AS SEEN IN OUR F-Series Builders Guide Fall 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

A Four-Door Ford with a Serious Kick  

Howie Kendrick might be a familiar name to serious baseball enthusiasts. A highly competent infielder, Kendrick played a variety of positions for the Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies over his 14-year career. He even had a key role in the Washington Nationals’ 2019 World Series run before retiring in 2020. An obvious love of and talent for the sport have enabled him to lead a comfortable post-baseball life.

Most would associate professional athletes with blingy and expensive hypercars, as Ferraris, Lambos, Paganis, and other Italian steeds supposedly fill the garages of successful athletes. While Kendrick has had his share of those, his other love besides baseball is trucks—more specifically, vintage ones. For him, they offer more character and nostalgia than any modern truck can.

Kendrick already owns a slammed, show-worthy early Chevy pickup but had something different in mind when he bought this 1979 Ford F-250 crew cab. Kendrick wanted a truck he could treat like one and drive daily instead of building another pickup that he was almost afraid to drive because of its pristine (and expensive) paint job. And, since it was a four-door, he wanted a pickup that his whole family could enjoy. That meant it had to be safe, comfortable, and reliable.

To accomplish that vision, Kendrick turned to Fat Fender Garage. As specialists in early Ford truck parts, interior kits, chassis, and complete builds, Kendrick’s crew cab was in good hands with Fat Fender Garage. The team hatched a plan to turn Kendrick’s vision into a reality and got to work.

Just like building a house, Kendrick’s truck needed a proper foundation. To that effect, the stock frame was ditched in favor of a Fat Fender Garage 1973-’79 Ford truck chassis. Beyond a big bump in strength and rigidity, the new chassis also offers a vastly improved ride from a modernized suspension. Fox 12-inch stroke coilovers are found at every corner to control the 5-link front and 4-link rear suspension. Attached to all those links are stout front and rear Currie F9 9-inch axle housings stuffed with 4.11 gears and 35-spline axles. Also found are fore-and-aft custom sway bars to reduce body roll, which keep Kendrick’s family safe during any unforeseen emergency maneuvers.

Originally powering the big crew cab was a Ford Coyote V8. Kendrick found that it just didn’t have enough oomph to properly propel the rather girthy Ford. To help him get the kids to school on time, the decision was made to add a 3.0L Whipple supercharger to the Gen 3 mill. Fat Fender Garage also fabbed custom headers and a 3-inch exhaust system for better breathing without adding excessive noise. Easily handling the newfound boost in power is a Ford 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission. Mated to it is a transfer case from a late-model F-150, giving the safety and convenience of four-wheel drive.

The truck’s unique interior gives off strong King Ranch vibes while providing plenty of comfort. Making room for the whole family are twin bench seats covered in distressed brown Apex leather. A matching Fat Fender Garage crew cab interior kit adds to the western ranch aesthetic with unique stitching and pleating. The original factory burl walnut trim also perfectly enhances the new look. Extensive sound deadening throughout provides a quieter ride for the Kendrick family and allows them to enjoy the Focal audio system controlled by a RetroSound head unit. Keeping interior temps optimal is a RestoMod Air climate control system. Found behind the Sparc steering wheel is a Dakota Digital gauge cluster that maintains an original look while providing more precise information.

Since Kendrick intends to use the truck and patina is cool, the original candy apple red and Wimbledon White paint job was left intact. The few minor exterior changes on the crew cab called Pepper include Holley RetroBright LED headlights and LED taillights for much-improved visibility and safety. Only the 37-inch Toyo Open Country R/T tires on 20-inch KMC beadlock wheels are departures from how the Ford rolled off the showroom floor in 1979. The rest of the body was left as-is, right down to the funky bug deflector.

For Kendrick, the revitalized 1979 Ford F-250 crew cab built by Fat Fender Garage is a home run. He drives it almost every day, takes his kids to school in it, and can venture off-pavement with the security of four-wheel drive. Without an expensive paint job, he can still use it as a truck, throw stuff in the bed, and not worry about a few scratches here and there. All of those characteristics are packaged alongside vintage character, reliability, safety, comfort, and a modern drivetrain.