Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
Featured in the May, 2016 edition of Classic TRUCKS Magazine
5.0 liter Ford Performance Coyote V8 / 420 horsepower
Ford 4R70W 4-speed automatic transmission / Simple Shift
Control
Custom leather interior / Heated & massaging seats
Vintage Air conditioning
Boxed and powder-coated frame / Upgraded suspension
Heidts power rack-and-pinion steering / 4-wheel power disc
brakes
9-inch rear axle / 3.25 gears
Modern audio system / rearview camera
PPG Seafoam Green paint
If you're like most of us gearheads, you go to countless car shows
and take in hundreds of cool classics with the plan of building one
head-turning custom that you can REALLY be proud of. Naturally,
yours will have all the cool tricks you've seen on other builds
rolled into one awesome package. And it'll feature the perfect
stance, a top-notch powerplant, a stylish interior and imaginative
paint that lets everyone know you've arrived. The problem is:
haven't you been saying this very same thing for the past five
years... ten years... has it already been twenty years?! It seems
like you're a little long on planning and WAY overdue for some
octane-fueled fun. At RK Motors Charlotte, we believe classics are
built to be enjoyed, not planned to be enjoyed. And this
magazine-featured F100 is a complete 'smart buy' that'll fulfill
your dreams faster than any custom you've spent years
idealizing!
BODYWORK/TRIM
When the owner of this red-hot Effie began planning a cross-country
road trip in a vintage pickup, he had every intention of sourcing a
nice, reliable cruiser. And he did just that by purchasing this
solid, Seafoam Green Ford. But, as happens with so many of these
projects, hobby turned into obsession and minor restoration turned
into an opportunity to create something incredible. And eventually,
with the intent of taking the truck "to a level that no one else
had accomplished", he kicked off a professional, high-dollar
transformation. Since beginning its career as a show queen, this
squeaky clean Ford has logged only selective road time, keeping its
PPG 2-stage virtually flawless. Its custom graphics, which can
easily be removed, are timeless and well done. And, naturally, fit
and panel alignments remain about as close to perfect as such a
thing can be.
Since we're talking aesthetics, I'll go ahead and point out notable
details resulting from both this Ford's original restoration and
two subsequent years of fine-tuning. Up front, an original grille
hangs a traditional "V8" emblem and modern tri-bar headlights above
a chromed and tucked bumper. Behind that grille, a shaved,
forward-tilt hood snugs at like-new glass, which incorporates a
sliding window opposite small wipers and an electric cowl vent. At
the sides of that hood, original front fenders lead stylish
mirrors, traditional door handles, a power antenna and a nostalgic
fuel filler. Below those fenders, Ford-branded running boards flow
to a lighted Oak bed that's framed in stainless skid strips and a
locking Gaylord tonneau. And at the back of the truck, a smoothed
tailgate rides between a small, functional rearview camera,
aftermarket taillights, and a second chromed and tucked bumper.
ENGINE
Prior to its aforementioned tuning, this fun loving Ford sported a
'70s Lincoln motor. And while that mill certainly provided adequate
power, 'adequate' just isn't up to "a level that no one else had
accomplished". Tilt the trick hood and you'll find a fresh, 5.0
liter Ford Performance 'mod motor' that twists stout 11 to 1
compression into 420 horsepower and 390 lb./ft. of tire-melting
torque! Officially named Coyote, and not far removed from the
engine that powers the current Mustang GT, this state-of-the-art
rocket features a forged crank, forged rods, hypereutectic pistons
and all-aluminum, 4-valve construction. At the top of block,
custom, TIG-welded stainless pipes air from remote Spectre filters
to an 80mm, single-bore throttle body and tuned, composite intake
manifold. At the sides of that intake, "POWERED BY FORD" cam covers
bridge the gap between Ford Performance headers and a Mustang GT
engine shroud. At the front of that shroud, a Ford serpentine
system spins an assortment of smooth ancillaries. In front of those
ancillaries, a polished Artic Chill radiator, which rides between a
custom support and large SPAL puller fans, provides plenty of
cooling capacity. And everything communicates thanks to $1,500
worth of Ford Performance engine control. The svelte powerplant is
extremely tidy, with sculpted plastic concealing most of its
factory silver casting. And the truck's "V8" branded engine bay is
detailed with thoughtful accessories like a Wilwood brake booster,
F.A.S.T fuel components, custom inner fenders and an array of
stainless hardware.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
As you can probably tell most of the truck's latest freshening,
completed by Trophy Ride Customs of Wilmington, North Carolina,
involved vastly improved mechanicals. Head bottom-side and you'll
find a boxed and powder-coated frame that centers fresh, Satin
Black floors on a roster of top-notch components. Behind the
Coyote, a Simple Shift Controller utilizes a Performance
Automatic-supplied 4R70W 4-speed to twist a 9-inch axle around
friendly, 3.25 gears. That proven drivetrain rolls on polished
Heidts control arms, adjustable coil-over-shocks and a polished
Heidts rear clip. That modern suspension is augmented with Heidts
power rack-and-pinion steering. Braking is equally class, with
Hydratech hydraulics controlling standard front discs and inboard
rear discs. The aforementioned headers dump spent gases in to
3-inch pipes, which follow Mustang GT mufflers with polished Ford
Racing tips. There's a 20-gallon fuel tank that, despite the
truck's nostalgic filler, makes good use of a fender-mounted port.
Detail items, like an 8-quart oil pan, a diamond plate battery box,
a beefy transmission cooler and a Powermaster XS Torque starter,
ensure function matches form. And power meets the pavement through
painted steel wheels, which twist white walled 215/75R15 BF
Goodrich Silvertown Radials around stainless trim rings and
polished, "FORD" branded hubcaps.
INTERIOR
Inside the truck, a custom cockpit sits primed for either open road
tripping or parking lot posing. Front and center, a smoothed and
body-matched dash frames classy Auto Meter gauges in an
engine-turned instrument panel. Opposite that dash, plush RV seats
mix modern heaters with adjustable massagers. At the bottom of
those seats, premium carpet anchors a small Lokar shifter behind a
stylish Lokar accelerator pedal. At the edges of that carpet,
electronically locked doors integrate perfectly placed "V8" emblems
beneath chrome handles, power-operated windows and custom pulls
that we're repurposed from a Mustang luggage rack. Opposite those
doors, a 2-tier Escalade console stacks Vintage Air climate control
under Kenwood Excelon audio. That audio projects CD, DVD,
Navigation, Bluetooth and satellite radio through two JL Audio
amps, an 8-inch subwoofer and numerous JL Audio speakers. And the
driver stays connected to the road through a tilting Ford column
that spins a sweet Billet Specialties banjo-style wheel.
AWARDS/FEATURES
Featured in the May, 2016 edition of Classic TRUCKS Magazine
Whether it's simple nostalgia or their long list of extremely
useful design virtues, one thing is certain: trucks NEVER go out of
style. And it's becoming increasingly rare to see one of these '50s
show stoppers sit in our RK Motors Charlotte showroom for very
long. If you're in the market for something that's every bit as fun
as it is cool, this awesome Ford is exactly what you've been
looking for!