When Paul "Scooter" Brothers, director of R&D at Comp Cams, met with us last year and gave us the inside scoop on a motor package the company was putting together for Ford Motor Company, we were all ears. Scooter told us that the company was taking the stock 4.6L package and equipping it with a turbo, heads, and a cam, and was then going to calibrate it with hopes of doubling the rear-wheel horsepower. When Comp Cams showed us the factory two-tone workhorse it planned to put the beefed up motor in, we offered some styling tips. After a few suggestions on ride height, wheels, and paint, Scooter reached into his pocket, pulled out the keys, and handed them to us.
And so it began: Project Comp Cruizer. There were some limitations set on the project, however. Scooter didn't want to deal with airbags, but still needed a comfortable ride, preferring that the tires had a decent sidewall. Comp wanted the stock door handles left intact, and since the company was placing its own powerplant under the hood, we weren't allowed to make any major modifications to it. With the preliminary guidelines in place, we put our own limitations on the project. Our goal was to create a sweet-looking truck using products that could be ordered directly out of the pages of Sport Truck and installed in virtually any garage. Once all the parameters were set, we had Jason Rushforth put together a rendering using the components we selected. Then we got started.
The first task at hand was to set the truck lower ("The Low Down," ST July '03 issue). Shaughn Reid and the boys at Streetshock in Redondo Beach, California, installed a Western Chassis 4/6 drop. A set of tubular control arms, dropped super A-arms, and Smooth Rider coils were used up front. The rear was treated to a flip kit, a C-notch, and a shackle as well as Doetsch shocks. Once everything was put back together, a set of 20-inch Intro Twisted Vistas wrapped in Toyo 265/50R20 and 295/45R20 rubber was bolted onto all four corners.
With the truck's stance vastly improved, the next thing on the list was to upgrade the stopping power ("The Slow Down," ST Aug. '03 issue). Brake Pro's at Stillen in Costa Mesa, California, removed the stock rotors and calipers and installed the company's AP Racing System. The kit consists of 14-inch curve vane rotors and huge six-piston calipers for each side. We were confident this would have the stopping power to slow down anything Comp Cams decided to throw into the truck.
To further improve the styling of the truck, some basics needed to be added to the Comp Cruizer ("Bolt On Blow Out," ST Sept. '03 issue). A SnugTop tonneau cover was placed over the bed, and Car Wear crystal-clear taillights were swapped in. Up front, a Street Scene speed grille, Sylvania HID headlight conversion, and Car Wear clears were added. Inside, a Nu Image Diamond-series white-face gauge face was installed with a polished overlay from Billet Superstore.