Hopping onto a skateboard vert ramp might not be the best idea for most of us-even if a brand new truck was on the line. But for a pro skater, it's a sweet deal when the Vans Triple Crown of Skateboarding winner gets to drive off in an F-150. It sure beats a trophy. That's how the 17-year-veteran pro-skateboarder, Bucky Lasek, ended up behind the wheel of this '04 F-150. Once Bucky resolved to retire the truck from its family hauling duties, he decided it deserved some aftermarket attention. SKG Motorsports in Poway, California, stepped up to tackle the transformation, and the wrenches began turning.
The first step to create the sport-luxury cruiser was to remove unnecessary obstructions from the bodywork without affecting its daily-driver functionality. That meant the door handles stayed, but the tailgate handle was shaved, thanks to a Street Scene Equipment relocation kit. Street Scene also supplied the roll pan, windshield wiper cowl, lower valance, and black chrome grilles for the project. The finishing touch was a SnugTop SL tonneau cover that keeps prying eyes out of the bed.
Balboa Auto Body had the task of prepping the Street Scene bodywork. After ensuring the body was straight and true, every panel was shot with Dark Stone Metallic, a factory Ford color. Combined with the black chrome grilles and black powdercoated 24-inch American Racing RT-S wheels, the charcoal paint gave the Ford an elegant, yet understated look.
Now that the bodywork had been taken care of, the stance was next on deck. Suspension duties were handled by an Eibach Pro Kit that dropped the truck 2 inches up front and 4 inches out back. The kit came equipped with new springs, shackles, and hangers. To match the truck's new asphalt-oriented stance, Hellwig sway bars were bolted up front and out back. The result was a suspension that kept the Pirelli PZeros firmly planted to the blacktop, even on the twisty roads of San Diego, California.
The interior continued the theme of simple and subdued, as leather and suede Katzkin upholstery covered all of the seating surfaces. Audio and video chores were taken care of by a Rosen DVD monitor that was built into the factory Ford overhead rail mount. Now, when the F-150 does haul the entire family-as it's not completely retired-rear seat passengers can enjoy the view. The rest of the audio was left to Rockford Fosgate, as Punch subs were installed under the rear seats and components were mounted into the factory positions in the doors.
Performance duties were handled by ensuring the 5.4L V-8 received plenty of air fed to it via an AIRAID cold air intake and throttle-body spacer. A Gibson swept side exhaust system exits just behind the passenger-side rear wheel, and it gives the truck a noticeable rumble. Finally, Hypertech's HyperPac tuner helped to turn all of that extra pumping capacity into even more power to propel Bucky and his F-150 with confidence.