Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2024 i F-Series Builder's Guide

NOT ALL TRUCK BUILDS ARE QUITE the same. Sometimes, the desired result is an obvious full-blown custom creation; other times, the truck is designed to be a little more subtle. For the sake of sparking discussion, it’s safe to say that this 2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty rides the line of both worlds but slightly teeters toward the latter category. At first take, most onlookers might only see a brand-new truck with a big lift and a few accessories hanging off it—fair enough. Those who really do know their Ford trucks and can differentiate between Ford’s modern trim packages represent the slim segment of enthusiasts who understand that this truck, in this form, should not even exist. Not Good Enough To break things down, let’s focus on properties of this…

I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR 1976 F-250 Highboy, a.k.a. “Project Green Giant.” There is a lot of history with this truck for me, starting with a ride home from the hospital as a newborn. That’s right, this truck has been a part of my family since before I was born. The truck was purchased by my parents brand new off a lot in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1976. From there, it made the trip out to Colorado where it spent winters pulling a hay trailer through snow-filled pastures feeding horses and summers exploring the mountains around Gunnison. From there, it went to southern Utah and this is where the truck enters my earliest memories. I can remember standing on the seat, steering the truck while it putted along in the granny…

THE TEAM AT F-SERIES BUILDER’S GUIDE IS always on the lookout for groundbreaking upgrades that elevate a truck’s performance and style. When QA1 unveiled its latest line of modern F-Series truck suspension products, the parts immediately caught our attention. The promise of enhanced ride quality, adjustable stance, and easy installation made it an irresistible choice for our next project: a 2018 Ford F-150 that was in need of a suspension makeover. The highlight of QA1’s lineup is the lowering kit for the 2015-2020 Ford F-150, which boasts a combination of front Pro Coil coilovers and a rear drop kit. It was a revolutionary approach that promised not just a lowered stance but also a noticeable performance boost. We were sold on the idea of taking this truck’s handling and appearance…

WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOM CLASSIC TRUCKS, THERE ARE a number of different subcategories from factory-condition restorations, to more radical restomod and Pro Touring builds. One subcategory that doesn’t get nearly the attention and fandom we think it should lays somewhere in between. We’re talking about the gasser hot-rod style, and this beautiful 1957 F-100, owned by Francis Bolduc III, is everything right about the classic subculture. The gasser era got its start in the mid-to-late 1950s, and gained popularity through the 1960s on drag strips nationwide. In some places, the style even extended into the early 1970s, before it became less popular as advancements and technology changed the drag racing industry. The look and stance of these gasoline-only drag cars are truly what makes them stand out in a…

THE FORD F-150 Lightning was and still is a verY EXCITING PERFORMANCE-BASED picKUP MODEL. The inaugural 1993 first-gen model was introduced as a direct response to take on two hopped-up rivals in the OEM performance truck segment—the GMC Syclone and the Chevrolet 454SS. This was a grand time when consumers were introduced to a factory-direct combination of muscle car action in the shape of a pickup truck. Mix this in with the beginning stages of the custom sport truck scene in the early ’90s, and we had the makings of a perfect storm within the custom auto industry. The days of trucks serving as mere oafish utility vehicles were officially over from this era forward. There’s so much to love about this first-gen F-150 Lightning, and that sentiment has been…

AS WE ALL KNOW RUST REPAIR IS ALL part of the process when restoring an old truck, especially when it’s a dentside cab corner. When I look at tackling the rust repair in this area I only look to replace the bad metal and retain as much of the factory metal as possible. By doing this, sometimes you can avoid having to mess with body lines and you can save yourself some time during the bodywork portion of the build. The biggest thing to be aware of when you are doing a cab corner is you want to have the doors on and gapped correctly so your body lines will flow correctly. Also, make sure the new replacement panel you are cutting in fits well and to take your time…

