F-100s are a Lifelong Favorite for This Enthusiast

TOBY SPARKS, FROM LOGANVILLE, GEORGIA, RUNS THE FAMILY CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS AND GREW UP WITH A LOVE OF VEHICLES, THANKS TO HIS DAD, JOHN SPARKS. He not only owns an impressive collection of vehicles but also his own automotive museum called Sparky’s Machines in Loganville.

Toby’s very first vehicle at age 15 was a ’56 Ford pickup, purchased at the F-100 Super Nationals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He drove it all through high school and kept it until he was 29 years old. Marriage and family redirected his priorities, but now at 44, he smiles when he says he knows who has it, and he may still get it back someday. “I love the body style, everything from ’53 through ’56,” he tells us. To prove his point, he currently owns a ’53, two ’56s and this ’54 F-100. Pictured on these pages, his high-performance ’54 with its supercharged 351 Windsor was built in good friend Terry Boswell’s metal shop in Hickory, North Carolina.

HE DROVE IT ALL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND KEPT IT UNTIL HE WAS 29 YEARS OLD. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY REDIRECTED HIS PRIORITIES, BUT NOW AT 44, HE SMILES WHEN HE SAYS HE KNOWS WHO HAS IT …”

Like all serious builds, it began with a complete disassembly of the original truck. Boswell boxed the frame and added a C-notch, and then painted, wet-sanded and buffed the frame until everything on the bottom looked as good as the top. Suspension upgrades included a heavily modified Chrysler Aspen front end and a 9-inch Ford rear fitted with 3.89 gears and held in place by a custom 4-link. Air suspension drops it to the ground, using a combination of VIAIR 450s, 2,500-pound Firestone ’bags, and two 5-gallon reserve tanks. The chassis became a roller with Billet Specialties Dyno SL rims carefully chosen to ensure the tires would fill the wheel wells and provide the truck with an aggressive stance. Toby runs 18x9s up front with Mickey Thompson 26×10.00R18LT rubber, and 20x14s roll in the rear with Mickey Thompson 31×16.00R20LTs.

Although this road-trip- favorite is equipped with modern power steering, power brakes and air- conditioning, it’s the big BDS 671 blower sticking out of the hood that captures everyone’s attention. Purposely under-driven to make it more comfortable on the street, the 351 V-8 is equipped with a pair of 750 Holly carbs, MSD electronic ignition and Sanderson headers, which feed a pair of Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers. The 16-inch SPAL electric fan and the Griffin radiator keep temps in the green. An estimated 550 hp makes its way to the narrowed rear thanks to the Ford AOD four- speed automatic trans equipped with a shift kit and B&M Pro Ratchet shifter.

The vintage Ford sports lots of body mods, beginning with the tilt-forward hood from No Limit Engineering, trimmed to clear the blower. The Ford grille was painted to match and the stainless steel front bumper was tucked in closer to the body. The smooth running boards were fabricated from sheet steel and transition smoothly between the front and widened rear fenders. Lots of changes occurred in the rear: the bed floor was raised to clear the air suspension components, and custom wheel tubs were added to accommodate the fat tires. Oak planks separated by painted steel strips are a traditional touch. The unique compartment under the bed provides space for essentials like the fabric truck cover, while the side-opening tailgate offers easy access. Providing a modern look to the vintage ride, the new rear pan holds four circular taillights and an inset license plate. Boswell completed the exterior, spraying the truck in a distinctive shade of PPG Jaguar Red.

A cool custom classic on the outside, the truck is just as innovative on the inside. A custom center console that flows from the dash to the unique stereo enclosure filling the rear cab wall separates the Ford Probe power seats upholstered in a combination of bone-colored leather and suede. Door panels and kick panels were fashioned from aluminum and upholstered to match. The Budnik steering wheel turning on an ididit tilt column is a close match to the Billet Specialties wheels. Auto Meter gauges reside in a custom bezel on the smooth dash, and the console is packed full of goodies beginning with an oversized Auto Meter tach, separate Auto Meter gauges for each of the four ’bags, AC vents, a Kenwood KDC-MP228 CD stereo head unit, multiple switches, a B&M shifter and handbrake. It’s the elaborate free-form fiberglass speaker enclosure on the rear wall, however, that catches your eye. It holds multiple speakers beginning with four 5.25-inch MB Quart mids, a 10-inch Kicker CVT sub on top and an 8-inch Kicker mid-bass below. A single Alphasonik PM12005E five- channel amp powers the system.

TOBY HAS COME FULL CIRCLE. HIS FIRST EFFIE WAS PURCHASED AT THE F-100 SUPER NATIONALS, AND 29 YEARS LATER, WE PHOTOGRAPHED HIS LATEST TRUCK AT THE 2016 F-100 NATS WHERE IT WON THE PRESTIGIOUS PAT FORD AWARD …”

Toby has come full circle. His first Effie was purchased at the F-100 Super Nationals, and 29 years later, we photographed his latest truck at the 2016 F-100 Nats where it won the prestigious Pat Ford award (the founder of the show) and captured Street Trucks Editor’s Choice.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER                                      

Toby Sparks
Loganville, GA
1954 Ford F-100

ENGINE

• Shop: Terry Boswell, Hickory, NC 1969 Ford 351 Windsor V-8
• BDS 671 supercharger Dual Holley 750-cfm carbs
• Double barrel Mr. Gasket air scoop
• COMP roller cam MSD ignition
• Sanderson ceramic-coated headers
• 2.5-inch exhaust with crossover pipe Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers
• Griffin radiator and 16-inch SPAL fan
• Polished Ford Racing valve covers
• Smooth firewall
• Engine compartment painted to match
• Ford AOD four-speed automatic B&M shift kit with 3,000-rpm stall speed

SUSPENSION

• Shop: Terry Boswell, Hickory, NC
• Boxed and C-notched frame
• Wet-sanded and buffed
• ’80s vintage Chrysler Aspen front end modified to accommodate the air suspension
• Narrowed Ford 9-inch
• 3.89 gears and 31-spline Moser axles
• 2,500-pound Firestone airbags front and rear
• Chrysler front disc brakes and Ford rear drum brakes

WHEELS & TIRES

• 18×9 and 20×14 Billet Specialties Dyno SL
• 26×10.00R18LT and 31×16.00R20LT Mickey Thompson tires

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: Terry Boswell, Hickory, NC
• Tilt-forward hood cut for clearance around the blower
• Stainless steel tucked front bumper
• Grille painted body color
• Smooth running boards flow into wider rear fenders
• Bed floor raised for suspension clearance
• Bed floor covered with oak planks, painted stainless steel strips and fitted with mini tubs
• Storage compartment under bed
• Side-hinged tailgate
• Custom rear pan with four round taillights and inset license plate
• PPG Jaguar Red paint

INTERIOR

• Shop: Terry Boswell, Hickory, NC
• Ford Probe six-way power seats upholstered in bonecolored leather and suede
• Door panels upholstered to match
• Auto Meter gauges in dash custom housing
• Budnik steering wheel and ididit column
• Custom center console with gauges, AC vents, handbrake, B&M Pro Ratchet shifter and stereo
• Kenwood KDC-MP228 CD head unit
• Five-channel Alphasonik PM12005E amp
• Fiberglass stereo enclosure covering the rear cab wall
• Four MB Quart 5.25-inch mids
• 10-inch Kicker CVT sub
• 8-inch Kicker mid bass
• Vintage Air AC
• Lokar pedals

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