Most folks think that Lincoln made the Navigator, but as you'll see, Bob Ford from Coral Springs, Florida, created a unique version of his own. Whether you call it Ford's Navigator or a "Navififty," Bob's F-150 with Lincoln Navigator sheetmetal is a unique ride with lots of original features.
Bob is an electronics engineer and, for as far back as he can remember, driving a stereo-equipped, slammed pickup has been his passion. He bought his F-150 new in 1997, starting out slowly with just a pair of 10-inch subs and a Belltech lowered suspension. Although an improvement, it wasn't nearly enough after all those years of dreaming, so he soon cranked the customizing process into high gear.
One of the most distinctive features on the truck is the new sheetmetal. Bob loved the looks of the Lincoln Navigator and decided to give his F-150 a makeover. Don from Altered Visions in Pompano Beach, Florida, began the conversion and found that the '02 Navigator front end with Trenz billet grille was a fairly easy bolt-on approach. The plastic cladding that was part of the original Navigator package was eliminated, and the front pan and fenders were trimmed to create a perfect match. However, the rear was a true challenge with lots of careful metalwork required. Once the inner lights were in place, the outer lights were fitted to the Ford rear fenders, flaring them in the process to accommodate the new units. Bob furthered the illusion by choosing a new Lincoln rear bumper, rear taillights, and rear pocket for the license plate. Altered Visions sprayed the House of Kolor Candy Purple and Candy Apple Green paintjob, and Bob added the 20-inch Neeper Neptune and Goodyear radials as the final touch.
With his new Navigator clone looking good, it was time to put the truck in the weeds. Bob replaced the earlier suspension mods with a combination of air and hydraulics, deciding that hydraulics could better handle the weight of the planned stereo system and the big Ford V-8.
With the truck firmly resting on the ground, Bob concentrated on the music portion, moving from mild to wild. The original, starter stereo was dumped, in favor of the current package that begins with 15 15s in a huge sub wall. Eric Munoz of Phats, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, did the transformation by taking a Sawzall to the back wall of the extended cab. The fiberglass Topper, sealed to the body with a rubber boot and silicone, created a small warehouse worth of room for the huge new stereo. Facing forward is the collection of 15-inch subs, arranged in five banks of three. In the rear, the five 1,200-watt MMATS amps for the subs are stacked, with each amp energizing one bank of three subs. The front stage is equally strong with three 6-inch-separated component sets in each door and multiple speakers overhead in the fiberglass headliner. A 10-inch drop-down monitor for the PlayStation 2 adds a little visual appeal to the huge collection of audio. A special off-road Pioneer head unit was chosen because the original units could not function with the thundering bass (162 SPL!) inside the cab.
Bob's original goals of creating a super-slammed stereo truck have been finally realized. The truck is a joy to drive and fun to compete. The toughest part will be letting go of this one and starting a new project, but that's another whole level of fun.