When we think of Texas, we think of pickup trucks. They've been roaming the open ranges of the Lone Star State for decades. Pickups have evolved from daily rural workhorses to urban and suburban assault vehicles. Many of us imagine these haulers with outrageous paint schemes, dragging bumpers, tucking 22s, and blasting triple-digit decibel rock 'n' roll.
Charlie Esparza from Pasadena, Texas, built this Ford F-150 with inspiration and encouragement from well-known custom builder David Valencia, owner of Damage Incorporated in Pasadena. Charlie had been participating in shows for the past couple of years, but unfortunately was not taking home any awards. That's when David sat Charlie down and gave him some advice and positive reinforcement. Their conversation is what inspired Charlie to build this gorgeous, two-tone '01 Ford F-150 with an '04 front body clip and matching Honda Quad.
Under the hood, we can see an unmolested 4.2L V-6, dressed in a billet and acrylic dress-up kit. An AEM cold-air intake draws air into the mighty V-6. To get the proper adjustable, slammed stance in the rear, Ekstensive Metal owner Bill Carton and his crew from Pasadena, Texas, fabricated and grafted a serious step notch to the rear framerails to accommodate rear-end clearance when the airbags drop this Blue Oval hauler to the pavement. Xtreme Toyz installed the Slam Specialties RS-72 airbags and KYB nitrogen shocks at each corner, the G.C. manifolds with 1/2-inch valves, two Viair 400 compressors, and a whole lot of 1/2-inch copper hard line. The rear suspension is a two-link setup again featuring Slammed Specialties RS-72 'bags and KYB nitrogen shocks. A set of 22x10-inch Jesse James .38 Special wheels were wrapped with Dunlop 285/30R22 grips.
The leading edge of this '01 Ford F-150 was given a new identity by removing the original '01 front fenders, hood fascia, and grille. Gus Silvia at Custom Creations performed a complete '04 front facial featuring a Trenz grille. He then shaved down the entire body from bumper to bumper, and a sunroof was installed by Gary Sydnor at Pro Top and Trim. The smoothed tailgate houses a pair of frenched, slotted LED taillights. After a total body massage, Charlie's ride was laid out in a two-tone PPG paint scheme, sprayed by Gus Salvia at Custom Creations. Red and black were the colors of choice, with a single silver pinstripe dividing the theme.
Just as impressive as the exterior is the color-coordinated interior showcasing a Custom Creations reworked and resurfaced dash, custom kick panels, and door panels. The team at Ekstreme Toyz, out of Pasadena, created the custom, concave center console and was responsible for the installation of the Katzkin leather on the front buckets and the rear bench seat. To complement the two-tone exterior, Charlie had a two-toned black and red dash with embossed, flamed suede headliner put in.
When it comes to audio and visual entertainment, Charlie didn't hold back. David Valencia moved the glovebox to make room for a 10-inch DVD monitor, and the crew at Xtreme Toyz installed and wired the electronic components that deliver thunderous rock. An Eclipse head unit and DVD player is at the heart of the system. The mids and highs are powered by a pair of 300 JL Audio amplifiers, while one 500 JL Audio amp powers the JL W7 10-inch subwoofer located in the custom center console. Two sets of JL XR 650 mids and separate and create the system's clarity.
To add another dimension to his custom presentation, Charlie decided to build a custom Honda Quad to match his Lone Star Roller. A mirrored, red and black, silver pinstripe paint scheme complements the matching 22x10-inch Jesse James .38 Special chrome wheels, which are consumed by Dunlop 285/30R22 rubber.
This project proves that inspiration and encouragement can drive someone toward achieving higher expectations.