When it came time to update our '01 Ford Super Crew with new looks, several ideas were thrown out, including a Lightning front-end conversion, an '00-'02 Navigator conversion, and the eventual winner, which was the '03 Lincoln Navigator conversion. This mod is not unheard of for the Blue Oval faithful, but it is a commitment and one that took both patience and money. Searching salvage yards for the necessary parts left us empty-handed, while the dealer visits left us with huge holes in our wallets. Putting an end to our search was VIS Racing in City of Industry, California, where the fiberglass and body kit mogul sells everything needed to turn our old Ford into a first-class luxury ride. After ordering one of the kits, we went and picked up a new hood, new carbon-fiber Bullet-style fenders, an OE grille, new OE headlights, a header panel, a stock front bumper, hood struts, hood support mounts, and a hood latch mechanism and a pull cable. One truck bed full of parts later, and we were on our way to Lake Forest, California, where the body experts of South County Customs call home.
With the Ford inside one of...
With the Ford inside one of the many bays at South County Customs, Manny started the tear-down process by first recruiting some help to remove the steel cowl-induction hood
Bolting-on parts is an easy affair; but we don't call ourselves paint and body pros, which is why we delivered our Ford F-150 and new VIS Racing parts to Max Gilmore and his crew at South County Customs. Having photographed several of its painted project trucks in the past, we knew the South County shop had the talent to transform our truck. While in the capable South County hands, the F-150 received a whole new look in just a couple of day's time.
Do you have a '97-'03 Ford F-150 and want to make a custom statement while behind the wheel? Well, this kit literally turns your Ford into a fine Lincoln truck-not as a Blackwood or as a Mark LT, but as a legitimate custom rig. In this story, we'll show you how easy it was to add Lincoln parts to our Ford truck. Check out the next magazine (Volume 33, Issue 8), where we'll show you the custom PPG paint on Project Sinatra, and the trick bodywork South County Customs did to the Ford to make it nice and smooth.
After disconnecting the wiring...
After disconnecting the wiring harnesses to the headlights and turn-signals, Manny pulled out the clear turning lamps.
With a cordless drill in hand,...
With a cordless drill in hand, Manny removed the screws that held the grille shell to the front header panel.
It took a simple yank to remove...
It took a simple yank to remove the chrome grille shell from the front end
An air wrench was used to...
An air wrench was used to bust loose the bumper bolts that attached to the front frame horns.
With the steel bumper off,...
With the steel bumper off, Manny pulled the header panel with the headlights off of the truck.
Then, South County masked...
Then, South County masked everything off, cleaned the engine bay, and painted the front end and under-hood area flat black.
All of the OE parts were removed,...
All of the OE parts were removed, including the front fenders, hood, bumper, header panel, grille, and lights.
Now we could move on to our...
Now we could move on to our complete Navigator conversion from VIS Racing. Check out all of the cool new parts that come in the kit, such as OE headlights, an OE header panel, carbon-fiber fenders, a fiberglass hood, new hood lift struts, strut mounts, a hood latch, and a release cable.
The VIS Racing lightweight...
The VIS Racing lightweight Navigator fenders were the first to go on. The new fenders use the same mounting points as the older Ford fenders.