Buying a project build can get you further down the road than starting from scratch, and a seller who’s put hard-earned money into paint, bodywork, and upgrades can make the car genuinely appealing. The problem is that a finished exterior tells you almost nothing about the quality of the fabrication underneath, the condition of the systems you’ll depend on, or what the car looked like before the most recent round of work.
Glossy paint, fresh upholstery, and a smooth idle at the curb are the easiest parts of a project build to get right, and they’re also the easiest parts to use as a distraction. Weak fabrication, unfinished brake or fuel work, and old damage buried under newer bodywork don’t announce themselves on a short test drive around the block.
A restored car that presents well and performs poorly on the road is a problem that falls entirely on the buyer once the title changes hands.
Before you spend time inspecting the car itself, spend time on the story behind it. A seller who can document the build has less to hide, and gaps in that documentation tend to point to gaps in the work.
Ask for receipts and invoices that cover the major work. What to look for:
A seller who can produce receipts matching the parts on the car gives you a starting point for verification. A seller who can’t is asking you to take their word for work you can’t see.
Ownership history and build documentation don’t have to be perfect, but red flags in either one deserve direct questions:
Paint and body repairs are where prior damage gets buried, and a professional finish can cover frame work, floor patches, and pulled sections that the buyer never sees. Getting under and around the car before any money changes hands is the only way to catch it.
Uneven panel gaps, paint overspray on rubber trim or glass edges, and waviness in quarter panels or doors are all signs that bodywork happened. Additional areas to check:
Rust repair ranges from correct to dangerous, and a car that looks straight may have patches that don’t restore the structural capacity of the original metal. Specific concerns:
Fabrication work is where a skilled builder and a careless one separate, and welds don’t lie. Get the car on a lift if you can, and look closely at every structural joint, bracket, and added crossmember. Problem areas to check:
Seat and belt hardware on a project build may have been moved, replaced, or modified during interior work, and a mount that looks secure may not be anchored to anything structural. Check for:
Lighting and visibility problems are among the easiest defects to confirm during an inspection, and they should be checked before the test drive:
Brake and steering problems tied to incorrect or unfinished work can stay hidden through a short seller demo and surface the first time the car is pushed on the road.
A brake system that was assembled but not properly sorted will communicate through the pedal. Watch for:
Steering problems tied to geometry, alignment, or suspension work tend to emerge at speed, and a short neighborhood drive won’t expose them:
Electrical problems on project builds frequently trace back to added accessories, modified lighting, or ignition work that wasn’t finished with proper protection. Look for:
Fuel system work that looks finished in a cold garage can develop problems once the car reaches operating temperature on the road:
Front-end and rear-end repairs done after a collision don’t always restore the car to its original geometry, and a professional paint job can make serious prior damage nearly impossible to spot on a casual inspection.
Structural concerns tied to prior crash repair:
Hidden crash damage may not get full scrutiny until a future wreck leaves you dealing with injuries, insurance disputes, and the need to consult a personal injury attorney about the condition of the vehicle at the time of purchase.
Treat the inspection and test drive as a single process, not two separate steps. Work through this before committing:
A project build that presents well deserves a buyer who looks past the presentation. Paint and trim help sell the car, and the decision to buy needs to rest on welds, repair quality, mounting points, brake response, steering behavior, and any signs of prior crash damage.
Get it inspected at the structural, mechanical, and safety level, and buy with confidence — or walk away with yours.
Corona, CA — March 30, 2026 — TMI Products proudly announces the second official winner of the 2026 TMI TRIM Road Tour: Shannon Gaither’s 1965 Chevrolet Suburban, affectionately known as “Papa Smurf.” The award was presented during the HotRods N’ Heroes Show benefiting The HBPD 42 Foundation in partnership with QruisinPCH, recognizing the build’s exceptional craftsmanship, innovative interior design, and commanding presence.
The Suburban was personally judged and selected by industry veterans Kevin, Oeste, Jason Mulligan, Marcel Venable, Sean Holman, and Theresa Contraras who evaluated an elite field of vehicles before choosing Papa Smurf for its flawless execution and cohesive design. From its meticulously crafted interior to its unmistakable stance, the build exemplifies the level of excellence the TMI TRIM Road Tour was created to celebrate.
