December 31, 2025

Goodguys 2025 Scott’s Hotrods N’ Customs Custom of the Year!

We’re closing out the year with a review of the Goodguys 2025 Top 12 of the Year winners presented by BASF! Congratulations to Jimmy Hervatin for winning the Goodguys 2025 Scott’s Hotrods N’ Customs Custom of the Year title with his 1952 Ford F1 built at his shop, Kustoms by Jimmy!

When Jimmy Hervatin explains the inspiration for his attention-grabbing custom 1952 Ford F1 pickup, you can sum it up as a case of life imitating art.

“Seventeen years ago, we saw the artwork titled ‘Lit-Up’ on Keith Weesner’s website,” Jimmy says. “I told Keith I was going to build it!” Weesner, we should note, is a prolific professional artist whose passion and specialty has always been early-style customs and hot rods.

“The artwork had been used on the cover of a Japanese magazine, Hardcore Rod & Kustom,” Jimmy continues, “so I ordered two copies on eBay, which gave me the blueprint to bring every detail of ‘Lit-Up’ to life. None of the artwork showed the rear, so I talked to Weesner and we decided on ’50 Pontiac taillights and ’49 Plymouth bumpers, with an overrider on the rear to frame the license plate, and exhaust tips exiting through the bumper.”

Construction began at Jimmy’s shop, Kustoms by Jimmy, by building a new frame with rails kicked up front and rear and Posie’s lowered leaf springs to drop the body down low. Steel wheels and Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewalls from Coker Tire got the chassis rolling, with McVey repro Caddy “sombrero” wheel covers completing the look.

Jimmy had acquired three F1 pickups, and they each gave up their best body parts for the project. “Weesner said he’d drawn the truck with about a 1-1/2-inch section job,” Jimmy related, so he trimmed that amount from the cab, doors, and hood sides, and gave the top a 6-inch chop. He fabricated new bed sides, lower rear panels, and running boards.

Using Axalta products, Jimmy custom mixed a pearl blue hue to cover the body, then laid dark red Metalflake flames onto the front, sweeping back over the hood, fenders, and doors. Kia pearl white finishes the custom running boards and inner fender wells and also trims the flames.

Remaining true to the truck’s mid-’50s theme, K&W Auto rebuilt a 324c.i. Oldsmobile V8 to original specs and added an Edelbrock triple carb ensemble and Pertronix ignition. Jimmy fabbed the headers and the exhaust system running through Smithy’s mufflers. A Walker radiator mounts in front of the engine and a Borg-Warner T5 five-speed transmission bolts behind it.

Jimmy handled the 1952 Ford pickup’s upholstery using white vinyl and blue fabric over the rebuilt original seat and fabricated aluminum panels. Limeworks provided the steering column and repro ’40 wheel. The dash hosts Omega gauges, and Vintage Air blows through the former speaker grill.

Jimmy says his only regret is that the project took him 17 years to finish, but he’s proud and extremely happy with the reception it has earned from the custom community this year.