True Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Julio “Mr. Leon” Garcia owns several Ford trucks, but his crown jewel is a ’70 F-100 known as Coyote Ugly. He started the project in 2014 as a testament to his passion for the F-100 community. Like so many before him, Julio wanted to build a unique truck, one that combined the best characteristics of classic and modern vehicles. To do this, he enlisted help from some of the most talented builders in Texas, and their combined efforts resulted in a truly exceptional build.      

Coyote Ugly stands on a one-off platform. The complete chassis was fabricated by Houston’s own Ektensive Metal Works (EMW). The highly accomplished shop is world-renown for its bespoke builds, and for Julio’s project, EMW started at the pavement.

The front suspension uses one-off upper and lower control arms, which work in conjunction with Wilwood drop spindles. The rear deploys a combination 2-link and a pan-hard bar. The hand-built components were finished with black and gold Prismatic powders by Superior Peening and Powdercoating. A team effort between airbags and traditional shocks holds the chassis millimeters from the ground. Ridetech’s RQ shocks dampen the front and rear, and Air Lift Performance ’bags account for the variable ride height. The suspension combo provides a comfortable ride, capable handling and aesthetic excellence. The air suspension is fed through ½-inch copper hard lines by twin VIAIR 480 compressors. The air passes through SMC valves and is controlled by an in-dash switch box.

Coyote Ugly’s radical stance makes itself known from a mile away, thanks in large part to wheel choice. Massive Raceline rollers make an impact, especially when tucked deep inside the fenders. The polished Burst wheels are of a classic five-spoke composition cut with modern lines. In the front, Coyote Ugly’s wheels measure 22×9 inches, and the rears are a spectacular 24×14 inches. The billet wheels are fully polished and bound with Pirelli rubber. The P-Zero performance tires measure 255/30/R24 and 405/30/R24, respectively. Visible through the widely spaced spokes, Coyote Ugly is armed with custom big brakes from Wilwood: six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston in the rear. Each is matched with a drilled and slotted rotor for an aggressive bite and appearance. The enormous brakes are controlled via Wilwood brake booster and master cylinder. The rolling attire is set in motion by an extremely compelling powertrain.

Coyote Ugly derives her nickname from the beast within. The ’70 bump-side is motivated by a Procharged 5-liter Coyote V-8 from Ford Racing. The aluminum motor is good for 435 hp and 400 ft-lbs out of the crate, but Coyote Ugly’s makes a tad more than that. The power plant is fortified with a D1 Procharger equipped with a K&N intake. Injector Dynamics 850cc units supply additional fuel from a custom aluminum fuel cell. The exhaust system is a true dual setup fabricated by Aldowelds, and the stainless pipes terminate in twin Magnaflow mufflers. Power makes its way through a 4R70W Street Smart transmission, while the powertrain is kept cool with a custom aluminum radiator from AFCO.

Coyote Ugly makes use of a custom wiring harness from Speedway Motors and a Ford Racing standalone ECU. The combo was wired by Matt Lipp of Altered Conceptz in Baytown, Texas. Thanks to Matt’s expertise, the Ford is equipped with modern creature comforts like push-button ignition and ice-cold AC, which is powered by a Vintage Air Front Runner system.

Once the chassis and motor were buttoned up, Julio turned his attention to Coyote Ugly’s beautiful body. Pristine Custom Paint in Spring, Texas, handled the exterior modifications from top to bottom. The crew began by smoothing and shaving the firewall, followed by the rear marker lights, wiper cowl and gas cap. The team took special interest in providing an extra smooth surface to highlight the natural beauty of the bump-side generation. They smoothed the body lines and bead-rolled the underside of the hood. The core supports were cut and sectioned, and both front and rear bumpers were shortened and sectioned. The factory steel fenders have been lightly massaged to accommodate the slammed stance. The final major body modification was the full custom truck bed: The sheet metal was finished and smoothed to match the original length and width. The floor, however, was raised to fit the custom suspension.

Coyote Ugly sports a combination of resto-mod bits and jaw-dropping paintwork to complete its exterior attitude. First up is a set of billet door handles machined to perfection by LMC Truck, which also produced the billet grille inserts and headlights. The taillights are factory housings outfitted with retro-fit LEDs from Dakota Digital. The truck features all new glass, expertly cut by Julio Hernandez.

Despite neatly being able to list the body modifications, the work involved cannot be overstated. The team at Pristine spent countless hours perfecting the existing body lines, and in the process, they made subtle yet significant enhancements. Their top-shelf work is highlighted with the finishing paint; Coyote Ugly is draped in a two-tone scheme of Tuxedo Black and Adobe Gold from PPG. The subtle warmth of the gold and richness of the black are complemented by the polished billet accessories. The final exterior touches are the painted emblems, trim and bed floor. All of the original badges and trim have been replaced with air-brushed doppelgängers. The custom steel bed is lined with faux wood, perfectly painted. The tailgate is embossed with two-dimensional raised lettering. The phantom badges are perhaps the Ford’s most unique elements. From a short distance, the airbrushed accessories appear to be traditional, but upon closer inspection, their detailed application becomes more impressive still. The custom airbrushing was completed by Pat Maxwell.