Papa Smurf was prominently featured in the New Gen Wheels booth, where it served as the launch platform for the brand’s all-new custom wheel design, “The Ocho.” This modern interpretation of a classic hubcap immediately caught the judges’ attention. The 22×8.5” front and 22×10” rear wheels feature centers coated in Prismatic “Tuscan Sun,” perfectly color-matched to the TMI interior. The same Tuscan Sun finish carries throughout the engine bay—appearing on the valve covers, hardware, air intake, and carb hats—creating a cohesive, show-stopping presentation under the Huntington Beach, California sun.
Powering the Suburban is a custom-built 292 inline-six Chevrolet engine, topped with a prototype FiTech 2×2 fuel injection system and enhanced with a turbocharger—delivering performance that quite literally throws you back into the TMI seats.
Inside, the craftsmanship continues with TMI Pro Classic Bucket Seats upholstered in Premium Distressed Buck Tan Vinyl, paired with Sport R microsuede tan inserts and brown contrast stitching. The rear of the cab features matching 48-inch TMI bench seats, positioned back-to-back to cover a custom A-frame enclosure housing a Kicker speaker box with amplifiers.
The interior is further elevated by molded fiberglass door panels, a full-wrap steering wheel, and a thoughtfully executed custom center console whose side panels mirror the door panel design for a seamless, unified look. Custom kick panels and rear quarter panels, all wrapped in matching Premium Distressed Buck Tan vinyl, complete an interior that flows effortlessly from front to back.
“Papa Smurf” stands as a powerful example of what the TMI TRIM Road Tour represents: high-end design, exceptional craftsmanship, and interiors that continue to raise the bar. As the second winner of the 2026 season, Shannon’s Suburban continues to set a benchmark for the remaining tour stops still to come.
With its award-winning interior, bold stance, and meticulous attention to detail, Shannon Gaither’s 1965 Chevy Suburban is more than a show vehicle—it’s a statement on the elite level of builds competing in the 2026 TMI TRIM Road Tour.
If you believe your TMI-equipped ride has what it takes, don’t wait—sign up today and become part of the 2026 TMI TRIM Road Tour.
ANN ARBOR, MI [March 12, 2026] – RealTruck is proud to announce that the FRC-4000 Retractable and Removable Truck Bed Cover has been awarded the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2026. The iF DESIGN AWARD is recognized as one of the world’s most renowned design honors. Run by the independent iF Design Foundation in Germany, the award has served as a global benchmark for outstanding design excellence and impact for over 70 years.
The sought-after accolade was awarded to RealTruck® FRC-4000 in the product design discipline as part of iF DESIGN AWARD’s automotive category, recognizing its innovative design as the industry’s first removable, retractable truck bed cover offering 100% bed access when removed.
The RealTruck design team, led by Senior Director of Industrial Design Robert Springer, addressed a longstanding pain point for truck owners and prioritized key touchpoints with tool-free, cam-locking handles engineered for quick attachment and effortless removal. The latching system features a one-touch release with a pop-up ergonomic handle for easy operation, and the product installs in under an hour with no drilling required. This recognition comes on the heels of the recently released APEX FGC-5000 truck cap, RealTruck’s newest, most revolutionary truck cap, led by the same multi-disciplinary designers advancing a user-centered approach to product development across the organization.
“This award belongs to our talented designers and engineers who brought this to life. Their dedication to craftsmanship and innovation made this achievement possible,” said Robert Springer. “We designed this product with our customers at the center of every decision, and the recognition is a testament to what great design can deliver for users.”
The FRC-4000 stood out among a field of high-caliber entries, impressing the international jury of 129 independent design experts, and this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD saw over 10,000 submissions from 68 countries. Winning signals RealTruck as an industry leader and FRC-4000 as among the most outstanding designs in its field – an impressive achievement that underlines the highly competitive nature and significance of winning this award.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade or more, you’ve definitely heard of or seen a Ringbrothers masterpiece somewhere. They build some of the world’s finest street machines and have parlayed their success into an expanded catalog of high-end parts and accessories. Family owned and operated since day one, the brothers started off like most of us, tinkering with cars as kids. Their father owned a Skelly gas station, so naturally they had fuel running through their veins. When they were young boys, 10 and 11 years old, Jim and Mike were already doing bodywork and learning to paint cars wherever they had the chance, including their parent’s basement and even a friend’s chicken coop.
