When it comes to brand loyalty in the automotive world, it often stems from our first vehicles and grows from there. For Neil Minor, his love for the Ford Lightning, both first and second generations, led him to build a more modern Coyote-powered truck. While his first modern truck was full of custom, one-off products and spent much of its time at various shows in the HP Tuners booth, Minor wanted to take a different approach with his recently acquired single cab.
A Blank Canvas
The single-cab truck market has never been hotter, with owners wanting to save some weight and enjoy the timeless look that the single cab provides. There is one drawback: Ford designed these trucks as work vehicles without all the creature comforts found in the various SuperCrew models. As a result, owners often find themselves seeking out center consoles, displays, and more — features that a business owner would not typically equip in work trucks for employees.
To some, this might seem like an inconvenience, but to Minor, it provided the perfect blank canvas for adding all his desired custom touches. On the outside, the truck received painted bumpers, a Lariat grille and mirrors, and Tremor LED headlights and taillights. An RK Sport splitter offsets the OEM look, giving the truck an aggressive appearance.
The F-150 shed its four-by-four ride height status by being lowered 3 inches in the front and 5 inches in the rear with a Viking Performance coilover kit from VAS. The suspension also includes Firestone air bag kits with an on-board air compressor. Rounding off the exterior are a set of 22-inch Giovanna Dramuno-6 wheels wrapped in Goodyear rubber.
Creature Comforts
The Lariat theme continued into the interior with Lariat bucket seats, a center console, door panels, and A-pillars. The factory stalk shifter was relocated to the center console, as found on premium models, and a digital dash was installed.
I wanted to make this a purpose-built vehicle that can do everything I need: from towing and handling well with great ride quality to having fun at the local track. –Neil Minor
The OE-plus interior didn’t stop there. Minor incorporated a 12-inch radio and a complete line of JL Audio into the mix. Minor and his passenger are greeted with the precision sounds of C7 Mids and highs, accompanied by a 12-inch subwoofer situated in a custom-designed and fabricated box that also serves as the host for the amp rack.
ProCharged PowerPlant
However, when the radio volume is…
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