Dirt Sports F150 Project
From the June, 2011 issue of Dirt Sports Magazine
Photography By Bink Designs
It happens every time, almost like clockwork. Here’s what occurs in the life of a Dirt Sports project build. It begins like all love affairs – all flowers, hope and promise. Then comes the grind of matching our newfound marriage with the picket fence-like dreams of trying to build the ultimate anything. Toward the end, a million details and countless hours later, you swear it’s time for divorce – you’ll never take on anything like it again. But when that beast is finally complete and fired up, we discover we really don’t want to walk away, but maybe just have a new affair with the next sexy vision that comes along.
So, after five such marriages, our track record resembles that of the late Elizabeth Taylor. The family photo album is filled with images of the past loves; VW Elf, our token red head (the Retro Bronco), our trick Yamaha Rhino, the smoken’ Plug N’ Play Alumi Craft and the over-the-top Kawasaki Teryx TT.
Now it’s time for something new. It’s almost impossible to fathom, but our stable of “wives” has yet to include a truck!
With the conclusion of the Teryx TT build (see final results in next month’s July issue!), our eyes didn’t have to wander far when we looked toward our next conquest. At a recent LOORRS short-course race, we spotted the ultra-clean, ultra-truck Ford F-150 of Dirt Sports contributing photographer Brian Binkert and stopped dead in our tracks. His truck was a mid-2000s F-150, but was modified with ultra slick bodywork by FiberwerX that included a late model front grill and headlights in a front-tilting one-piece front end. The wide-track rear end was equally appealing.
Beauty was more than skin deep, however. Up front Bink’s F-150 was graced with a very trick long-travel suspension created by those forward-thinking guys at Brenthel Industries. Armed with a set of specially valved Fox Shox, there is no doubt the set-up can make prerunning, play or chasing a race more enjoyable.
The good news is that we have a suitable base vehicle to start with. Our company CEO Jim Ryan has a tired 2006 F150 that needs some serious TLC. Over the course of the coming months, we will transform this tired girl with a new FiberwerX Raptor kit (with one piece front end and OEM grill work), a Brenthel long-travel front end and new rear bed-mounted shock assembly and Fox Shox for starters. Then we will add a custom widened rear end by Currie Enterprise, 37-inch General Tire Grabbers and a unique set of Method’s latest wheels. Of course, you can count on a custom blue, orange and silver Dirt Sports paint job. Beyond that…you can bet we will come up with some insane touches.
The DS-150. We will take our tired grandma and convert her into our next big fling. Stay tuned.
Official Sponsors
Brenthel Industries
FiberwerX
Fox Racing Shox
Currie Enterprise
General Tire
Method Wheels
Stage 8