1948 Ford F1

Jeremy “Lumpy” Sturgill, his wife Marci and two sons, Jaxx (2 years) and their latest addition Maverick (2 months), are from Antioch, California. Lumpy grew up in the custom car scene. His dad, Dave “Digger” Sturgill, owned a ’70 Mustang Mach 1. That car was his pride and joy, and Dave cruised to many shows in it with Lumpy riding shotgun. Unfortunately, he had to sell the Mach 1 to help pay bills for the family diner, Diggers. Lumpy’s love of cool rides and desire to own his own diner came from spending time with his dad.

THE VERY COOL ’48 FORD F1 HAS BEEN A WILD, ROLLING BUSINESS CARD FOR LUMPY’S FAST FOOD DINER. ”

In high school, Lumpy’s first vehicle was a ’53 Ford F-100 pickup. He joined the Midnighters Car Club and he’s still a member. In 2008, Lumpy and Marci opened their own food joint, Lumpy’s Fast Food Diner, in Antioch. Lumpy’s Diner has outrageous American grub: burgers, fries and frosty shakes. The ’50s-style diner caters to the old skool custom car, truck and bike crowd. The outside and interior of the diner are decorated in traditional ’50s style; however, the cool automotive décor is Lumpy’s own personal twist. Each year, Lumpy’s hosts six car shows and a huge Christmas toy drive sponsored by the Midnighters Car Club.

To promote his diner, Lumpy decided to sell T-shirts to customers. The design had a ’51 Ford F1 pickup on the back, and the popularity of the T-shirts drove him to look for an F1 Ford to build.

He finally found this ’48 Ford F1 at a local paving company’s yard. After purchasing the truck, he took it over to A-1 Tune and Repair to have Mike Simning and Jack Berlau tune it up and paint it black. That look didn’t last very long, though. Lumpy came across an engine and narrowed rear, and the truck and a pile of components were delivered to Mike and Jack at A-1. That was the beginning of the current bitchin’ F1.

Once Mike and Jack had the F1 in their possession, they decided to remove the tired Chevy 283-ci engine and three-speed, on-the- column transmission. Next the cab, fenders and bed were removed. The frame was stripped down and the frame rails were boxed. A ’70s Camaro front clip was welded in. Using the stock Camaro front control arms, spindles and brakes kept things simple. Out back, a Ford 9-inch was narrowed and stuffed with a pair of Dutchman 32-spline axles, 4.30 gears and a posi-unit. Rear stopping power comes from a pair of Camaro disc brakes. A 4-link and diagonal bar anchor the Ford 9-inch, while a pair of QA-1 coil springs dampen the rearend’s vertical travel. A wheelie-bar setup was fabricated by CJ and Nick Pullman at Pullman Fabrication and mounted to the rearend housing, eliminating any front wheel lift during aggressive launches. A pair of 15×7 black powder-coated aluminum Centerline wheels up front are encased with Mickey Thompson Street ET 26×7.5 rubber. The style and grip in the rear comes from a pair of massive 15×14 black powder-coated Centerline aluminum wheels wrapped with Mickey Thompson 32×17.5-15 meats.

A Chevy 406-ci V-8 was machined and assembled by Jim Perry Racing Engines in Concord, California. A pair of RHS cast aluminum cylinder heads was bolted to the block, while an aluminum high-rise Brodix HV-1000 intake manifold is capped with a Quick Fuel 850-cfm carburetor and an Edelbrock air cleaner. The burnt gases are extracted through a pair of Summit block-hugger headers that flow through a pair of Flowmaster Outlaw mufflers. Gears are selected with a GM T-400 automatic transmission built by Rob Ellis at R&E Performance in Oakley, California. It’s equipped with a 3,200-rpm stall converter. When all was said and done, the mighty 406 produced 600 hp and 545 lbs-ft of torque.