Clem 101 sets a high bar for a shop truck, but it isn’t all show. In true Ringbrothers’ fashion it has plenty of go.
What started off as a fun hobby more than 30 years ago has turned into one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality billet accessories, custom carbon-fiber pieces and speed equipment that combine form and function to make any custom build unique. The brothers run a full collision shop alongside the more well-known custom car division that produces around two to four jaw-dropping vehicles each year. They have quickly become a staple in the custom automotive world: SEMA, Detroit, Goodguys, you name it.
They don’t always get to build something where they get to exercise 100% artistic and creative freedom, although it does happen sometimes.
So how does a shop known for building amazing street machines get mixed up with a shop-truck build? It just so happens that this is the second Ford F-100 shop truck for the brothers Ring because F-1s hold a special place in their hearts. The first was a beautiful ’58 F100 finished in Liberty Gray with Red HRE wheels, built a few years back. They are true blue boys with good taste, and they’re heading into round two with this ’56 F-100 build known as Clem 101.
This time around they didn’t take their normal approach with renderings and a full build blueprint; they went more “build as you go,” making it a more fun and leisurely process.
The base started as a simple bare-bones restomod ’54 F-100 shop truck. The brothers wanted something they could build for themselves without worrying about customer input or styling cues. They don’t always get to build something where they get to exercise 100% artistic and creative freedom, although it does happen sometimes. This time around they didn’t take their normal approach with renderings and a full build blueprint; they went more “build as you go,” making it a more fun and leisurely process.
The truck began as a rusty ’54 F-100, but the brothers just couldn’t agree on the changes they wanted to make. They had a 1956 cab that agreed to swap in, but they retained the 1954 grille with modified front and rear bumpers. They moved the front wheel wells forward 7 inches, using a vastly popular Ford Crown Vic front end they narrowed 5 inches. Then they proceeded to scratch-build the entire bed. A unique machined tailgate and a custom-fabricated trailer hitch tie it all together. Widened front and rear fenders allow plenty of clearance to fit the HRE Performance Wheels and Nitto tire combo, which further reduce the size of the well openings. The brothers couldn’t decide whether or not to keep the side vent; Jim said no, and Mike said yes. It turns out that while Jim was on vacation, Mike won that round. With so many faint body modifications, the brothers are not afraid to try new things and won’t succumb to peer pressure or trends. They have their very own distinct style, and even this subtle shop truck screams “Ringbrothers.”
Clem 101 sets a high bar for a shop truck, but it isn’t all show. In true Ringbrothers’ fashion it has plenty of go. The Ford Performance 415-hp 5.0L Coyote engine came straight from the crate and transformed the engine bay. It looks as though it was made for the F-100 after the engine bay once it received the full Ringbrothers treatment. Backed by a Bowler four-speed auto 4R70W and a John Industries 9-inch, there’s no trouble pushing around those giant 305 Nittos. The brothers say that aside from the stance and look they really just love the way the truck drives. “It rides so nice, gets up and goes, sounds amazing and puts a grin on your face when you’re cruising, windows down, on the Wisconsin back roads.” It doesn’t get much better than that.
As always, they are steadily working on new products and jaw-dropping rides. We’re definitely excited to see what the future holds and can’t wait to see their next shop truck.
What can we expect from the brothers in the future? As always, they are steadily working on new products and jaw-dropping rides. We’re definitely excited to see what the future holds and can’t wait to see their next shop truck.
Jim & Mike Ring
1956 Ford F-100
Spring Green, WI
Chassis & Suspension
Powertrain
Brakes
Wheels & Tires
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Special Thanks From the Owner: “Prestone, BASF/Glasurit, Flowmaster/Hurst/B&M, Royal Purple, 3M, Aeromotive, ARP, Baer Brakes, Bowler Transmission, Classic Instruments, Dynamat, GFS – Global Finishing Solutions, Heat Shield Products, Holley, HRE, Miller Welding, MSD, QA1, Ridetech and Vintage Air.”
