When Wake Forest, North Carolina, native Steve Hill came upon this '54 Ford F-100 about a dozen years ago, his first impression was, "How the heck did somebody get this poor truck so messed up?" Like the saying about too many cooks spoiling the stew, the '54 clearly needed a new chef.
With a few customs already under his belt, Steve had a new inspiration behind this build. You see, Steve's son, Tyler, was always following his dad out to the garage. As a result of this early connection to the '54, Steve figured the truck could serve as an apprenticeship of sorts-a way for him to pass on values and knowledge to his son. This sat well with Steve's wife, Kim, as long as it didn't involve any grocery money, so Steve and his young son started an MDK account for funds. That's "mama don't know," for the uninitiated.
Starting with a frame boxed in the front for strength by Allan Bonner Custom Frames in Raleigh, North Carolina, and fitted with a custom crossmember, Steve utilized the front power steering box and suspension from a '72 Nova and attached a pair of GM 11-inch front rotors and calipers for enhanced stopping power. The rearend was a Ford 9-inch with 3:73 gears that was deemed usable after close inspection. The rear is now suspended by a four-link system of unknown origins riding on a pair of Carrera coilover shocks. Rear braking is courtesy of a fresh set of stock drums, with the truck rolling on Goodyear Eagle tires mounted on timeless five-spoke American Racing Torq-Thrust II wheels all around.
After a couple of years of laying this groundwork, Steve was caught up in keeping his business in the black, and the truck took a back seat to more pressing issues. But during that time, Steve let Tyler play a little hooky from school so they could attend the F-100 Super Nationals for four years straight, gleaning ideas and all the while adding to their MDK account and Tyler's interest.
When the pair got back to work after their four-year hiatus, a '93 five-liter H.O. Mustang motor had found its way onto the frame. The powerplant came topped with a Vortech supercharger and EFI. Spent gasses exit through a set of Hedman Hedders and are kept quiet enough to keep Johnny Law happy thanks to a pair of Borla Turbo mufflers. Linking the motor to the 9-inch differential is a '93 Ford AOD tranny with a Gennie shifter and a frame-mounted cooler.