Brian’s 1950 F1 truck transformed from a relatively stock flathead powered old ford truck into a beautiful, tight, clean, stylish, Coyote powered truck. Brian has had this truck for over 35 years. Brian and his Dad had made modifications and maintained the truck together for many years.
Brian has stories of him and his Dad making trips to the junk yard and scavenging different parts for the truck as they upgraded it and made it their own.
The simple fact that Brian has managed to hold onto the truck this long while having a family, attending college and a career is an accomplishment in itself. Let alone what he turned it into after all those years. We are fortunate that he trusted us (my first years in business) to complete this project.
The project started with the intention of creating a clean, easy to drive truck that Brian and his family could enjoy. The first time I saw the truck it was fully assembled, with a decent paint job, a flat head engine and a stock chassis. Brian and I began discussing the project and his vision for the finished build.
One thing that stood out to me was his desire for a reliable, easy to drive truck. Something that was very different from the old carburated flathead and stock chassis. Don’t get me wrong, I love an old flathead with a mechanical choke but that wasn't the right thing for this project. The brakes would need to be better, the steering tighter, an automatic transmission, and fuel injection were top of the list.
This is a very important step in a successful build. We have to understand the application and help select the right components to achieve the vision of our clients and align them with our quality standards and processes.
The chassis we selected was from TCI Chassis in California. They make a bolt on frame that would allow us to retain the factory body mounts without any major modifications to the original sheetmetal. This helps to simplify the job vs. a universal chassis that we have to locate body mounts etc. 4 bar rear suspension, independent front, disc brakes, adjustable coil overs, and rack and pinion steering would bring this truck into the modern day.
We lowered the truck just about as far as we could without getting into the truck bed. Fortunately for this body style there is a lot of room in the fenders to tuck a decent sized tire without a bunch of sheetmetal work. The Limited slip differential and 9” rear end would put the power to the ground while the boxed frame rails and x-member frame design would ensure frame rigidity and movement in the suspension where it should be. A dramatic improvement from the 75 year old technology that was under the truck.
The engine is a Gen 3 Coyote from Ford in front of a 4R70W from Bowler transmission. The Coyote engine is in the neighborhood of 425 horsepower of smooth controllable power. The overdrive transmission from Bowler created a great combination.
And it surprisingly fits very well in the engine bay… The only problem was it looked like we pulled it right out of an OE Mustang. Coil packs, plastic, high pressure fuel pump, wiring and vacuum hoses cluttered up the look and took away from the aesthetic of the engine bay.
Early on Brian and I knew that something would have to be done. There are not a lot of options for dressing up these big engines and I saw a potential opportunity with our CNC machine and CAD capabilities.
We began designing a coil cover that would solve these issues. With the help of Tavis Highlander and a 3D scan we began designing the coil covers that would work with a stock valve cover and enhance the look. After several 3D prints and design changes we landed on a cover that accomplished the goal. We then modified a stock intake cover to bridge the cap between the two sides to create a finished look on the engine. We are happy with the results and have now turned this idea into a product on our website.
One set was featured in a build at SEMA this year. We are excited to see where this product will go and hope to see it on many more builds in the future.
The body had seen better days.. Hiding beneath the paint job was a lot of poor metal work and rust from many years the truck has been used. 3 new fenders, a new bed and a handful of patch panels later the truck body was ready for paint. Several modifications were made to the body to clean it up and improve the look.
We set up the bed with a hidden tailgate latch and stainless supports. The wing window was eliminated and converted to one piece door glass. Fender welting removed and body panels fit tight to the cowl and bedside. Bumpers moved closer to the body. We also lowered the radiator on the core support a few inches and shaped up a custom sheetmetal shroud to finish out the area in front of the radiator.
All in all a pretty stock appearance with subtle improvements that become obvious when parked next to a stock truck.
I personally like modifications that pay respect to the original design while improving the overall look. The body was then covered in a custom “Inverde Green” from Paint house texas with a glossy exterior and matte finish in the engine bay and truck bed.
The interior was custom made and wrapped by Massimo in leather and suede. Accent trim was added to the doors and a full headliner was custom built to improve the look. 4 speakers and a bass tube provide a great sound in the cabin combined with ample insulation. Air conditioning and foam adjustable seat keep you comfortable cruising down the highway at 70 mph with one hand on the leather wrapped steering wheel. We got to have some fun with the dash designing and machining the center section to house the AC switches, radio and vents. We used the existing location for the speaker grille and built a part that achieved the function desired while maintaining the look and feel of an original part.
The underbody carried the same attention to detail and cleanliness to an area not many will see. The stainless exhaust zigs and zags through the frame all while maintaining ground clearance and proper flow.
It passes through Magnaflow mufflers before exiting the bumper in little notches we fit to the exhaust tips.
Stainless steel fuel tank, crimped brown and miller hoses and Sanders line clamps make the fuel system reliable and look good while doing it.
Every line clamp on the truck is one of our U-drill line clamps, meaning they all match, fit tight and provide a uniform look throughout the build.
Brian's truck debuted at the Goodguys show in Puyallup July of 2024 in our booth. It was received well and was awarded a builders choice at the show. I look forward to showing off this truck in the years to come.
Happy Holidays from Sanders Street Rods team!
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