In the classic truck scene, there is a constant struggle between modern engineering and traditional styling. Every enthusiast has felt the pull to keep a project as factory original as possible, while they also feel the push to complete a custom infused with modern technology. For Omar “Tino” Garza, this tug o’ war led to the perfect project build. The subject was his ’79 Chevy C-10 Cheyenne, and the result is his latest venture, built to drop jaws at SEMA and sport the latest and greatest from his faithful sponsors. As you can see, Dimples is an absolute homerun, perfectly blending modern style with classic heritage.
Omar’s C-10 is a bolt-by-bolt custom. Like all things that are well built, a solid foundation was developed first. The truck sports a full custom chassis with Porterbuilt components that still makes room for a narrowed rearend. The custom chrome-moly axles channel power from the 4.10 gears to the massive custom rear wheels. The rear suspension configuration is a team effort among Porterbuilt suspension, Ridetech shocks and Air Lift Dominator airbags. A similar arrangement makes the equally dramatic front drop possible and deploys custom Porterbuilt control arms.
In one fell swoop, Omar has built a truck that retains the best of the best in regard to original styling and mixes it with minimalistic modern essentials.”
The extensive suspension and chassis customizations are what make the wickedly low stance possible while tucking massive rollers. The stars of the show are the American Racing VF509s finished in a beautiful combination of titanium gray powder coat and polished accents. The fronts are 22×9 inches, and the rears check in at 22×12. Though hidden from sight by the timeless wheel design, the rollers are bolstered with CPP front and rear disc brakes.
The torque-monster power plant LS1 hosts a number of custom and aftermarket accessories to strike the perfect balance between hot-rodding and efficiency. For cooling, the motor uses an Edelbrock water pump fed by a Griffin radiator. PSI wiring and a Powermaster alternator take care of the electrical support. The engine inhales through a K&N air cleaner attached to a Professional Products intake manifold, and loudly exhales through a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust, ending in Magnaflow muffler tunes. The engine is paired with a 4L60E for stout, reliable gear-shifting performance.
Next on the docket was a slight customization of the truck’s iconic body style that maintained its factory-designed beauty. The infamous brothers of SoCal Autobody completed the bodywork with some serious labor-intensive metalwork and paint prep. The original chrome accents were repolished, as were the front and rear bumpers, and the original square-body grille. While the truck’s body appears to be factory original, a keen eye will quickly locate modifications upon further inspection. Underneath the hood, custom inner fenders tightly hug the motor to provide clean clearance for the front suspension and wheels. The truck’s back half is outfitted with a raised steel bed to house the air suspension components and custom fuel tank. The bed has been finished to factory spec.
Next, the truck was finish-prepped. Under the hood high gloss black acts as a mirrored surface to show off the sheet metal and motor. The bed was sprayed with LINE-X for classic styling and utility. The factory exterior Coronado Red was kept intact.
Working with the original styling of the rest of Omar’s truck, the interior was adorned with custom red carpet and upholstery. Victor’s Upholstery began with the original bench seat, wrapping it in period-correct crimson leather. The dash was wrapped to match as well, effortlessly complementing the modern touches. The dash displays crucial information via Dakota Digital gauges, which are housed in a brushed stainless steel bezel. Vintage Air AC is monitored using the factory climate control switches. The factory door handles, panels and headliner round out the interior.
The completed equation of top-shelf aftermarket products, custom style and fabrication, and timeless truck design by General Motors all make this Chevy a true modern classic. In one fell swoop, Omar has built a truck that retains the best of the original styling and mixes it with minimalistic modern essentials. His initial goal of blending the traditional with the modern to create a masterpiece of well-made products is far surpassed by the final outcome.
OWNER
Omar “Tino” Garza
1979 Chevy C-10 Cheyenne
Bermuda Dunes, CA
Severed Ties
Engine
Chassis & Suspension
Wheels & Tires
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Special Thanks From the Owner: “Big thank you to all my sponsors: American Racing, AccuAir, Porterbuilt, Precision Replacement Parts, Dakota Digital, Professional Products, Slosh Tubz, CPP, Silent Coat, Hubcaps PHX, Royal Purple, Drive Junky, Fred’s Truck Parts, Johny’s Garage, SoCal Autobody and AZ Pro Performance.”
