The guys over at Stillen felt the need to build something that would serve as a rolling advertisement and spin the heads of many truck show spectators. By the looks of this tire-smoking contemporary cruiser, we would say the boys at Stillen did just that. The truck perfectly blends cool modifications with subtle styling for a look that is topping the charts with enthusiasts all over SoCal.
In order to get this 21st Century F-150 frame closer to earth, John Zinn drove this fresh-off-the-lot pickup straight into the bay at Stillen for an altitude adjustment. John and the crew proceeded to bring the chassis considerably closer to the roadways by pulling out the stock front strut assembly and replacing it with a set of Air Ride Technologies Shockwave Air Ride Air Struts. Bringing down the rear of the truck is ART's AirBar 4-Link kit, and adjusting the height is another set of Shockwaves. Since the look of the truck is more performance-minded, the suspension has a small rake when it is all the way down, giving it a don't-mess-with-me attitude. Adjusting the ride height from inside the cab is as simple as turning the key. Air Ride's electronic control system will automatically raise the truck to ride height upon starting and has a programmable preset ability for easy one-touch adjustment.
Making the Ford Extended Cab melt the back tires at the tap of the throttle is a factory 5.4L V-8 that is boosted in the performance department. A Roush Charger supercharger running 6 pounds of boost and a Gibson Supertruck cat-back exhaust add a ton of power to the V-8. With all the newfound power, the factory braking system needed some help. Anchored at all four corners, A.P. Racing's six-piston brakes with 15-inch two-piece rotors aid in the stopping chores. The result is superb braking performance, bringing the 22-inch Veloche Vortex chrome wheels and BFGoodrich rubber to a halt with authority.
After the truck was given a pavement-altering stance, killer chrome rollers, and a beefy powerplant, it was time to clean up the body by adding some new mods and subtracting some of the factory styling. The first noticeable upgrade to the hauler is Stillen's new body styling kit for the '06 Ford, serving to create an unbeatable custom look. The performance theme was continued with the addition of a Street Scene Equipment grille and driving lights kit, complete with harness and grille shell, Boze billet handles, and DJ Motorsports polished stainless steel fender vents.
Once the modifications were sanded smooth enough to look factory, Wetworks Garage in Costa Mesa, California, color-matched the new additions in the factory silver base color. A fat racing stripe was taped off and sprayed with House of Kolor True Blue and Lime Time green to highlight the edges of the stripe. As soon as the paint was dry, it was buried in clear, and the truck was color-sanded and buffed to perfection. Between the doors of the Stillen F-150 is a subtle yet eye-grabbing interior accent in leather and paint. Wetworks got busy again, this time on the inside of the cab, laying down some more color. The dash, door panels, and center console were all treated to a few coats of blue, and the dash got more of the silver. The seats have been re-covered with Katzkin blue leather with gray leather inserts, whereas the sub enclosure received a covering to match the Ford carpeting
After finishing the thread work in the interior, a complete Sony audio system was installed to keep passengers company during a commute in SoCal traffic. John and the crew at Stillen cranked out this Ford in just six short weeks and just in time to be the centerpiece on this month's cover. Serving as a tire-smoking billboard for Stillen, this detailed F-150 is the perfect late-model flagship truck for the shop, and now completed, it is ready for several thousand miles of reliable cruising. In fact, this truck drives and handles so well the crew frequently fights over the keys. We can't wait to see what emerges next from Stillen's garage.