It's a major paradox in life when certain bad things happen and turn out to be more of a blessing in the end. As the old saying goes, when one door closes another one opens. A good example of this would be if you lost your job and got the free time to find an even better one. You wanted to do it in the first place but were too tied up with your last job to search for another. Sometimes, all it takes to get you moving forward is for one setback to happen.
"I pretty much drive this truck on a daily basis. I even drove it when all of the interior was taken out for custom work." -Ranulfo Bocanegra III
That is exactly how this Ford F-150 became what it is now. When Ranulfo Bocanegra III first purchased this truck in 2000, he was newly married and looking for a dependable ride. Of course, being the man of the household, Ranulfo needed a truck to have the ability to haul things whenever he wanted. He wound up purchasing this truck brand-new for the sole purpose of using it.
It was only by chance that this truck was customized, and Ranulfo's father played a big role in this. As a child, he watched his father toy around with lowriders and traveled along with him to local shows. At a young age, Ranulfo was exposed to custom vehicles, and he was able to absorb all of the great experience while building customs. He was always into the scene, but when he got a truck of his own he could not modify it. Since he was newly married, Ranulfo did not have the funds to start customizing his truck.
However, Ranulfo's bizarre luck would change. When his father went on a road trip with some friends, the driver of the van lost sight of the road and collided with an 18-wheeler. When they came to a halt in the slow lane of the highway, Ranulfo's father jumped out of the wrecked van, unharmed and curious to see what happened. He immediately realized that his buddy was only an arm's length away and needed to be saved from under the wreckage. While reaching for his friend, a speeding street sweeper came along at 75 mph on the shoulder and hit Ranulfo's dad. The impact instantly killed him.
Once the Bocanegra family heard about the accident, they hired a lawyer to file a suit against the company that owned the sweeper. When the case closed, the lawyer told the family they lost due to insufficient evidence and probably wouldn't see any compensation for their loss. While the family tried to move on, new evidence reopened the case, validating that the street sweeper driver was high on marijuana at the time of the accident. Here's where Ranulfo's strange fortune took a turn, and he was compensated with $55,000 from the whole deal. Since his father was the one who got him into customs, Ranulfo felt it was a good idea to build a custom truck in honor of his father.
Now that he had the money to customize the truck, Ranulfo decided to do the most expensive parts first. He figured that custom paintwork would have the highest bill and went to Jerry at JValens to get it done. Once Ranulfo and Jerry chose the House of Kolor paint, the truck was shaved and painted. Afterward, all of the interior plastics were smoothed and fiberglassed to display the banging audio system, then they were painted to match the rest of the truck. Next, Ranulfo got himself a set 22-inch Center Line smoothie wheels and had Jerry 'bag the truck to lay frame over the wheels.
Ranulfo thought his truck's setup was done and ready for show. At a fundraising carwash for his truck club, a brake line on the truck broke from alterations in the suspension, and the only thing he could think of was to have his brother-in-law run the truck over to a shop for the repairs. As he made his way through a dark parking lot, he ran dead into a 3-foot-tall cement base that was missing a light pole and wrecked the front end. With a full painted truck, this seemed to be a major setback, but it really pushed the truck forward a bit. It gave Ranulfo an excuse to updatethe truck with an '03 Expedition front clip. After he got the sheetmetal, it was bolted up, and the graphics were redone to match the existing work. This time, everything was double-checked, and it was complete.
Ironically, after all of the things that had gone on, it gave Ranulfo the chance to create this beautiful truck. Although he had the money to build the truck at once, it was still built slowly, because it is also his daily driver. Right after Ranulfo got married and before the build of this truck, he became a father. His son, Xavier, grew up during the same time this truck was built and stood by his side every step of the way. Xavier has become very fond of this truck and tells everyone that it's "his truck." Ranulfo was so excited by his 3-year-old son's enthusiasm he has made the decision to hand over the keys for Xavier's fifteenth birthday. We're sure after this incredible experience the custom bug will be passed on for generations to follow, just as Ranulfo's father did for him.
The 411
Owner/hometown:
Ranulfo Bocanegra III / Weslaco, Texas
Year/make/model:
'00 Ford F-150 Flareside
Engine/drivetrain:
Ford 4.2L V-6 engine / four-speed automatic transmission
By: Ford Motor Co.
Rims:
Front & Rear: 22-inch Center Line smoothies
Tires:
Front & Rear: 265/35R22 Nexen tires
Suspension:
Front: Control arms modified for camber and lowers plated for 'bag mounts / relocated KYB shocks / 224C Firestone airbags
Rear: Custom-made two-link with Panhard bar / custom-made 'bag brackets over the axle / relocated KYB shocks / 224C Firestone airbags
Accessories: 1/2-inch GC Xtreme 450-series valves / nitrogen bottle mounted in bed
Chassis: Custom step notch with bridge for rear of frame
By: Jerry of JValens in Weslaco, Texas
Body Mods:
'03 Ford Expedition front clip with Trenz billet grille / Street Scene mirrors / Sir Michaels roll pan cut to fit flush / shaved door handles, fuel door, antenna, tailgate handle, steps on bed sides, bed caps, and wiper cowl
By: Jerry of Jvalens
Custom Paint:
House of Kolor Lime Time pearl green and Cobalt Blue flames with red pinstriping
By: Jerry of JValens / (Graphics) Edgar Solis of Pharr, Texas
Interior:
Dima Wheels billet steering wheel / APC rearview mirror / door panels smoothed and painted, with fiberglass pods for speakers / dash smoothed and painted with fiberglass for 13-inch monitor / seatbelt pillars smoothed and painted with fiberglass pods for speakers / custom-made sub box center console, painted to match exterior / stock seats cut down and re-covered in blue vinyl with crocodile inserts / blue carpet
By: Tobi Espericueta of La Villa, Texas / Tom Contreras of Donna, Texas / (Seats) Palma's Upholstery of McAllen, Texas
Audio/video:
Panasonic head unit / Kicker KS60 two-way speakers for doors / Kicker DS40 two-way speakers for seatbelt pillars / two Kicker KX 350.4 amps for speakers / two 10-inch Diamond Audio subs / Kicker KX 400.1 amp for subs / 13-inch Mintek monitor in dash
By: Tobi Espericueta / Tom Contreras / Oscar Soundwaves of McAllen, Texas
Club:
Unlimited Concepts
Special Thanks:
His wife, Cassandra, for being supportive all of the way and helping him, JValens, TC Autoworks, Tobi and Tom for fiberglass work and audio, Palma's Upholstery, Lopez Tires, and everyone who helped him get to where he's at.