Lumpy and his buddy Chuck Wise lowered the lid of the cab by chopping it 3 ¼ inches in the back and 3 ¾ inches up front. The custom flat bed was designed and fabricated by Pullman Fabrication in Walnut Creek, California. The sheet metal was straightened and massaged by Matt “Double Cheeseburger” Connelly from Antioch. A custom batch of Sikkens Lumpy’s Custom Metallic Blue was mixed and sprayed by Kirk Kapfenstein at Killer Eye Candy in Concord. Adam Smith at Blinky Striping created the awesome “Lumpy’s Fast Food Diner” signage on the doors. A new windshield and window glass were installed by Kendall McSparren at McSparren Auto Glass in Stockton, California.

Opening the doors exposes a racy interior upholstered by Johnny and Carol Ray at First Choice Upholstery. Safety first, a six- point roll-cage was bent up, welded and installed by CJ and Nick at Pullman Fabrication. They also fabricated the steel center console for the B&M Ratchet shifter and steel dash. An aluminum gauge panel houses the whiteface Autometer gauges. A 1966 Cadillac three-spoke steering wheel caps the straight steering column. Black carpet was laid down on the floor, and a pair of 1988 Chevy bucket seats and door panels were covered in vinyl. To keep Lumpy and his passenger planted in their seats, a pair of lap belts was installed.

The very cool ’48 Ford F1 has been a wild, rolling business card for Lumpy’s Fast Food Diner. Lumpy’s oldest son Jaxx rides shotgun, grinning ear-to-ear strapped in his car seat. Jaxx’s baby brother Maverick will also be riding shotgun when he gets old enough. It’s truly a dad’s dream, cruisin’ with his sons. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Jeremy “Lumpy” Sturgill
Antioch, CA 1948 Ford F1

BUILDERS

• A-1 Tune & Repair, Antioch, CA
• Mike Simning and Jack Berlau

ENGINE

• Jim Perry Racing Engines, Concord, CA
• Chevy 406-ci small-block
• Compstar 4340 crankshaft
• Compstar 6-inch connecting rods with 3.750-inch stroke
• KB forged pistons
• COMP Cams camshaft
• RHS aluminum cylinder heads
• Manley valves and springs
• Yella Terra 1.7 rockers
• Howard Cam lifters
• Summit valve covers
• Summit block-hugger headers
• Flowmaster Outlaw 3-inch muffler
• Brodix HV-1000 intake manifold
• Quick Fuel 850-cfm carburetor
• Edelbrock air cleaner, paper filter
• Edelbrock aluminum water pump
• Summit aluminum pulley assembly

TRANSMISSION

• GM T-400 three-speed automatic
• 3,200-rpm stall converter

SUSPENSION

• 1970 Camaro front clip, control arms and spindles
• 1970 Camaro disc brakes
• 1970 Camaro springs
• Ford 9-inch narrowed rearend
• Dutchman 33-spline axles
• Moser third member
• Auburn 4.30 gears
• True Trac posi-unit
• 1970 Camaro rear brake shoes/drum
• Custom 4-link with diagonal bar
• QA-1 coil-over shocks
• Pullman Fabrication wheelie bars

WHEELS & TIRES

• Centerline 15×7-inch solid aluminum with riveted centers, powder coated black front wheels
• Centerline 15-14-inch solid aluminum with riveted centers, powder coated black rear wheels
• Mickey Thompson Pro-ET 26×7.5, front tires
• Mickey Thompson Sportsman 32×17.5-15, rear tires

BODY & PAINT

• A-1 Tune Mike, Matt “Double Cheeseburger” Connelly and Jack
• Roof chopped 3 ¼ inches back and 3 ¾ inches front by Charlie Wise
• 5×2-inch rectangular bed frame tubing by A-1 Tune and Mike Simning
• Diamond plate cover by A-1 Tune and Repair, Mike Simning

PAINT

• Sikkens custom-mixed Lumpy’s Blue Metallic shot by Kirk Kapfenstein at Killer Eye Candy Concord, CA
• Lettering/graphics by Adam Smith at Blinky Striping
• Powder coating by James at Applied Coatings Lodi, CA

INTERIOR

• First Choice Upholstery, Johnny and Carol Ray, Antioch, CA

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