2004 F-150

Specs:

This is our 2004 F150LSC (low, smooth, cool) SEMA project that debuted in the Ford booth at the 2003 SEMA show in Las Vegas in November.

Since the F150 was an entirely new vehicle in 2004, Ford sent us this truck to do as a project so we could develop a new air suspension for it. The first stop for the F150LSC was our suspension prototype shop to be fitted with the latest ShockWave components up front and a new bolt-on AirBar™ for the rear for a 6″/8″ drop. You can see more about these systems elsewhere in this newsletter. The brakes were upgraded to larger rotors and calipers from Stainless Steel Brake. Finishing off the suspension is a set of Billet Specialties 22×10 and 20×8.5 SLX96 wheels wearing a pair of Nitto 285- 35/22 rear and 255-35/20 front tires.

After that was accomplished it immediately went to our body shop, Precision Coachworks, where the guys attacked it like a stick of dynamite and blew it to pieces. Approx. 1500 hours later the F150LSC was “back in black” and looking sweeter than ever! The bodylines remained relatively unmodified but the Precision Coachworks crew spent countless hours smoothing and finishing up the body to get it perfectly flat. The plastic bed rail tops were reproduced from hammer formed sheet metal and welded to form a completely smooth bedside. The bed lid is a totally hand fabricated piece based on a polished aluminum frame topped off with .125 aluminum. The cover was hinged at the front with Sachse Rod Shop hinges and is lifted by Bimba air cylinders. The bed is filled with a giant subwoofer box made from 1.5” thick mdf. The 5 (yes, 5) Kicker amplifiers are mounted throughout the bed and then the bedsides and floor were trimmed in .125” black aluminum with stainless luggage strips.

The focus of the bed has to be the custom built billet aluminum and lexan 15 gallon air tank assembly. Designed and built in our fabrication shop, this exercise in polished eye candy really made the jaws drop at SEMA! The polished plumbing connects the air tank endplates with the compressors and valves that are mounted under the bed.

Probably the most radical feature of the truck is the 5800 watt Kicker stereo system. To say this thing rocks would be an understatement. With 5 amplifiers, an 18″ square Sub, 16 additional speakers throughout the cab, this audio system is simply spectacular in volume as well as quality. Stevie Ray at full throttle will just make you cry!

The new F150LSC interior has been applauded for its functionality and elegance…we decided to kick it up another notch by completely disassembling it to repaint all the painted surfaces with the gloss black body color and to cover the door panels with leather for that highend luxury look and feel. Speaker enclosures were constructed, massive amounts of Dynamat sound control material was installed, all the sound system wiring was run, and then entire back of the cab (and the front of the bed) was cut out and replaced by sheets of .250 aluminum and Dynamat to accommodate the 18” Kicker subwoofer.

In addition to the sound system, we installed 2 DVD players, one in the oem overhead console location and another in the dash. Then we mounted remote cameras to the front and rear suspension so we can see the air suspension work as we are going down the road. You really need to see this in action! The F150LSCis also debuting our new RidePro e™ control system (which won a runner-up Best New Product award at SEMA). The RidePro e™ panel allows the truck to come up to a preset air pressure every time the truck is started. Look for more info on this system in our new catalog and on page 1 of this newsletter.

While we were hard at work with the sound system and air suspension pieces, the guys from Roush Industries came down to install one of their prototype supercharger systems for that new 5.4 3 valve engine. It is a very sweet piece that only took 4 hours to install! Since it is a prototype, the electronics have not been fully optimized yet, but it feels like its going to make some serious power!

The F150LSC has the looks to fit in at your favorite night spot, the suspension to get you there in style, and the sound system to let them know you have arrived! The Ford designers like it well enough to award us their SEMA Design Award for 2003. Look for us and the F150LSC at the Hot Rod Power Tour and several outdoor shows this summer. And by the way…this truck will be available for purchase in February of 2005. Start saving your rubles!

The entire project was constructed in 10 weeks by the craftsmen at Ridetech and Precision Coachworks. Every hour of engineering, fabrication, paint, bodywork, wiring, interior work and assembly was performed at the Precision Coachworks facility.

The F150LSC was debuted in the Ford display at the 2003 SEMA show in Las Vegas where it was awarded the prestigious SEMA Ford Design Award.

The lowered stance is accomplished by a complete Ridetech ShockWave™/ AirBar™ bolt-on air suspension with a 6″/8″ drop. This entire system is bolt-on – no welding or fabrication needed.

Custom fabricated 15 gallon Lexan / billet aluminum air tank – this unique design was the talk of the SEMA show!

The new RidePro e™ computer controlled compressor system incorporates a remote control and the optional LevelPro auto leveling system. The F150LSCautomatically inflates to the highway ride height every time the truck is started.

Precision Coachworks built the custom fabricated flush aluminum bed cover with polished aluminum frame and hinges rests on custom fabricated metal bedside tops and raises on remotely controlled air cylinders. The billet aluminum hinges have been drilled with lightening holes for appearance. The oem rear bumper was smoothed and painted, the bed was lined with custom fabricated bed trim panels with polished stainless rub strips, and a grille emblem from a Ford Taurus was modified to fit on the smoothed tailgate. A Carriage Works billet grille was installed in place of the oem front grille. Over 400 hours of body prep work went into this truck before the Sikkens paint and clear were applied and rubbed out.

Precision Coachworks also built the custom built leather covered door panels and headliner that contains several of the 16 Kicker speakers located throughout the truck¹s cab. The instrument panel was disassembled for custom smoothing and painting. The gauge panel contains a lighted Ridetech logo.

The 5800 watt stereo features a Kicker SOLO X 18″ subwoofer in a custom fabricated 1.5″ thick enclosure, and 16 additional Kicker RS-6 speakers throughout the cab. It is driven by [5] SX900 and SX1250 Kicker amps and an Alpine IVA-D900 in dash DVD player, a CHA-1214 CD changer, and a TVA-T020XM XM receiver. Several layers of Dynamat sound absorption material were used on the floor, in the doors, and in the headliner of the F150LSC to ensure the massive sound system would not vibrate the exterior panel of the truck. When you close the doors, you can¹t even hear the stereo is on from outside the truck!

Billet Specialties provided the SLX96 wheels in a 22×10 and a 20×8.5 fitment. The Nitto 555 tires are a 285/35-22 on the rear and a 255/35-20 on the front.

Stainless Steel Brake Corporation built the larger billet front calipers and front and rear slotted rotors.