Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late Finalist 1970 Ford F100
Dennis Mayfield’s ’70 F100 Styleside was manufactured in Texas and lived the typical Texas truck life for years. By the time Dennis inherited the truck from his uncle it was in bad shape after decades of heavy lifting, so Dennis turned to the team at Customs and Hot Rods of Andice to reimagine the worn-out workhorse.
The rebirth of the short-bed pickup began by fitting the body onto an Art Morrison chassis fitted with a contemporary independent front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and a four-link rear suspension supporting a 9-inch rearend. Wilwood disc brakes sit on all four corners behind one-off 20- and 22-inch center-lock wheels from Evod wrapped in Michelin rubber.
The new chassis supports an impressive-looking powerplant – a 500-horsepower 5.0-liter Coyote that’s dressed up like a 427 SOHC engine with vintage valve covers and a Borla eight-stack fuel injection system. Holley components handle the ignition duties, while exhaust waste flows through Ultimate Headers and 3-inch pipes that feature double-X crossovers. C&R Racing provided the radiator while the accessory drive system is from Vintage Air. The 4R70W Ford transmission is controlled by a modified Lokar shifter.
Sheet metal changes include both obvious and subtle modifications. The engine bay metal is all hand-formed, including the smooth firewall and custom inner fenders that incorporate peaks that mimic the body’s signature “bumpside” spears. Those peaks are repeated on the wheel tubs in the bed, which extend forward to create custom storage compartments. The cab is channeled over the frame, which required a hand-built floor, while custom pans replace the front and rear bumpers. The grille insert is painted to match the wheels.
Stock emblems and other trim pieces were removed from the body, while the fuel filler was relocated to the bed floor for the new under-bed tank. The PPG custom mix paint, a variation of the factory maroon, was applied by CHRA’s Lance Nelson.
CHRA and the Sculpt Garage collaborated to produce the interior that mixes brown Relicate leather on the custom bench seat with the exterior color on the door panels and portions of the dash. The modified original dash houses Dakota Digital gauges, custom knobs for the various controls, and vents for the Restomod Air system. A custom leather-wrapped steering wheel sits on an Ididit tilt column while wiring from Coach Controls connects all electrical components. A high-power audio system includes an Alpine head unit, JL amps, and Focal Audio kick panel speakers.
One additional upgrade is a backup camera. But we suspect that, given the thorough makeover and new lease on life given to this old Ford, Dennis will spend most of his time behind the wheel looking forward and enjoying the road ahead.
Congratulations to Dennis Mayfield and the team at Customs and Hot Rods of Andice for being named a Finalist for Goodguys 2026 Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late with their stunning ’70 Ford F100 pickup!
Photos: John Jackson