The phantom badges are perhaps the Ford’s most unique elements.”

The last stage of the build was Coyote Ugly’s elegant interior. Arjona’s Upholstery in Pasadena, Texas, took care of the cabin. The original bench seat was retained but recovered in genuine Ford King Ranch leather. The saddle brown complements a custom black suede headliner. The rich leather extends over the dash and steering wheel grip. Black loop carpet and custom mats cover the floor. The dash is adorned with a Raceline billet steering wheel, custom billet switches for the air ride and Dakota Digital VHX gauges. The doors feature custom leather inserts, and the panels are fit with LMC Truck billet door handles and custom switches for the Nu Relics power windows. Julio sees clearly through a one-off billet rearview mirror from Ground Zero.

The truck is equipped with a capable sound system, one that is tastefully presented to avoid distracting from the classic styling. The head unit is a Retro Sounds model that mimics the OEM design. The sound travels to an Audison 10-bit processor. It’s delivered to the driver through dual amplifiers, dual 6.5-inch components and twin K5F-12D4 subwoofers all from DB Drive. The speakers are fitted in custom sub boxes and kick panels. The system is powered by Stinger wiring and twin Yellow-Top Optima batteries. The audio upgrades were installed by Robert Strach, Chad Jensen and John Burgess.

Julio had a straight-forward goal in mind when he set out to complete his F-100 project. He wanted to create something that would break a mold all too common among similar builds. He realized his goal with Coyote Ugly; the ’70 belongs in the upper echelon of completed F-100s. The overall quality, styling and attention to detail are of the rarest form. Julio’s commitment to the Ford community is inspiring to enthusiasts of every generation. It’s thanks to individuals like him and those involved in this build that the industry continues to develop and take shape.

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TECH SPECS

Julio “Mr. Leon” Garcia

1970 Ford F-100
Houston, TX
Ground Zero

Engine

• Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote V-8
• Ford Racing standalone ECU
• Speedway Motors wiring harness
• K&N intake
• Ford Racing headers
• Custom stainless exhaust
• Dual Magnaflow mufflers
• D1 Procharger
• Injector Dynamics 850cc injectors
• AFCO custom aluminum radiator
• Custom aluminum fuel cell
• Performance Automatic 4R70W Street Smart trans
• Push-button ignition

Chassis & Suspension

• Ekstensive Metal Works custom chassis
• Custom 2-link with pan-hard bar
• Custom upper and lower control arms
• Wilwood drop spindles
• Airlift Dominator airbags
• Ridetech RQ shocks
• Dual VIAIR 480 compressors
• SMC valves
• ½-inch copper hard lines
• Manual switches
• Wilwood BBK
• Six-piston front calipers, four-piston rear
• Drilled and slotted rotors
• Wilwood brake booster
• Wilwood master cylinder

Wheels & Tires

• Raceline Burst billet wheels, 24×9-inch front and 24×15-inch rear
• Pirelli P-Zero tires, 255/30/R24 front and 405/25/R24 rear

Body & Paint

• Smoothed and shaved firewall
• Smoothed and bead-rolled underside hood
• Shaved rear marker lights, wiper cowl and gas cap
• Smoothed body lines
• Cut and sectioned core support
• Factory bumpers shortened and sectioned
• Custom sheet-metal bed
• LMC Truck billet door handles
• LMC Truck billet grille insert and headlights
• Dakota Digital taillights
• Nu Relics Power Windows, all new glass
• PPG Tuxedo Black and Adobe Gold paint
• Custom airbrushed badges, trim, pinstripes and “wood” bed floor

Interior & Accessories

• OEM bench seat upholstered with Ford King Ranch leather
• Leather dash and door panels
• Suede headliner
• Black loop carpet
• Custom floor mats
• Raceline billet steering wheel with leather grips
• LMC Truck billet door handles
• Custom power window switches
• Billet air ride switches
• Dakota Digital VHX gauges
• Ground Zero billet rearview mirror
• Retro sound head unit
• Dual DB drive 6.5 components
• Dual DB drive K5F-12D4 flat subwoofers
• Dual DB drive amps
• Audison 10-bit processor
• Custom sub box and kick panels
• GT mat sound deadener
• Stinger wire and Anchor marine wire
• Dual Optima Yellow-Top batteries

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Bill Carlton and the entire Ekstensive Metal Works crew, Dave Flint and Martin So Cold of Pristine Custom Paint, the talented Pat Maxwell, Julio Hernandez of GAG, Matt Lipp of Altered Conceptz, Robert, John and Chad for the audio, Arjonas Upholstery, my Ground Zero Family and my beautiful wife Perla Garcia for always backing me in everything I do.”

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