Goodguys 2021 Scotts Hotrods Truck of the Year Early!
Congratulations to Rod Bryant for winning the Goodguys 2021 Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early title with your 1950 Ford F1! We’ll see you and your vehicle in Scottsdale, Arizona November 19-21, 2021 at the 24th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals presented by Barrett-Jackson!
If you have a soft spot for fat-fendered hay haulers, check out Rod and Suzette Bryant’s 1950 Ford F1 – a stunning custom creation that is our Goodguys 2021 Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early. Built by Ron Jones Garage out of Windsor, Colorado, this thing is low-slung, sexy, and oh-so-smooth, without scoops, stripes, or unnecessary extras to muddle things up.
The truck was a gift to Suzette from her father, who recently lost his battle with cancer. Christened the “Don Hill Special” in his memory, the truck is a loving tribute to her dear old dad. The build is as clean and fresh as any we’ve seen lately, so let’s get up close to this crimson red Blue Oval showstopper.
The first elements that grab you are the custom tweaks, the razor-thin panel tolerances, and the incredible finish, all executed by Ron Jones Garage. Jones and his team artfully modified the front fenders to create a reveal line similar to the rears, narrowed a ’56 F100 grille to fit, built custom aluminum running boards, and crafted a custom rear pan, among many other mods. The rig is finished in a custom-mixed ruby red hue from German manufacturer Spies Hecker.
Under the hood, the firewall was moved forward and custom inner fenders and engine bay panels were fabricated to frame the 460-horsepower 5.0-liter Coyote V8 from Ford Performance, twisting a six-speed automatic transmission and a Ford 9-inch rearend. The mill is dressed up with custom valve covers and one-off headers by Ron Jones and creates a minimalist, sanitary look between the fenders. The beast roars through a custom Magnaflow exhaust system.
All this firepower rides on a custom-built frame from Tin Element of Broomfield, Colorado, with special expertise from gurus Neil and Shawn. The frame is sprung with Kugel suspension components front and rear and Wilwood brakes all the way around. The custom wheels – 20×9-inches up front and 22×10-inches in the rear – were cut by Mike Curtis of Curtis Speed and wrapped in sticky, low-profile Continental tires.
Inside, it’s all business with yards of supple, expertly sewn leather by Jay Schluter. A custom steering wheel, Classic Instruments, and Painless wiring round out the cabin. Jones gives special thanks to Eric Peratt at Pinkee’s and Thomas Kearney from Leading Edge Machine and Design for a myriad of custom parts. Be sure and check out the custom-machined plaque on the passenger side of the dash that reads “I Hold On.” It’s a touching reminder of the courage Don Hill had as he battled his bout with cancer.
Photos by John Jackson
