for the 1979 Plymouth Gran Fury, we could have a 4/5-scale recreation of "B.J. And The Bear." Dibs on Sheriff Lobo. [PickupTrucks.com]