Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2020 från F-Series Builder's Guide

EVERYTHING IS CERTAINLY BIGGER IN TEXAS, especially most things automotive! From NASCAR to popular custom automotive shops and TV shows, Texas has left its mark on the custom automotive industry and definitely has a strong lineage in the classic truck markets. One prime example specific to the Ford F-100, our first love, is the Texoma F-100 Roundup held annually in Gainesville, Texas. This all-classic Ford truck show is arguably the largest and possibly the only all-Ford truck show in Texas (and filled in from Oklahoma, Arkansas and surrounding states). The number of Ford truck owners who make the annual pilgrimage to gather with like-minded Ford fans from all over continues to grow year over year. Allen Davis, show founder, and his supportive group of fellow Ford gurus have been hosting…

WE PICK UP OUR NEWEST installment of HOT WIPs (Works in Progress) with an under-construction build over at Pope’s Hot Rods. This insanely cool 1964 Mercury M-250 Crew Cab build has been in the works for a bit now. Brian Pope at Pope’s Hot Rods is a purveyor of these F-100 slicks, bumps, dents and everything in between. Although some of his builds feature beautiful restoration and paint, many happen to keep their original patina, and this ’64 Merc just happens to be on the choppin’ block for just such a treatment. “A full Roadster Shop SPEC chassis and air ride will be the main attractions of this build’s ground-hugging stance. The powerplant choice is still up in the air but, knowing Brian, it will be something pretty sweet to…

QA1, THE ALPHANUMERIC CODE FOR ONE OF the industry’s top suspension, rod ends, spherical bearings and shock absorber companies, was founded in 1993 by Jim Jordan in Lakeville, Minnesota. Fast forward 27 years, and the company is still creating 100% American-made products for our American trucks out of Lakeville, although it has certainly grown quite a bit over the last almost three decades. When you think QA1, you think high quality, and that makes perfect sense as quality is the top priority in everything the company does. Its products are designed, built and tested to ensure consistent quality, ultimate reliability and unbeatable performance. Many of QA1’s employees are racers or serious enthusiasts themselves and understand the needs and goals of their customers from firsthand experience. QA1 often works with well-known…

NOW, WE’VE SEEN OUR fair share of restorations, customs, hot rods, drivers and an assortment of wild Ford F-100 builds throughout the years. But it’s not every day that you come across an all-out race truck guised in F-100 cladding that performs both on and off the track. Frank Watson certainly had a goal in mind when setting out to build the “ultimate street truck,” and we’d say he absolutely nailed it! Frank knew he wanted to build a beast of a Ford that would perform on track, road course, straight line, Pro Touring and even g-Machine status, all while being able to drive to and from. This was no easy feat, so Frank set out to partner with No Limit Engineering to handle the chassis/suspension foundation that would be…

FATHERS TEACH A LOT TO their sons—when to throw a punch, how to hold their liquor, what to look for in used cars, when to change the oil in the ol’ truck—and sometimes, without even trying, they pass down the stuff that really matters. “The best part of the buildup was enjoying the time with my dad, grandpa and uncle, building it when I was a teenager.” —Jake Bryant A Tradition Rises Our story begins with Jerry Bryant, the father in this dynamic unibody duo. He lives in Antelope, California, a cozy suburb of Sacramento’s Sierra Nevada foothills, and works as an acoustical ceiling installer. More than 30 years ago, he found himself coveting a friend’s 1963 F-100 Unibody with a big wraparound back window, and he had to have…

TRENDS DEFINITELY COME AND GO, especially in the fast paced and ever-changing world of custom classic trucks. One thing is for certain: The annual SEMA show in Las Vegas will always tell you both where the market has been and where it is heading. We put together some of the trends we noticed particular to the classic Ford truck markets and compiled them here in our special SEMA coverage issue. Over the last few years the aftermarket support for the Ford F-100s has most certainly exploded. Manufacturers are seeing the need and demand for more and more Ford truck parts, which of course we can all rejoice in, and we are excited to see where this demand leads well into the next decade and beyond! One of our favorite parts…

