2006 Ford F150 - Rookie Of The Year

My father is an avionics engineer, who could tell you every diode, relay, and wiring schematic on each Gulfstream business jet built in the last 29 years. Whereas he enjoys his job and is very good at it, I didn't share the same enthusiasm for electronics when it came time for me to choose a career. If he had a part-time auto fab shop or a hot-rod business then, I would have definitely followed suit in his line of work.

For 15-year-old Shane DeBerti, sharing the enthusiasm and love for building custom trucks is a passion directly attributed to his father Doug DeBerti. Known for his wild and over-the-top custom builds, Doug has created rides for several Truckin' covers and has been featured many times, as well. Knowing the quality of work turned out by DeBerti Designs each year, Ford approached Shane to build a truck for Generation-Y. When it came time for Shane to showcase what he picked up from his old man, Shane proved he had his own unique style and the family resources to make the design become a reality.

Starting with a fresh-off-the-lot '06 F-150 4x4, Shane and the DeBerti Designs team immediately tore the factory suspension off of the Ford, then replaced it with a new 12-inch suspension set-up from Rize Industries. The lift features custom-made 10-inch-long King Off-Road coilover shocks with an external bypass. The rear was aided by Atlas lift springs. The added height enabled the DeBerti team to bolt-on 22x12-inch TIS wheels with 40-inch Toyo tires on each corner. Peering through the large hoops are 14-inch SSBC Tri-Power big brakes. Helping the 5.4L propel those huge wheels and tires was the addition of a Volant exhaust and Hypertech Power Programmer.

With the F-150 up in the air, the DeBerti Designs crew focused on the body. After several measurements were taken, a template was made for CNC-machined billet fender vents made in-house. The truck was then driven down to the Air Syndicate Shop in Bakersfield, California, where Craig Fraser got to work by adding PPG and House of Kolor smoke onto the Ford Black basecoat. Three separate stripes of smoke were applied to the body, which adds to the fierce look of the lifted F-150. Other custom touches include the addition of the Grippin Billet Slinger bullet door handles, C.L. Laurence power rear window, DEPO LED taillights, a Recon third brake light, and 3D Carbon front valance. To make the truck really stand out at night, the F-150 received a full complement of Street Glow blue neon. To help passengers get in and out of the lifted rig, a set of Amp Research power retractable steps were also installed. The Deberti team now put its focus on making the interior and bed match the rest of the truck.