Flamboyant: Michael Santella’s Custom 1996 Toyota 4Runner

Chris Hamilton . September 02, 2026 . Features . Damien Davis

Share Link

Save ArticleLogin to save it

AS SEEN IN OUR APRIL 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

Loud, Low, and Unapologetic

SOME builds happen because they make sense. Others happen because they won’t leave you alone. Michael Santella’s 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5 falls squarely in the second category. This is the kind of project that sticks in your head, keeps you up at night, and empties your weekends for years, and that’s exactly what happened here.

The truck’s name is Flamboyant, and one look tells you why. It’s loud, low, and unapologetic.

Get Your Weekly Truck Build Guides - FREE

Michael, a maintenance tech out of Gravette, Arkansas, built this truck with the support of his wife, Heather, by his side and his Acrophobia club family backing the vision. The truck’s name is Flamboyant, and one look tells you why. It’s loud, low, and unapologetic. Michael says it’s his all-time favorite platform and not something you see every day, which is exactly the whole point. The build took more than five years, and not one of them was rushed.

The exterior is pure custom mini-truck flavor with a throwback twist. The SR5 grille sets the tone up front, while one-off inner tubs were built so the truck can lay low without fighting the sheetmetal. The body was cleaned up with shaved windshield squirters, a shaved fuel door, and a custom wraparound 4-inch roll pan out back. When the sun drops, the switch gets flipped, and pink and purple LEDs glow under the body and around the truck, giving Flamboyant a full nighttime personality.

The paint screams of the ‘90s show scene on purpose. Sprayed in Garfield, Arkansas, by Josh Talburt and Brandon McCoy, the graphics were then laid out by Brandon McCoy from Gooch Freehand Pinstriping. The finish ties the whole attitude together.

Power comes from a 1994 Toyota 22RE four-cylinder, fitted with LC Engineering shorty headers and a throttle body spacer. It’s backed by a Toyota four-speed automatic, keeping things simple and dependable. The engine bay is color-matched so it looks just as finished when the hood is up.

Underneath is where the real fabrication lives. The chassis starts with an ’84 two-wheel-drive Toyota front clip grafted to a fresh 2×3 square-tube frame. Stab Fab control arms help dial in the stance, while the rear rides on a one-off custom five-link built by AJ Going. Zach Bell and AJ handled the frame and chassis work to make sure it sits and works right.

Boyd Coddington wheels handle the footprint—18s in the front and 19s in the rear. The front wheels have a 5-inch backspacing, and the rear have a 6-inch backspacing. Inside, you’ll find recovered factory seats in pink marine vinyl, custom pink and gray panels, a cut-down cage, an SR5 cluster, and a hard-hitting Alpine and CT Sounds stereo setup.

What’s Michael’s advice for anyone chasing a build like this? Work hard, have fun, and never give up. And judging by Flamboyant, he lives it.

TRUCK SPECS

 Engine & Drivetrain

• 1994 Toyota 22RE four-cylinder engine
• LC Engineering short tube headers and throttle body spacer
• Engine block painted to match exterior
• 1994 Toyota four-speed automatic transmission

Chassis & Suspension

• Custom chassis build
• 1984 2WD Toyota front clip grafted to custom frame
• Freshly welded 2×3 square tubing frame rails
• Stab Fab upper and lower control arms
• One-off custom rear five-link suspension by AJ Going
• Frame and chassis fabrication by Zach Bell and AJ Going
• One-off inner wheel tubs for extra drop clearance

Body & Paint

• Toyota SR5 front grille
• Custom body mods throughout
• Shaved windshield squirters and gas door
• Custom wraparound rear roll pan
• Custom 90s-style paint by Josh Talbert and Brandon McCoy (Garfield, AR)
• Freehand graphics and pinstriping by Brandon McCoy (Gooch) (Broken Arrow, OK)
• Pink and purple LED lighting around and under the body

Wheels

• 18-inch (front) and 19-inch (rear) Boyd Coddington wheels

Interior

• Factory 4Runner seats recovered in pink marine vinyl by CP Fabrication
• Custom pink and gray door panels
• Roll cage cut down 11.5 inches
• Toyota SR5 gauge cluster
• BAD Toxic steering wheel
• Alpine and CT Sounds stereo system
• 12-inch shallow-mount subwoofer enclosure with LED lighting

Read Full Bio

Chris Hamilton

Chris Hamilton is an automotive journalist, editor, and lifelong truck enthusiast with extensive experience covering custom truck builds, fabrication, performance upgrades, aftermarket products, and a ...

Previous Post

New Ford F-Series Truck Parts for Summer 2026

Next Post

Street Trucks April 2026: C10s, F-100s, Tacomas and More