It was Already a Show Winner, but she Made it Better

TRUCK BUILDERS ARE A FUNNY LOT. If we’re the first one to touch a project, we often tear into it, get it done and then … sell it? Keep it forever? We forget that at some point something is going to happen to the truck, because unless we keep it forever and bury it next to us (which would be super expensive), that truck will have a life outside of us.

Which brings us to the story of this F-150 currently owned by Melinda Young. Back in the day, a man living in Arizona named C.J. Silvey owned the truck, and if his name sounds familiar, that’s because he built a pretty killer brown Chevrolet standard cab that landed on the cover of the December 2013 issue of Street Trucks. He built the Ford, painted it a bright shade of green, got some press, and then that was that for a while. Eventually, he moved up north to southern Washington State, and brought the truck with him. It found its way to Melinda, who lives across the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, and that’s where we catch up with things.

Melinda’s husband is Lonnie Thompson, who owns Carolina Kustoms, located in northeast Portland. He’s been building amazing rides in the Pacific Northwest for a long time, so getting his hands on this Ford wouldn’t be stepping into new territory for him. His shop has a paint booth and bodymen, so virtually anything they wanted to do to the truck was possible. They just needed to think it up. They knew that the truck needed some things—it was missing most of the interior at this point—but it turns out that because of a combination of age and various other issues, the truck needed more work than they anticipated. If it wasn’t for Melinda’s impassioned cries for help, they might have bailed on the project. But she loved the Ford, and instead of selling it off, they doubled down and got to work.

As a shop that specializes in custom bodywork, Lonnie and his team (including Melinda, of course) naturally got busy working on the body. The original bed was ditched and replaced with a new one that they modified extensively to fit the new look. Off came the taillights and other unnecessary accessories, and on went AVS LED tails and a roll pan. The truck was already ’bagged, but the suspension was freshened up with all sorts of goodies, including an AccuAir valve setup and some black chrome powder coating. Anything that was in rough shape was cleaned up, and when the truck was perfectly smooth, they laid down the paint for a super- clean finish.

The inside also received a complete makeover, which was pretty easy considering most of it was missing. Almost every panel on this truck was touched in one way or another, from the custom door panels that hold four speakers per door to the sub box that takes up most of the area behind the seats. There’s even an iPad Air in the dash that controls the stereo, an idea that’s so great we wonder why more people don’t do it. It completes the truck, making it a great driver for Melinda, and a show winner to boot.

THERE’S EVEN AN IPAD AIR IN THE DASH THAT CONTROLS THE STEREO, AN IDEA THAT’S SO GREAT WE WONDER WHY MORE PEOPLE DON’T DO IT.”

The truck has spent a few years taking home trophies in the Pacific Northwest, and we hear that Melinda has moved on to a new project and sold the Ford. We’re sure that it’s gone to good hands. Even if it hasn’t, it will live on in whatever state it ends up. After all, trucks have a life of their own, and they’ve got to live it. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Melinda Young
1998 Ford F-150
Portland, OR

ENGINE

• 5.4L Ford V-8
• 395 hp
• DC Power Engineering 300-amp alternator
• Trick Flow 24-pound injectors
• Ford supercharger running 8 psi of boost
• MSD coil
• MSD wires
• 3-inch exhaust
• Magnaflow stainless steel muffler
• K&N cold air intake
• Ford automatic overdrive transmission
• Yukon limited slip rearend
• 3:55 gear ratio
• Dutchman axles

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Work Performed by CJ Silvey, Puyallup, WA/Brook Allmaras, Gresham, OR/Lonnie Thompson, Carolina Kustoms, Portland, OR
• 3.75-inch body drop
• Back-halved rearend with aircraft brass for bushings
• Rear cantilver suspension
• Custom control arms
• Super lift front and rear shocks
• 12-inch SSBC brakes front and rear
• Wilwood brake lines
• Two 5-gallon air tanks powder-coated black chrome by Hard Notch Customs
• Slam Specialties RE-8 airbags
• AccuAir VU4 solenoid valve unit
• AccuAir speed switch panel in center console
• Copperhead 3/8-inch airlines
• VIAIR 165/200 pressure switch
• Two Air Zenith OB2 compressors

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×8 and 22×10 Hot Rods by Boyd F07 billet wheels
• 265/30R22 and 285/30R22 Toyo tires

BODY & PAINT

• Lonnie Thompson at Carolina Kustoms, Portland, OR
• Graphics by Josh Jones at JPI Hot Rods, Puyallup, WA
• PPG Shelby Blue paint
• Aluminum hood
• Billet grille
• Ford Expedition front bumper and fenders
• Roll pan
• Street Scene mirrors
• Shaved door handles
• AVS LED taillights
• Gaylord’s tonneau cover

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Jim Sanders, Portland, OR
• Stereo by Lonnie Thompson and Matt Cropper, Portland, OR
• Leather and suede
• 2006 Ford Mustang seats
• Suede headliner
• Leather and fiberglass dashboard
• iPad Air mounted in the dashboard
• Two 500-watt Rockford Fosgate amplifiers
• One 1,000-watt Rockford Fosgate amplifier
• Four 6.5-inch Rockford Fosgate mids
• Two 12-inch Rockford Fosgate T1 subwoofers
• Two Rockford Fosgate tweeters
• Interstate AMG batteries under the bed
• LEDs for center console and dashboard
• Custom speaker box and center console
• Custom door panels with four speakers in each

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