Trucks have come a long way in the last 15 years. Crew cab trucks used to be a rare sight, and interior comfort left a lot to be desired. Now, trucks are more capable and much more luxurious, but there's always room for improvement. Mike Spagnola, president of Street Scene Equipment, got one of the first '09 F-150s to roll off the assembly line and had precious little time to improve on that already sparkling design. What you see here is the work of one short month from purchase to completion and debut at the 2008 SEMA show, no small feat when you consider that Mike had to design and build several new pieces for the new-for-'09 F-150.
The exterior of the Ford got the full Street Scene treatment as a Generation 1 urethane bumper cover was added to the fascia while a Generation 2 urethane roll pan went on in place of the rear bumper to hide the hitch. An Extant Revolution tonneau cover was fitted onto the bed after smooth Street Scene bed caps replaced the textured plastic factory pieces. The rear of the truck was finished with a Street Scene tailgate handle relocator that puts it on the inside of the bed where it shares the stage with a full Bed Rug carpet kit. The truck also received Cal Vu front and rear signal mirrors, Street Scene's very first batch of billet grilles, and a smooth wiper cowl before the whole truck was sent to L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California. Theresa Contreras used DuPont Hot Hues paint to coat the bottom half of the truck in Firethorn red and the top in black with a silver graphic between them. The Firethorn red paint turns a molten orange color in the right light and really turns heads. It fit perfectly with Mike's image of a high-class cruiser that wouldn't scream for attention, but would instead improve on the already good looks of the Ford and make people wonder what exactly it was that made it stand out from the crowd.
Ground Force burst out of the gates with a drop kit for the '09 F-150 that consists of performance coil springs and leaf springs along with a carrier bearing relocation bracket and transmission spacer that keep the driveline angles in check. The 2/4 drop gave Mike the increased handling and the stance he was after, and it also left plenty of room for 24x10-inch Fesler FS804 wheels draped in 305/35R24 Yokohama Parada tires. Keeping with the theme of the truck, the wheels are subtle, wearing a brushed finish that's far from flashy.
For the interior, myautoextras.com supplied interior panels with a unique woodgrain finish that looks like black and silver tiger-eye. The rest of the interior and trim was left intact, including the SYNC audio/navigation system that was upgraded by Audio Innovations in Glendora, California, with Polk Audio amps and SR104-DVC 10-inch subs mounted under the rear seat. Rear seat passengers get a great view for entertainment as two 7-inch Rosen DVD headrest monitors can play a different DVD thanks to two source units. The other audio enhancements also serve to up the horsepower output, as a MagnaFlow exhaust and Airaid cold air intake give the 5.4L three-valve engine some extra rumble without disturbing the quiet cabin.
Mike's truck goes to show that a truck can quickly be elevated from stock with the right addition of parts. His truck made no compromises when it came to drivability and looks like a factory concept, so much so that the truck debuted in Ford's booth and garnered quite a bit of attention. Not bad for one month.