THE LATE 1960S DREW IN FOUNDER LONNIE McCurry Sr’s passion for off-roading (Louisiana southern-style mud digging) into local mud truck racing. Lonnie, along with his wife, Nell recognized a need in the growing 4x4 community and opened up Lonnie McCurry’s 4-Wheel Drive Center—a small shop in their backyard. It started as a passion for growing the hobby that Lonnie and his friends enjoyed. Lonnie Sr. set out to design products that would redefine off-road capabilities, and eventually in 1974, he established Skyjacker Suspensions. This project would go on to become a transformative force in the off-road aftermarket industry, largely in part to the popularity of the dentside F-150 heavy-duty half-ton pickup. Today, Skyjacker has over 85,000 square-feet of combined facility space, over 50 employees, and three generations of family working…

THE SEMA SHOW IS A PREMIER EVENT IN THE automotive world, known not just for its size but also for its prominence. This event is more than a showcase of cars and trucks; it is an industry-focused trade show. Its primary audience includes manufacturers, distributors, and other companies in the aftermarket sector, providing a platform to network and display the newest advancements in automotive parts. These parts are often installed on high-quality vehicles, and the show features a higher concentration of top-tier builds than any other automotive event. While it functions as a show, it operates on its own distinct level compared to typical car shows. Annually, people from around the world gather in Las Vegas during the first week of November for this event. It marked its 60th anniversary…

IT DOESN’T GET MORE AMERICAN than a classic blue oval F-Series truck except - well, this truck is Canadian! Actually, it’s a ‘54 Ford F-100 that was exported to Canada and not actually a Canadian Mercury M-Series, so maybe it’s still American after all? Yes? No? Either way, it’s a bitchin’ truck that sports tons of unique, custom modifications thanks to the folks at Heighton Restorations and Vern Heidt, among other key players in the transformation of this once stock truck. Gilbert Desrosiers had always wanted to build another custom classic truck like the ‘55 F-100 he has owned for decades but just couldn’t find the time to plan things out the way he wanted. Upon retiring a few years ago, he finally found himself with oodles of time and…

THE FINAL STOP ON THE 2023 F-100 TAKEOVER tour was at the 27th annual Cruisin’ the Coast on the beautiful Mississippi gulf coast. For those that haven’t been to or heard of Cruisin’, it’s a classic vehicle event open to all vehicles 1989 and older that spans 30 miles of beachfront highway with designated stops along the way during the first full week of October every year. 2023 brought in over 10,000 registered vehicles and countless spectators. Throughout the week, there are tons of things to do in every city on the coast with a couple of those being cruises specifically for Ford trucks. The first is the annual Soulless Innovations open house/shop party in Gulfport, Mississippi . Martin, Kayla and myself of Soulless open our doors for anyone who…

PROTECH INDUSTRIES HAS worked hard to put itself on the map as a go-to builder/provider of custom truck flatbeds and accessories. The Vancouver, Washington, company has been creating its own line of products since 1980, steadily increasing its number of offerings throughout the years. The name of the game in marketing is getting your product in front of as many qualified eyes as possible, which means appealing to your target audience. Protech’s client base is people who drive their trucks for a living, meaning that it had to have one hell of an impressive (and eye-catching) truck to show off its wares. To that end, it doesn’t get much more impressive than a classic heavy-duty rig, especially a classic ‘55 F-600! Now, there are different ways to get things done,…

IN A SCENE WHERE THERE IS SUCH a definitive line drawn in the dirt that divides lowered and lifted trucks, it’s refreshing to meet a guy who proudly stands with a foot on BOTH sides. Cody Fordahl of Brentwood, California, is a dead-set Ford fan—and why wouldn’t he be based on the first four letters of his last name? He has Blue Oval heritage imbedded in his blood (although there is no relation, it just happens to be a cool coincidence). While there is no question about his brand loyalty, he didn’t bother choosing which type of truck to pledge his unwavering allegiance to. What he does spend most of his time focusing on is keeping his interests pure. He sticks to what he likes, which ranges within the realm…