Slide 1

Achieving perfection in his first attempt, Keith's show-stopping 1953 Ford F-250 is a testament to his resourcefulness and craftsmanship. "I repurposed what I had to make it look as good as I could," Keith reveals. "Whatever parts I didn't have, I built," he says. "I'd cut the metal on our machines at work, bring it home, and weld it together. I built the frame, bed, tailgate, running boards, and bumpers," explains Keith. "The hood, fenders, and cab are original." But don't be fooled, Keith repaired, reworked, smoothed, or otherwise modified those, too.

Slide 2

Underneath this Ford's reverse-operation hood you'll find a bored and stroked Chevy 350. A payment from Keith's brother for working on his Nova, this 383 puts out an impressive 430 hp and 450 ft.-lbs. of torque! "I originally wanted to put a Ford engine in it, but I couldn't get one for free," says Keith. The repurposed powerplant also sports a custom-built cold air intake, custom-fabricated accessory relocation brackets, and a Summit fuel pressure gauge.

Slide 3

Flip the in-cab switch and an air-powered actuator tilts the F-250's bed in the air like a dump truck, revealing an undercarriage scattered with unique details. Take a peek and you'll see Keith's custom-fabricated frame, a differential-mounted disc parking brake, and custom-built 4-link suspension. Keith even made his own fuel cell, bed mounts, and fuel and brake line brackets.

Slide 4

With a vision in mind, Keith decided to dump the F-250's original bed. "I really wanted a short bed," says Keith. Rather than modify the factory sheetmetal, Keith custom-fabricated a one-off bed that's 16" shorter and 4" wider. "I widened the bed so I could kick out the rear fenders enough to sit flush with the front fenders," explains Keith. He also added a custom tailgate, wheel tubs, and polished trim pieces to replicate the look of the truck's original wooden bed.

Slide 5

Tucked inside the Ford's massive rolling fenders rests a set of American Racing Torque Thrust II 20" wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 tires. "When I ordered the wheels, I asked for the deepest offset possible," jokes Keith. Determined to make his deep dish wheels fit, Keith modified his suspension enough to squeeze an 8" wide tire in the front and a 10" wide tire in the rear.

Slide 6

Oxidization has set in under the satin clearcoat causing the '53's clean-grained sheetmetal to develop into a natural patina. Areas exposed to the sun and elements have oxidized more than those protected by shadows. Keith has even had to replace a few burnt panels. "The sun was reflecting off the bumper and onto the panel between the bumper and tailgate," says Keith. "The sun basically baked the metal."

Slide 7

Finished in black, this 3/4-ton's interior is loaded with unique details custom-fabricated by Keith, like gauge pods, accessory switch panels, and kickpanels. He even made brackets for factory-style pedal pads. Not stopping there, Keith also stitched the transmission and parking brake boots and installed a hidden stereo. But Keith also knew when to stop—he kept the original factory-style ignition switch and pushbutton start in-tact in appreciation of the mechanical aspects of the truck.

Slide 8

Having shaved the factory turn signals, Keith needed a way to keep his '53 Ford street legal. He tracked down and installed a pair of headlights with built-in marker and turn signal lights. Not letting his creativity stop there, Keith also bolted on a set of chrome eyebrows from a '50s Chevy. Although small, these modifications enhance the attitude of the Ford's front end.

Slide 9

With a great sense of style, Keith was quick to shave this '53's emblems and turn signals. However, when it came to the truck's aggressive grill, he didn't want to mess with perfection. That's why the Ford's signature V8 emblem is the only remaining factory badge on this street machine.

Slide 10

Not to be overlooked, Keith's pickup sports several other unique details that only a true hotrod aficionado would recognize. Two of these custom touches are his one-off bumpers. Laser cut and hand welded, this '53's bumpers are straight as an arrow and shine like a mirror. "A friend of mine offered to polish both the front and rear bumpers for $100," says Keith. How can you pass up a deal like that?