Crew Cab Cruiser – David Tumino Doubled His Fun With This Four Door ’60 Ford F250
Crew cab trucks are common these days. In fact, there are more four-door trucks being built today than standard cabs. That was certainly not the case in the early ’60s, when more-door trucks were only built to be worked hard in government, farming, and hauling, and were largely available only to fleet applications. To meet these demands, the rigs were spartan and built with stiff, heavy-duty suspensions with little regard for comfort or amenities.
This ’60 Ford F250, which received the Goodguys Feature Pick at the 1st Meguair’s So-Cal Nationals presented by BASF, started its life at Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base just north of San Diego. After serving with the Marines, the truck was bought at auction by a fellow who dabbled with the truck, sprayed it in primer, and stuck it in a barn where it sat dormant for years until David Tumino and his son Rajan brought it home about a decade ago.
David is a lifetime hot rodder and a recently retired body-and-paint pro who can pretty much do it all. With Rajan getting older, David felt that the big ol’ Ford would be a great way to start teaching his son the craft and the DIY ethos of building a unique custom truck.
David scrapped the original Ford chassis in order to get the truck to sit low and ride comfortably. He fabricated a frame with a custom four-link suspension out back incorporating an 8.8-inch axle gifted from a GT500 Mustang. Up front he designed a Mustang II-style front suspension with tubular control arms. Coil-overs on all four corners allowed David to get the stance he envisioned while a set of NASCAR sway bars keep it level around the corners. Speaking of corners, Wilwood disc brakes are tucked behind the beefy Detroit Steel wheels wrapped with Mickey Thompson tread and capped with vintage Ford truck hubcaps.
With a custom chassis built to ride and perform, there was no reason not to put some serious power between the rails. The father and son duo decided on a 5.4-liter Modular engine sourced from a 2010 Mustang GT500, then topped it with a supercharger for a little more kick in the pants. Power estimates put the SOHC engine at about 700 horsepower! Combined with a 6R80E six speed transmission, the truck can seriously haul.
With the drivetrain sorted out, it was time to focus on the body and as a lifelong hot rodder and paint-and-body man, David had a vision to make the stale military rig look much better. Starting at the top, he pancaked the roof about 3/4-inch and shaved the drip rails for a cleaner, smoother look. The rear wheel openings were reformed and reduced in length by about 3-inches the dropped 4-inches lower on the bed sides. David went ahead and welded up the tailgate but retained the Ford lettering centered between the frenched custom taillamps and fit in the rear bumper from a ’58 Chevy. The bed features smoothed side panels, light-finished wood, and stainless trim.
Up front, David reworked and tucked in a ’58 Ford bumper and flattened the hood for an improved fit while rolling it down 3-inches closer to the grille. He then turned his attention to the rear doors on the cab. Just to be different, David whittled up a set of hinges and created a pair of suicide rear doors with a nod toward the ’61-’69 Lincoln Continentals. He envisioned a vintage color for the Ford and laid down a ’57 VW teal along with a custom mixed off-white for a nice two-tone combo that looks right at home on this truck.
The suicide doors aren’t the only Continental-esque vibe on the pickup. Once you open the doors, you’re greeted to a custom interior that could have come out of a ’60s Lincoln. David designed the seats and door panels, and then enlisted the help of his friend Scott Stanley to do the stitching. The dash features a smoothed over glovebox and ashtray and sports a set of instruments from Dakota Digital. A Flaming River column is topped with a classic three-spoke steering wheel and a Vintage Air system keeps the cabin comfortable for David, Rajan and their passengers.
Though the F250 hasn’t been on the road too long, the family is already working on a ’66 Mercury crew cab that will be powered by a 427c.i. dual-quad FE engine. They’re hoping to have that one ready to debut early this summer. That project will be followed by a build for Rajan in the form of a ’58 Fargo truck, an oddball of a pickup manufactured in Canada (and other countries) by the Chrysler Corporation. It too will be a crew cab with a fleetside bed to fit right into what is becoming a father-and-son styling tradition. Now that is something we can’t wait to see!
Photos by Todd Ryden