BENTLEY HUGIE’S custom-built 1954 Ford F-100 out of the Speedtech Performance Shop has the perfect classic look paired with modern power and amenities. If you haven’t seen any of the wild builds that come out of Speedtech, you’ll probably want to take note and start paying attention. But before we get into Bentley’s custom ride, let’s run through a quick history of Speedtech. In 2012, the company made the major decision to move its entire operation from Vancouver, British Columbia, down to St. George, Utah. Looking beyond the huge undertaking and risk of moving operations, the Speedtech family focused on the vast potential that they could bring to the American performance car and truck industry. So, the shop was packed up, the cars and trucks were loaded, and the huge…

THE FIRST CREW-CAB TRUCK introduced to the U.S. market was surprisingly not from one of the Big Three automotive corps. It was actually from International way back in 1957. In fact, it would be several more years before Ford Motor Company would debut its own four-door work truck to its consumers. You have to remember that when these trucks were presented to us in the late ’50s through the early ’70s, they were marketed as heavy-duty work trucks, trucks meant to carry a load, haul a load and hold a “crew” inside its cabin. Groups such as the military, forestry and the railroad took interest in these trucks capable of carrying extra payload and extra people to use them to their advantage. However, the early standards of these trucks were…

WE SCOURED THE GLOBE FOR THE BADDEST PRODUCTION F-100 CHASSIS OUT there to bring them all together in one place. There are a ton of advantages to purchasing a rolling chassis for your classic truck build, starting with the fact that these top companies put a lot of time (and moola) into engineering a well-thought-out solution from start to finish. Performance, handling, comfort, design, options and personal preference are features to consider when picking out the perfect foundation for your build. Here’s a look at the finest rollers we could find: Art Morrison GT Sport Chassis for 1953-’56 Ford F-100s Art Morrison Enterprises  800-929-7188 www.artmorrision.com Art Morrison has been a leading chassis builder for decades. Mandrel bent rail services, custom made-to-order rolling chassis, the works. It’s no surprise the company’s…

WHEN YOU HAVE THE perfect recipe, you often want to keep it to yourself. Sure, you might let your friends taste your delicious cookies or pudding, but to give them the secret ingredients is another story altogether. Well, luckily for us, Brian Pope is a magician of a different kind, a master chef of sorts who has no trouble sharing his secrets. In fact, he’s built hundreds of customs and classics over more than three decades in the automotive world and shows zero sign of slowing up anytime soon. “Brian wanted to take a ’67-’72 from project truck to full frame-off restoration to go through the steps of what is fully involved with such an undertaking. And as you can tell, the outcome was most certainly worth the effort.” We…

“Scott mentioned he had sworn off detailed builds like this; he cautioned the complexity, commitment and patience involved.” I SOMETIMES MAKE inappropriate jokes about what I call the “color chart” when referring to a buddy’s skin color and the way that person is treated in different circumstances. I know, I know, it’s not the politically correct thing to do, but it sure does make for a good laugh when giving a friend a hard time; and if you’ve spent any time at all with my group of friends, then you better have good jokes and thick skin. Well, the reason I mention this is that the joke can be easily transferred over to custom trucks and car builds. The color you choose for your custom truck can affect everything from…

THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN A BLURRED or foggy forward view. Cracks, old glass, leaky seals, wind noise and more distract from moving forward with a clear view, and forward vision is what it’s all about! The crew at Precision Replacement Parts understands this better than anyone, and they’re here to help clear the road ahead for forward progress. A new windshield and windshield seal are exactly what the doctor ordered for Project Ol’ Red, and with the help of I95 Motorsports it was a breeze. Follow along below, and for extra help the PRP YouTube channel always comes in clutch. For more info visit PRP.com. 01 We used PRP windshield seal part number WCR 602 and started with a new windshield set on a clean work stand that has been…