Project Tarmac - 2012 Ford F-150 - CGS Motorsports

Last month, we delved deep into Project Tarmac, a 2012 F-150 being built by the talented father and son duo of Ron and Casey Scranton, of CGS Motorsports. We showed you the custom suspension work, rearend being narrowed, and those huge wheels and tires being stuffed under the bed, but this month we're cracking into the unique bodywork and one-off interior. Taking a welder and cutoff wheel to Ford's iconic and über-popular F-150 isn't something for the faint of heart, but for these two custom truck aficionados, it was a must to make their truck really make people scratch their heads.

The exterior mods seem simple at first glance, but it's the uncanny attention paid to each detail that will make you undoubtedly appreciate the amount of work put into it. The hood, doors, handles, tailgate, roll pan, and grille are all so custom they look stock. We know it seems impossible, but just take a look at the work they did in this story and then go back and look at the cover feature found on page 64 for a virtual "light switch" moment. You'll just get it, and then you'll never be able to look at another stock F-150 the same.

1. Trying to get the F-150 ready for the 2011 SEMA show, the CGS Motorsports crew literally gutted the interior.
1. Trying to get the F-150 ready for the 2011 SEMA show, the CGS Motorsports crew literall
2. Each part will be wrapped in red leather from Pecca Leather, or wrapped in suede, also from Pecca.
2. Each part will be wrapped in red leather from Pecca Leather, or wrapped in suede, also
3. At Pecca Leather's U.S. headquarters, in Downey, California, each piece of red leather was hand stitched, including the red leather seats. The seat covers and leather panel covers were then sent to Stitchcraft Interiors, in Westminster, California, for installation.
3. At Pecca Leather's U.S. headquarters, in Downey, California, each piece of red leather

4. A lipstick red leather interior with black seatbelts just wouldn't fly, so Casey and Ron had seatbeltplanet.com create these new red seatbelts that both look good and are DOT safe
4. A lipstick red leather interior with black seatbelts just wouldn't fly, so Casey and Ro
5. Back at CGS Motorsports' headquarters, Casey and Ron began modifying the F-150's hood. As anyone with a late-model Ford knows, the hood and grille shell are one piece. Not for long. With the grille shell removed, a piece of tape was used as a template for the new piece of sheetmetal.
5. Back at CGS Motorsports' headquarters, Casey and Ron began modifying the F-150's hood.
6. Ron then transferred the template to 16-gauge sheetmetal steel and cut out the new trim piece.
6. Ron then transferred the template to 16-gauge sheetmetal steel and cut out the new trim

7. Using a 3M Scotch-Brite 3-inch Bristle Disc, Ron busted the paint off down to bare metal. This way, the surface was free of contaminants and ready to weld.
7. Using a 3M Scotch-Brite 3-inch Bristle Disc, Ron busted the paint off down to bare meta
8. With the new frontend piece tack-welded in place, you get an idea of how the modified hood will look. There will now be a definitive break in between the hood and grille.
8. With the new frontend piece tack-welded in place, you get an idea of how the modified h
9. Again using tape as a guide, Ron cut out a rectangular section in the hood that will be used as a scoop.
9. Again using tape as a guide, Ron cut out a rectangular section in the hood that will be

10. Dropping that cutout section down just a few inches, the sides were welded shut and the one-off hood was ready for bodywork. Before that could happen however, Ron and Casey wanted to make the doors as unique as the frontend.
10. Dropping that cutout section down just a few inches, the sides were welded shut and th
11. Opening the rear doors, a measurement was taken for the hinge. Their plan was to scrap the factory hinge and forward-opening style doors and install a suicide hinge setup from Street Dreams by Ross.
11. Opening the rear doors, a measurement was taken for the hinge. Their plan was to scrap
12. After removing the doors altogether, the C-pillar door striker pocket was cut out using an air saw. This cutout will serve as the new mounting point for the suicide hinges.
12. After removing the doors altogether, the C-pillar door striker pocket was cut out usin

13. A quick test-fit was performed to make sure the Street Dreams by Ross small suicide hinges would fit. They did, and it was now time to weld in the thick support bracket and fabricate a new inner pillar pocket.
13. A quick test-fit was performed to make sure the Street Dreams by Ross small suicide hi
14. Check out how the new C-pillar door pocket is tacked in place with the upper suicide hinge already bolted on. As you can see, there were several complex shapes and convex to get just right, so the CGS team took their time and got it perfect.
14. Check out how the new C-pillar door pocket is tacked in place with the upper suicide h
15. It took some serious fabrication skill to get the old doors ready for the suicide treatment. The two large grooves will serve as the mounting point for the hinges.
15. It took some serious fabrication skill to get the old doors ready for the suicide trea

16. A support brace was welded lengthwise to give the doors added structural integrity. The door was then bolted to the Street Dreams small suicide hinges.
16. A support brace was welded lengthwise to give the doors added structural integrity. Th
17. To say it takes large cojones to cut up a truck with less than 100 miles on the odometer is a giant understatement, and taking one good look a the B-pillar post modification will have even the most seasoned of customizers saying "Wow." All that is needed now is some bodywork and a door striker post.
17. To say it takes large cojones to cut up a truck with less than 100 miles on the odomet
18. This will help clear up any confusion you may have. This is the front side of the rear door. It was heavily modified with an added piece of sheetmetal that sticks out and will meet up with the B-pillar post shown in the previous photo. Once the factory bear claw latch is bolted back in place, it will lock onto the B-pillar's door striker post.
18. This will help clear up any confusion you may have. This is the front side of the rear

19. Each door lost its factory handle in favor of smoothed sheetmetal filler plates. If you look closely, you can see the rear suicide hinges bolted in place through the rear door handle opening.
19. Each door lost its factory handle in favor of smoothed sheetmetal filler plates. If yo
20. Voila! Again, this isn't for the faint of heart, but it does look incredible.
21. With the welders still warm, Casey welded in a Street Scene Generation 3 steel roll pan and shaved the tailgate handle and F-150 emblem.
21. With the welders still warm, Casey welded in a Street Scene Generation 3 steel roll pa

22. As promised, the custom hood, doors, and bed all received extensive bodywork before being rolled into the paint booth where the truck was sprayed in DuPont black.
22. As promised, the custom hood, doors, and bed all received extensive bodywork before be
23. Fresh out of the spray booth, the truck was almost ready for its close-up.
24. One of the final touches was the installation of the giant, one-piece billet door handles that were milled just for this project. A sight to behold, these door handles use soft-touch sensors that activate the door poppers. Now that is trick. Even after walking around the truck at our photo shoot several times, this truck reveals more and more mods than you see at first glance.
24. One of the final touches was the installation of the giant, one-piece billet door hand

SOURCE
Street Scene Equipment 365 McCormick Avenue Costa Mesa CA 92626 714-426-0590 www.streetsceneeq.com	CGS Motorsports 4525 Carter Court Chino CA 91710 1-909-902-0102 http://www.cgsmotorsports.com/
Street Dreams By Ross 4833 Cherry Valley Road Middleville MI 49333 1-269-795-3100 http://www.streetdreamsbyross.co m	Stitchcraft Interiors 14146 Willow Lane Westminister CA 92683 1-714-891-1316 http://www.stitchcraftinteriors. com
Pecca Leather 12010 Woodruff Ave Suite F Downey CA 90241 1-562-623-0781 http://www.peccaleather.com	Seatbelt Planet 1-877-435-6363 http://www.seatbeltplanet.com