WIXOM, MI – TREMEC is pleased to announce the release of the long anticipated Ford version of the Magnum XL 6-speed manual transmission kit with a gear position sensor for 2019 and up Mustang GT to the aftermarket. Like the original Magnum, the Magnum XL is an aftermarket version of the
celebrated TR-6060, which serves as factory equipment in numerous Detroit-based muscle and sports cars.
In order to accommodate the rearward shifter location of modern performance vehicles, the XL’s unique extension housing moves the shifter over eight inches back from the original Magnum’s most rearward location. To keep NVH (noise, harshness and vibration)-down to daily-driver acceptable levels, the XL is equipped with a unique shift isolator that provides an astonishing blend of dampening quality and precision shift feel. With the addition of the gear position sensor customers will be able to retain the Rev Matching feature that their 2019 and up Mustang came with from the factory In the NVH sensitive world of modern automobile manufacturing, bolt-on ‘semi-remote’ shifters are often used on manual transmissions to isolate undesirable harmonics from the cabin of an otherwise quiet factory application.
While they perform this function well, the trade-off is heavily compromised shift quality in high-performance or competitive driving environments. TREMEC’s Magnum XL 6-speed solves this problem with a unique extended-length tail housing that provides a rigid direct-mount shifter for vastly improved performance and lightning quick shifts.
“There’s more to the Magnum XL than just shift performance and extended length” says, Mike Kidd, aftermarket business unit manager at TREMEC. Again, like the original Magnum, the Magnum XL is rated at 700 lb-ft. of torque, supports 7800 rpm shifts and is available in the following gear ratio configuration:
Contact your local TREMEC Distributor to order your new Ford Magnum XL kit with gear position sensor now, deliveries will start July 1st, 2026
Magnum XL transmissions can be easily modified by select TREMEC dealers for alternate application and/or competition use.
About TREMEC
Torque transfer solutions from TREMEC are found in products ranging from supercars and high-performance sports cars to severe duty, commercial, and aftermarket vehicles worldwide. The portfolio of products includes manual transmissions, dual clutch transmissions, EV & HEV drivetrain solutions,
gears, shafts, clutches, friction materials, shift systems, synchronizers, mechatronic systems, transmission control units, and control software.
Not Two things that will always move people forward through tough times and turmoil are inspiration and dedication. Sometimes you have to lean on those traits to get where you dreamed to be. If I told you that you were going to fail from the beginning, would you keep pushing forward? For Steven Dalton of Warner, Oklahoma, his resounding answer would be “Yes, absolutely!”
Since Steven was a child, he had been wrenching in the garage with his father, building and restoring older trucks. Once he turned eighteen, his dedication shifted from the older-school restomods to a more new-school custom truck style. Admittedly, Steven was more into C10 trucks since that’s all he knew in the garage. But when it came time to venture out on his own builds, he preferred a much lower stance. He started out with a Chevy S-10, but that quickly went awry. He entrusted a local shop to body drop the mini-truck, but, unfortunately, they hacked the entire build by cutting the cab and harness, which made the truck undrivable.
Steven’s first entry into the lowered truck world was a failure, but he vowed that wouldn’t stop him. He began researching truck magazines like Street Trucks for building info and differentiating proper builds from incorrectly built trucks. Of course, there is a slight stigma when it comes to buying someone’s custom truck over building your own custom truck. The advantages, however, are always saved money, time, and your patience. Everyone reading this knows how thin your patience can get when you get something wrong or have a setback in the middle of working on or building a truck. Steven worked smarter—not harder—by seeking out something he had never owned before nor thought of owning. His decision was to get something big and complete to avoid failure.
Equipped with the knowledge from the pages of Diesel World, he began his search and found Daniel Cumby. Daniel was known in the truck world for several of his custom builds gracing the pages of almost every truck enthusiast magazine around. Having his own shop, Daniel knew the quality and passion it takes to put together a flawless work of art. Daniel was in the process of building a 1999 Ford F-350 dually that was sure to be a head-turner with the creative expertise he harnessed over the years.
Once Daniel completed the dually, he enjoyed it for a bit and then did the next best thing, which was allow someone else to enjoy it. He posted about it on social media, and that’s how Steven and Daniel came together. Steven never had something this extensively built, so it became more of a courting process. Steven traveled to Texas and stayed with Daniel the whole weekend while they worked out the details, and he learned about the truck and fell in love with the Ford F-350.
