When Ford Meets Dodge 

Ever heard of the Gordian Knot? It’s a classic tale that involved a massive knot of rope, so complex and confusing that no one could untie it. It was said that the one who could solve the puzzle would go on to unparalleled greatness. One fateful evening the knot met its match when Alexander the Great, conqueror of the world, strode through the temple and cut the knot in half with one fell swoop of his sword.      

Approaching a new build can seem like an unsolvable puzzle, or an untieable knot at times. Navigating trends and styles, balancing classic with modern, finding that perfect part, it can all become a headache and a half. Sergio Cueto took an Alexandrian approach to solve the puzzle of his ‘59 Ford F100 and ‘97 Dodge Ram 3500 mashup. Sergio’s home-based shop S&E Customs was enamored with the new project, having previously completed a Cummins-powered Model A. With a few strokes of his angle grinder and a whole lot of elbow grease, he put something together, wholly unique. The build is an absolute Behemoth, interesting and intimidating in all the right ways.

Underneath the Behemoth, the bones are rather tame. The whole truck sits on a factory original frame from Dodge. The OEM suspension has been lowered 4 inches all around, but is otherwise untouched. The simple solution does absolute wonders for the overall look. The image of the low-slung truck body in all its patina’d glory is reminiscent of a scaly dragon rolling down the freeway. Billows of black smoke trailing behind the cab only add to the dragon-esk appearance. The most labor-intensive portion of the build process was getting the F100 cab and front-end onto the truck in the first place. To do this Sergio stripped down the Ram 3500 and cut the body mounts from the frame. He then positioned the mounts to align with the mounting locations of the F100 cab and front end. They eventually lined up, more or less, with a bit of creative cutting, grinding, and welding, the two paired up quite nicely.

While completing the bulk of the fabrication, Sergio went about addressing some trouble-areas of rust beneath the F100. The cab floor, in particular, needed some love. Replacing the floor sections, however, ensure a clean and long-lasting fit to the Ram frame. With the front half of the truck secured in its place, Sergio was able to move to the bed. The bed had to be cut and stretched 11 inches to sit snugly over the 3500 back half. The bed floor is entirely custom built by Sergio. Ford’s third-generation F-series truck brought with it some significant body changes. Mid-century design-trends indicated that isolated fenders were quickly becoming a thing of the past. The integration of the fenders in the front led to the bulkier square nose, and clamshell-style hood. These changes made the ‘59 a perfect donor for Sergio’s vision. He then cut and widened the iconic fender arches of the F100, allowing for more clearance for the Ram frame, lowered stance, and expanded wheels.

Additionally, the third-generation Ford trucks offered two bed styles to accommodate the evolving fender trends: a Style-Side or Smooth-Side bed with integrated fenders was available. There was also a Flare-Side option using the traditional step-side fenders. Sergio opted to graft the Flare-Side fenders of a ‘56 donor onto his custom-length Style-Side ’59 bed. This modification is not only extremely unique but accommodates the 3500 dually chassis with ease. The end result is a single-cab long-bed dually that, in another timeline, might have been a Ford original. After the heavy metal work and customizations were complete, Sergio had to settle on a final look for the chopped-up body. With a history of Rat-rod building, the choice to clear coat was a simple one. The ’59 body, front extended flares, ’56 rear flares, and stretched bed all make for an erratic yet natural Patina. The mixture of ancient paint and sheet metal works perfectly with the Behemoth’s monstrous appearance. The whole truck was finished in a low-gloss clear coat, permanently sealing the perfect patina.

With the truck in a final state, Sergio addressed the finishing style cues to complete the Behemoth’s look. The 25.5-inch Alcoa Big Rig wheels were added to each corner. The wheels were turned down to an even 24-inches to better clear the fenders and fit a more street-friendly tire. The fronts are wrapped in Ironman 305/35/24 tires. The rears, Nexen tires of the same dimension. The chrome finish of the huge wheels contrasts beautifully with the patina’d paint. Next up was properly alerting the world to the beast beneath the hood. Sergio fabricated a custom exhaust for the 5.9L Cummins turbo-diesel. From the headers back, the exhaust is a 4-inch straight pipe. This transitions to a 6-inch “Stack” exhaust that exits between the cab and the bed. The smokestack is an iconic element of badass diesel builds and really accentuates the Behemoth’s style. In addition to the billows of black smoke under heavy throttle, the stack provides a rolling thunder while the F100 mashup glides down the highway.

With the massive modification involved in mounting the ’59 cabin to the frame and the floor-panel replacements, Sergio completely rebuilt the interior. The custom interior highlights the classic nature mixed with modern performance. It combines hard-ass styling with comfort and control. The ’59 dash remains in place but it’s now affixed with the gauge cluster from the ’97 Ram. The original bench seat has been updated and reupholstered. The truck now boasts a capable audio system, featuring four 8-inch Pioneer speakers, dual 10-inch Kicker subwoofers, and dual 1000w Kicker amplifiers. The whole system is controlled via a Pioneer double-DIN head unit. The interior parallels the exterior, creating a striking contrast between old, new, and custom.

With a build like Behemoth, everything has to be taken in context. It makes no apologies, sure, but it also doesn’t promise to be anything that it’s not. It’s a rat-rod, a mashup of form and function that promotes aesthetic over everything; a bit rough around the edges and purposeful in its look simultaneously. Sergio loves the look and couldn’t be happier with his project. For him, the experience of taking an idea and carving it out to reality is motivating above all. The celebration Behemoth receives from doubters and dreamers alike is a welcomed reward.

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TECH SPECS

Sergio Cueto

1959 Ford F100 / 1997 Dodge Ram 3500
Miami, FL

Chassis & Suspension

• 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 stock frame
• Stock suspension lowered 4 inches all around

Powertrain

• 5.9L Cummins IL
• Custom 4-inch exhaust with 6-inch smoke stack exit

Brakes

• OEM Ram

Wheels & Tires

• Custom machined 24-inch Alcoa Big Rigs
• Ironman 305/35/24 front tires
• Nexen 305/35/24 rear tires

Body & Paint

• Custom flared front fenders
• Bed stretched 11 inches
• Custom steel bed floor
• Grafted ‘56 F100 flare-side rear fenders
• Original paint and sheetmetal fabrication patina, clear coated

Interior & Stereo

• Original dash
• OEM Ram 3500-gauge cluster
• Custom upholstery
• Pioneer Head Unit
• Four 8-inch Pioneer speakers
• Two 10-inch Kicker Subs
• Two 1000w Kicker amps

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