It's funny what motivates each of us in the endless pursuit of perfection. Whether it is to beat a buddy at a local truck show, the "Best of Show" trophy at a national show, or just the love of building custom trucks, each of us has something pushing us to the next level. For Donny Hill Jr. of Niles, Michigan, it was the laughter of his father, Donny Hill Sr.-after Junior told him his Expedition would one day be in a magazine-that kept him coming home summer after summer from Indiana University to work on his Ford. Three years later, we ran into him at our inaugural Havoc show in Louisville, Kentucky, and couldn't wait to shoot the heavily modified SUV.
Starting life as a people-mover, Donny wanted his first project to be something different and over the top. Ripping off the stock suspension, he and his dad installed Firestone 2600 airbags at each corner, with an Air Ride Technologies four-link in the rear with Big Red valves and a Ride Pro Controller. The large 8-inch C-notch allows Donny to air out the rear and set the wheel tubs on the 24-inch Lexani Sterling wheels with Kumho 295/30R24 tires. Half-inch air line ensures the Expedition can elevate quickly with the touch of a button or be dumped onto the Michigan snow. Powering the Ford from show to show is a 5.4L equipped with an AIRAID intake and a Hypertech performance chip. Temporarily satisfied with the adjustable suspension and more power, Donny turned his focus to the body, where his wallet was quickly lightened.
With his dad's help, Donny added a '01 Lightning grille shell, APC projector headlights, Street Scene mirrors, Trenz upper and lower billet grilles, and a Cervinis hood. With the easy part out of the way, the father and son team then shaved the door handles, molded in a custom roll pan, and cut a 40x80-inch hole in the roof for a Street Beat ragtop. Delivering the Expedition to Dustin Haven in Scottsburg, Indiana, Donny requested custom graphics with super-bright hues. Dustin obliged Donny's wishes and added colorful graphics to the exterior, dash, and door panels. Using DuPont and House of Kolor paints, the Ford took on a whole new persona.
Popping the shaved doors allows Donny to enjoy the slick interior created by Barry's Seat Covers in South Bend, Indiana, and the banging tunes installed by the Hill family and his friend Big Jon Krebs. After the dash was smoothed and painted, the graphics were applied to the top of the plastic panel and onto the inner door panels. Stock Ford seats were re-covered in tan vinyl with orange, blue, and yellow inserts. The orange headliner looks down on tan carpet. Housing the Infinity subwoofer, the center console was also smoothed and painted. Audio is provided by JL Audio and Infinity separates with Eclipse, Crossfire, and JL Audio amps pushing the higher wattage. A PS2 is on hand for gaming and can be viewed by two 7-inch SAVV monitors in the headrests. Keeping tabs on the steering duties is a sweet Colorado Custom Climax steering wheel.
Arriving in style at our Havoc show, Donny made our trip a successful one and proudly represented the University of Indiana. Be on the lookout because rumor has it he's building a sick '48 Chevy that will make this wild Expedition look tame.