Once the dually was transported to Oklahoma, it was given a second life, with Steven driving it and enjoying it daily. After a few events, it was taken to a truck show in Pocola, Oklahoma, where he felt he met the truck club that would become his family: Sunset. “It’s such a great group of guys and girls,” Steven tells Diesel World. “I felt at home within minutes of meeting them.”
Steven wishes to thank the loving guidance of his father, Steve Dalton, for instilling in him the proper dedication and inspiration that would lead to his greatest purchase. A special thanks goes to Steven’s love, Krista Dedering, for all her support and understanding. Thanks also go to Gary Davis of 405 Audio in Moore, Oklahoma, who added some louder tunes to the truck by way of a new Sony head unit and Audio Dynamics door speakers. Of course, the largest amount of appreciation goes to Daniel Cumby because without this man’s master building skills, Steven might still be getting burned by shops trying their hand in body dropping trucks. The Yacht was built for chopping seas and scraping reflectors.
1999 Ford F-350 Dually
Owner
Steven Dalton
Warner, OK
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
Chassis & Suspension
WHEELS, TIRES & BRAKES
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Some guys build trucks to stand out. Others build ‘em to bring back a piece of the past. For Byron Morgan, his 1974 Chevy C10 Cheyenne Super is more than just clean lines and slick paint—it’s a tribute to his wife’s uncle and a deep love for classic squarebodies. This ride’s not just a showpiece—it’s a full-on frame-up revival that took three years and $75K to finish. Built in Rigby, Idaho, Byron didn’t cut corners. He wanted it right, and he made sure every bolt, bushing, and bracket was touched, swapped, or restored. “Every nut and bolt on this truck was replaced and done in my shop,” he says.
Under the hood is a no-nonsense 383 ci stroker V-8 that started life as a 1974 GM block. Built by Eckman Machine in Rexburg, the motor has been balanced and blueprinted, and stuffed with Scat rods, Keith Black pistons, and Total Seal rings. It breathes deep through a Comp Cams flat tappet, Brodix heads, and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake. A Holley 650cfm double pumper dumps the fuel, and MSD ignition keeps the fire lit.
The exhaust hits hard thanks to Hooker Block-Hugger headers and a full Flowmaster 3-inch system that dumps out the rear bed. It ain’t quiet—but that’s the point.
A fresh TCI Turbo 350 transmission backs it up, paired with a TCI torque converter set to a 3,500 stall. A B&M front-mounted trans cooler keeps temps in check. Power heads to a 3.08 geared, factory posi Ford 9-inch rear—solid and simple, just how we like it.
Underneath, this C10 rides like no ‘74 ever did. The stock GM frame got a full Ridetech coilover suspension system upgrade from Byron himself. Front to back, it’s all Ridetech—springs, shocks, control arms—you name it. It steers with a stock GM box, beefed up with Ridetech’s steering stabilizer, and stops on a dime thanks to Wilwood 6-piston front and 4-piston rear brakes, slotted rotors, and a Wilwood master.
This ride’s not just a showpiece —it’s a full-on frame-up revival that took three years and $75K to finish.
It rolls on Raceline Classico wheels, 20×12 in the back and 19×9 up front, tucked under Continental Extreme Contact tires. With 4.5-inch and 6-inch backspacing, the wheel and tire combo fills the fenders just right. This stance is tough to beat.
The outside stays true to its roots—GM factory light blue and white shot by Derek Greenhaughl in Rexburg. The paint is nothing wild, but is slick, straight, and sharp as could be. An Engineered Vintage polished aluminum grille, stock Sylvania headlights, and LMC bumpers give the C10 that period-perfect look. Inside, it’s all about keeping things clean and functional. Factory GM bucket seats, redone by Ben Upholstery in Idaho Falls, are wrapped in slate blue vinyl to match the era. A set of Dakota Digital VHX gauges update the info center, and thumpin’ tunes are delivered from a hidden system. There’s a Custom Autosound radio up front, a Slosh Tubz sub box out back, and Vintage Air tucked under the dash, giving Byron show truck comfort without losing its old-school charm.
Byron built this truck himself—every wrench turn, every panel, every decision. This isn’t a shop-hopper or a trailer queen. “Take your time and do it right,” he says. “It takes a lot of time, money, and dedication to build these trucks right.”
