Rascoe Revived This Well-Known Sport Trac

JUST BECAUSE A TRUCK HAS BEEN FINISHED AND MADE ITS ROUNDS IN THE SCENE DOESN’T MEAN IT’S DEAD. We’ve seen quite a few old show trucks drop off the circuit and end up for sale online. Often these trucks are never seen again, but sometimes they become a great platform for someone’s new build. Turning around a forgotten truck is a good idea because usually you can score a project cheaper than you can build one. The only difficulty is changing it enough to make it relevant again.

At first glance, most of you probably wouldn’t recognize this ’01 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. However, this truck was highly modified and made a name for its self as the Tiki Truck about a decade ago. Originally the product of Chaotic Customs, Kingpin Kustomz and previous owner James DeMouy, this truck was unlike anything else. For starters, it was one of only a few custom Sport Tracs in the scene. It was completely slammed to the ground, given a wild paint job, had a distinctive interior and even graced the pages of Street Trucks for a full feature in the March 2005 issue.

NOW THAT RASCOE HAS PUT HIS TOUCHES ON THE SPORT TRAC IT HAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT APPEAL. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT ANY TRUCK CAN BE REVIVED.NOW THIS FORD IS READY TO MAKE THE ROUNDS OF THE SHOW CIRCUIT ONCE AGAIN …”

One of the most difficult aspects of working on this truck was the lack of aftermarket parts; Sport Tracs weren’t a popular vehicle for modification. Undaunted, James enlisted Rocky Fox of Chaotic Customs to get the truck down low back when the Tiki Truck was just getting its start. Up front, the lower ball joints were flipped and the control arms were modified. In the rear, a simple step notch and 2-link with pan hard bar did the trick. The whole thing was equipped with Firestone airbags for height adjustability and Toxic shocks to keep the ride smooth. To get it flat on the pavement, Rocky cut the floors to drop the body over the frame, and to compensate for the body drop, he raised the center section of the hood to clear the top of the engine.

James also replaced the interior with a custom fiberglass creation that transported passengers to a tiki wonderland. The seats were also ditched for a custom set that resembled beach chairs. The truck was a real showpiece, and the cab and bed were filled with enough audio equipment to make your hair stand up. The mods were a complete hit back then, and James and the Tiki Truck were regulars on the show circuit. But there are only so many times a vehicle can be shown off before the crowds dissipate. Eventually, James garaged the Sport Trac and that’s where it stayed for some time.

Fast-forward to just a few years ago. Jonathan Rascoe had a ’98 Chevy C/K that was ’bagged over 22s, but he was itching to get back into a Ford. When he came across the Tiki Sport Trac online, he thought it would be a good project. He contacted James and offered to trade his clean, ’bagged daily driver for the Ford, which hadn’t run in years. Of course, James agreed to the exchange, and Rascoe trailered the Sport Trac home, where he worked out some electrical and fuel issues that stemmed from the truck sitting idle for so long.

Once the truck was running again, Rascoe took it to Kustom Werx Autobody in The Woodlands, Texas, so the body could receive a more hot-rod look. Originally, the truck was shaved of door handles, tailgate handle and roof rack. Rascoe wanted to clean up the body even more and removed the original molding on the doors, which required some work on the front fenders to continue the bodylines on the sides.

The Harvest Gold paint and graphics were sanded and covered in primer, and Justin Berry stepped in and covered the Sport Trac in Toner Red. Pat Maxwell set off the paint by airbrushing faux chrome trim and carbon fiber graphics. The shaved bed was reworked and painted black.

One of the more recognizable parts of this truck from the previous build is the custom Deneen Designs E Forged wheels with tiki-shaped spokes. Rascoe decided to keep them, but he painted the centers for an update that kept them recognizable.

As you might expect, Rascoe didn’t hold on to the fiberglassed tiki interior since it didn’t jibe with this new theme. Instead, 3rd Coast Interiors put the factory seats back in and redid the interior in gray leather and suede. A custom center console was also added, and Paul Brown reshaped the dash and door panels, which were painted to match the exterior. To up the functionality of the cockpit, a set of Autoloc gauges was hooked up and mounted in the dash.

Now that Rascoe has put his touches on the Sport Trac it has a totally different appeal. It just goes to show that any truck can be revived. Now this Ford is ready to make the rounds of the show circuit once again, and we’re sure that this time it will enjoy a longer run, thanks to its clean and timeless new look.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Jonathan Rascoe
2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Spring, TX
Negative Camber

ENGINE

• 4L V-6
• K&N cold-air intake
• Ford Motorsports headers
• 2 ½-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers custom made by COD Automotive in Conroe, TX
• Painted engine cover
• Five-speed automatic transmission
• Custom floor shifter

SUSPENSION

• Shop: Rocky Fox of Chaotic Rods and Customs
• Modified front control arms
• Flipped lower front ball joints
• Rear step notch
• Custom rear 2-link with pan hard bar
• Firestone airbags
• Toxic Shocks

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×8.5 Deneen Designs E Forged two-piece wheels with painted tiki-themed spokes and polished hoops
• 255/30R22 Nitto NT555

BODY & PAINT

• Performed by Cory Scott, Justin Berry (painter) and Scott Rupp (bodywork) of Kustom Werx Autobody in The Woodlands, TX/Chaotic Customs, Conroe, TX
• 4 ½-inch traditional body drop
• Center section of hood raised for body drop
• Shaved door handles, side molding, tailgate handle and roof rack
• Front fenders modified to continue the side bodyline
• PPG Toner Red paint
• Custom airbrushed carbon fiber and faux chrome trim by Pat Maxwell
• Black billet front grilles
• Aftermarket headlights with black housing
• Smoked third brake light
• Tubed and notched sheet metal bed floor painted black

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Performed by 3rd Coast Interiors/Paul Brown
• Custom fiberglass dash and door panels with paint and upholstery
• Custom center console
• Modified original seats
• Gray leather and suede upholstery
• Suede headliner with dome light removed
• Airplane-style seats with engraved Negative Camber logo
• Autoloc gauges
• Helix steering column
• Billet steering wheel
• Push-button engine start
• Kenwood DDX470 head unit
• Four Rockford Fosgate 6.5-inch Prime 2 speakers
• Two Rockford Fosgate 5.25-inch Prime 2 speakers
• Two Rockford Fosgate 8-inch P2-DVC subwoofers
• Rockford Fosgate Prime R500-D and R300-4 amplifiers
• Dynamat sound-deadening material
• Optima Red Top battery

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: Wife April, daughter Hattie, Cory Scott, Justin Berry, Scott Rupp, Ryan Ruffin and James DeMouy.

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