When a new or redesigned truck is introduced to the public, you can bet it will only be a matter of time before a handful of hard-core custom truck enthusiasts will get their hands on one and start modifying it from roof to rocker, and grille to tailgate. There is nothing more cool than seeing a fresh custom pickup with less than 1,000 miles on the odometer roll into the truck show scene and wow the crowd while still clad with dealer plates. Often, the most impressive part about hearing an enthusiast's story of how their hot hauler was created is the time span in which the rolling work of art was brought to life. For those automotive enthusiasts who have turned their hobby into successful businesses, sometimes the pressures of producing top-notch project vehicles to display their company's goods can be considerable.
Everyone who is anyone in the automotive aftermarket business makes his or her way to the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show held in early November in Las Vegas. This week-long event features new and innovative products on display, along with some of the brightest, boldest, and baddest custom trucks ever created. Each year, Street Scene Equipment of Costa Mesa, California, makes a strong appearance with a host of new products and wild custom haulers that force more than a few builders to go back to their drawing boards. While the week of SEMA is pure madness in and of itself, it is the months and weeks prior to the show that automotive aftermarket companies shift into fifth gear and pull more than a few all-nighters to complete its project vehicles. For the crew at Street Scene, the bar has been set high with regard to project trucks, as their previous creations have dazzled even the most critical of custom truck fanatics.
This year, SSE President and owner Mike Spagnola and Vice President of Marketing Tom Urbaniak were faced with the challenge of building a radical custom example of Ford's new '04 F-150, and they came through big time with the bright-yellow, slammed-in-the-weeds, 445hp Whipple Supercharged Blue Oval shown here. The truck successfully blends prominent sports car performance styling with smooth elements commonly found on the custom sport truck menu.
Having only a little over a month to build this bright stunner (Street Scene took delivery on September 3) presented quite a challenge, so the intimidating looks began by bringing the rocker panels down to a respectable level. Company employee Tony Ervolina installed custom Street Scene-designed coilover shocks, manufactured by Ireland Suspension of Duarte, California, up front to set the nose at an appropriate cruising altitude. Moving to the rear, the frame received a custom Street Scene designed C-section and re-arched leaf springs to set the rear fenderwells down firm over the rear 22-inch rolling package. For added stopping power, Stillen's cross-drilled brake rotors and stainless steel brake calipers, complete with Goodridge lines, were added to enhance performance and driveability. Enhancing the slammed stance are 22x8.5-inch front and 22x10.25-inch rear GFG Wheel Company, a division of Giovanna Wheels, GF-16 wheels mounted on P265/40ZR22 Toyo Proxes rubber up front, and P305/40ZR22 at the rear. The wheel blends a tuner-wheel look with sport-truck styling, creating a unique rolling package. After the suspension surgery and custom rolling package was completed, the truck was on its way to becoming one of the nicest custom '04 F-150s around, however, additional horsepower was definitely in order.