He’s hit up shows like C10 Nationals SLC and C10s in the Park in Waxahachie, Texas, but don’t expect him to brag. This build’s about pride, family, and keeping old iron alive the right way.
Byron Morgan
1974 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne Super
Rigby, ID
Ridetech front and rear coilover systems
Ridetech control arms and steering stabilizer
Raceline Classico wheels 19×9 front (4.5-inch bs), 20×12 rear (6-inch backspace rear)
Continental ExtremeContact tires, 255/40/19 front, 315/35/20 rear
383 ci GM stroker
Scat rods
Keith Black pistons
Brodix heads
Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake
Holley 650cfm double pumper
MSD ignition
TCI Turbo 350 with 3500-stall TCI converter
B&M front-mount trans cooler
Ford 9-inch rear with 3.08 gears, factory posi
1974 GM factory light blue and white paint
Clean shave with Engineered Vintage grille
LMC Truck bumpers
Stock trim
Factory GM buckets
Slate blue factory vinyl by Ben Upholstery
Dakota Digital VHX gauges
Custom Autosound radio
Slosh Tubz sub box
Vintage Air climate control
Henderson, NV — Uniauto™, a leader in the global wheel and automotive accessories industry, proudly announces the launch of Alloy Creations Co.™, a new wheel brand dedicated to honoring the legacy of American muscle through timeless design and modern engineering.
Headquartered at 751 West Warm Springs Road, Suite 150, Henderson, NV 89011, Uniauto™ continues to expand its portfolio with a brand built specifically for classic, muscle, and restomod enthusiasts.
At Alloy Creations Co.™, the philosophy is simple: wheels should reflect the same character and heritage as the vehicles they’re built for.
“Our goal with Alloy Creations Co.™ is to bridge the gap between heritage styling and modern performance,” said a Uniauto™ spokesperson. “These wheels are designed for builders who respect the past, but expect today’s level of engineering, fitment, and quality.”
Drawing inspiration from the golden era of American performance, Alloy Creations Co.™ combines vintage design cues with advanced manufacturing engineering. Each wheel features high-pressure casting technology and has been specifically built for proper fitment on classic American muscle
cars.
From restored classics to pro-touring builds and modern muscle platforms, Alloy Creations Co.™ is built to support the evolution of American performance.
It’s simple: Some people prefer to fly by the seat of their pants, and others won’t set foot outside without a road map and an itinerary. One advantage of the latter is that when an opportunity comes knocking, these folks are ready to answer the door. Such an opportunity came a-knocking for Caleb Skinner when a two-owner ’50 Ford F1 turned up. Caleb had long had a plan in place for such an opportunity. He envisioned a West-Coast-style muscle truck with a perfect patina and its “rockers in the dirt.” When he acquired his ’50 Ford he simply put his plan in place. With proper organization and an abundance of elbow grease, he transformed his modest classic into a powerful, classically styled street truck.
Caleb has a penchant for speed, with a long personal history of building and racing Mustangs. He’s also built a career as a professional tuner and fabricator. So, when it came time to build his F1 low and mean, he knew he’d need a built motor to match the menace.
The Ford spent the first decade or so of its life on Hill Air Force Base before it was sold to a local man who kept it until he passed in 2017, and Caleb bought the truck from his estate. At some point in the F1’s lifetime, it’s original six-cylinder motor was replaced with a Ford Flat-8 paired to a three-on-the-floor transmission. Caleb already had the majority of the build in mind and was simply in search of the right canvas. Having taken delivery in November, he set a himself a lofty goal of cruising by Christmas.
With his deadline rapidly approaching, Caleb got to cutting quick. He started by fabricating a 12-inch frame notch in the rear, and then he cleaned off and plated the back-half of the frame. The notch gave him enough clearance to make use of a triangulated 4-link. The rearend housing comes from a 1998 Mustang, and the 8.8 Ford unit has been narrowed 6 inches and beefed up with a TruTrac LSD and Strange axle ends.
With the rear suspension in place, Caleb moved on to the front. Again, he chose to borrow a Mustang II-style configuration from Helix Suspension. Converting to the IFS entailed completely removing and stripping all suspension components from the front of the frame. He cleaned and plated the front rails as well. After measuring a few dozen times to ensure he had properly located the axle centerline, he welded the new front cross member in place. With the suspension components permanently in place, Caleb was able to place the Air Lift Dominator ’bags and plumb the Air Lift Performance wiring and air lines. The front and rear both make use of Viking adjustable shocks in conjunction with the airbags. A few interior mods were buttoned up, and phase one of project DIRTBAGR was finished just in time for a Christmas Eve cruise.
Caleb and his family enjoyed the ’50 Ford for a few more weeks during the holidays before the build process got cranked to 11. By February it was time to begin phase two. Caleb paired his patina’d truck with a set of 20-inch Detroit Steel Wheels. The black smoothies sit high in the wheel wells, while the rocker panels are right at home in the dirt. The aggressive Americana aesthetic is one Caleb had in mind from the get-go.
Sticking to his roots, Caleb chose to supply his F1 with a bit of Mustang motivation, so the tired powertrain was yanked and replaced with a howling Coyote V-8. The modern motor was donated by a 2017 Mustang and paired to a 4r70w automatic trans. The trans is fortified with a billet manual valve box and D3400 stall. Nothing about this build had been mild, and Caleb was certainly not about to slow down. The Coyote was outfitted with a new fuel system from Holley, as well as a Holley Sniper EFI intake manifold and throttle body. The Holley fuel system makes use of a custom fuel cell, Holley fuel rails and a Vortech T-Rex fuel pump. The system is E85 capable for huge power gains over conventional pump gas. To keep the beast breathing freely, Caleb adapted F-150 exhaust manifolds for the application, which seriously helped with the steering and frame clearance. From the F-150 manifolds, a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust is routed through the passenger running board to stay out of the way when the truck is laid out. Keeping all 400-plus ponies cool is a Northern three-row aluminum radiator outfitted with a Flex-a-Lite fan. For added durability, an OEM trans-cooler from an F-350 was brought into the mix.
In many ways, the exterior and interior styling choices for DIRTBAGR were direct from Ford. The original body was left almost completely stock. Simple modifications do their part to pull together the stylistic themes. For starters, the front bumper sits about 2 inches lower than its original location. This subtle move enhances the stance by really hunkering the truck’s silhouette down to the pavement. The original headlights and taillights have been reproduced using LED internals. The bed floor has been raised and the inner fenders trimmed to accommodate the stance, but they too preserve the original radness of the F1. Even the custom rear roll pan does very little to detract from the authentic appearance.
Thanks to his hard work and discipline, the truck was transformed into a finished project in under a year. Sure, some might want to leave their projects open-ended, but when your recipe isn’t broken, there’s no good in trying to fix it.
The truck was originally painted navy blue. Its time in the armed forces left one side mostly green with the remnants of a comet-like insignia on the passenger fender. These layers of history have been beautifully altered by father time. Caleb chose to let the visual history speak for itself with a simple satin clearcoat. The interior sings much the same song. Auto Meter gauges display all pertinent information from the post-modern powertrain, while maintaining the look and quality of classic instrumentation. Entertainment comes by way of a full system, the center of which is an Alpine touchscreen head unit. Sound travels to twin Alpine 6×9-inch tweeters, through Rockford Fosgate amplifiers and dual Rockford Fosgate 8-inch subwoofers. The automatic tilt steering column is fitted with a Forever Sharp Big Rig 18-inch billet steering wheel. The massive wheel is finished in black anodizing and burl wood. Finally, the factory bench seat has been restored and upholstered with double-stitched diamond brown leather.
A little planning goes a long way. Combine that with a career’s worth of know-how and a 5-liter V-8, and just about anything can happen. Certainly, this was the case with DIRTBAGR. Caleb had a plan in place for his ’50 Ford from the moment he took delivery. Thanks to his hard work and discipline, the truck was transformed into a finished project in under a year. Sure, some might want to leave their projects open-ended, but when your recipe isn’t broken, there’s no good in trying to fix it.
Caleb Skinner
1950 Ford F1
Clayton, NC
Chassis & Suspension
Powertrain
Brakes
Wheels & Tires
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Special Thanks: UPR Products, Tricia Steele, Steve Allomon and Fastlane Motorsports
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