When You’ve Gotta Pave a New Road, Go Big

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE KNOWN FOR BUILDING BADASS LOWERED, ’BAGGED CARS AND TRUCKS, BUT YOU WANT TO SHOW THAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF SO MUCH MORE? If you’re anything like the average Street Trucks reader, you’re into all sorts of custom rides, but trucks are in the blood—you just can’t help but build another one. So, how do you make it different? You flip the script and go up instead of down, that’s how.

Bryan Lin of Motorsports Authority wanted to start with a clean slate with the company’s latest build, so he picked out a fresh ’15 Ford F-150 SuperCrew that had just the right amount of creature comforts but still allowed plenty of room for customization. As Bryan tells us, “When the press release on the new F-150s came out, I fell in love. I instantly knew that it would be our next build and began designing the truck. As a team build, I always offer the opportunity for the installers to throw in their input, and here you have the end result. With the slow initial release of the trucks, it was a struggle finding the exact model I wanted. Most were either fully loaded or bare. After four months of searching a five-hour radius, I finally found what I was looking for and closed the deal that day.” What followed was a race against the clock to complete what would be the company’s sixth representation at SEMA.

We realize that building a lifted truck, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but when you add a bunch of lowered truck tricks and flair you’re bound to end up with something special. Besides going big on the lift with a 12-inch Bulletproof lift with Atlas Springs leaf springs and Icon Vehicle Dynamics coil-overs, Bryan and the MSA crew threw on some gargantuan brushed 24×14 American Force Slice wheels with 40-inch Nitto Trail Grappler rubber for some “go big or go home” attitude.

After that, Bryan says that the object of the build was a combination of getting wild while keeping the truck comfortable and drivable. “I’ve always had a passion for not just modifying a vehicle, but designing and making it practical. The vehicles we’ve built aren’t just show queens, they are driven almost on a daily basis. Our goal for each build is to make the colors and components consistent and streamlined, where a person has to look two or three times to notice all the small changes we’ve made.” Obviously, that mission has been accomplished.

Some of the modifications don’t even seem crazy for a custom truck, but you have to remember that the newer Fords are built a bit differently. For instance, the factory emblems have been shaved, but when you’re working with an aluminum body, things can get complicated when modifying softer metal that’s been chemically treated. No worries, though, the guys at Motorsports Authority were up for the challenge and TIG’d all of the excess holes shut, then smoothed everything in preparation for a combination of vivid paint colors, which were applied by Bruce Castillo at MSA. OEM White and OEM Black were used, along with House of Kolor Black Diamond, Kosmic Krome and Candy Apple Red for some stunning graphics work. In the right light, the airbrushed charcoal gray gears pop right out of the candy red, revealing yet another dimension to the miles-deep paint work.

From there, MSA took care of a bunch of details, such as installing the Fab Fours Vengeance series bumpers and a virtual smorgasbord of Rigid Industries LED lighting. Other accessories of note include Bushwacker fender flares, AMP Research XL power running boards, Retrax MX Pro tonneau cover, BedRug bedliner, BedSlide Sport cargo system, Hornblasters Nightmare train horn and modified headlights from Retroshop LLC, using Diode Dynamics Switchback LED bulbs.

This amazing amount of detail was also brought into the interior, where Jim Rogers of Audio Innovations upgraded the factory stereo system with plenty of Sony component speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers, all while retaining the original head unit. Wrapping up the interior is a complete Roadwire Leather Interiors hide set in a stunning black and red combination, which, along with a Ride Controller 8 Bluetooth controller, was installed by Robbie Page at MSA.

The engine on this crazy truck, surprisingly enough, remains largely untouched. However, you can’t build a truck without adding some growl, so it only made sense to install Magnaflow’s awesome side-exit cat-back exhaust system for just the right tone. Yup, as far as the engine was concerned, the custom exhaust was the only mod, although the diff gears were changed to 4.56s to handle the tire swap. We guess Bryan really meant it when he said he wanted to keep things practical.

With SEMA quickly approaching, the revamped Ford was polished and loaded up just in time to make the long drive from Arkansas to Nevada, where it wowed the crowds all week long and earned its place here in the pages of StreetTrucks.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Bryan Lin
Motorsports Authority
Conway, AR
2015 Ford F-150 SuperCrew

ENGINE & CHASSIS

• Work performed by Motorsports Authority
• 2.7L EcoBoost V-6
• Magnaflow side-exit exhaust system
• 4.56 gears
• aFe finned aluminum differential covers

SUSPENSION & BRAKES

• 10-12-inch Bulletproof lift
• Atlas Springs leaf springs
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics Series 2.5 coil-overs with remote reservoir shocks
• Drilled/slotted brake rotors with upgraded pads

WHEELS & TIRES

• 24×14 American Force Slice wheels, brushed finish with black accents
• 40×15.5 R24 Nitto Trail Grappler tires

BODY & PAINT

• Work Performed by Motorsports Authority
• Shaved emblems
• OEM and House of Kolor paint
• Fab Fours Vengeance bumpers
• Rigid Industries LED lighting
• AMP Research XL steps
• Bushwacker pocketed fender flares, red powdercoated motorcycle windscreen spikes
• Retrax MX Pro bed cover
• BedRug bedliner with BedSlide Sport cargo system
• Retroshop LLC modified OEM headlights with Diode Dynamics Switchback LEDs
• Hornblasters Nightmare train horn

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Work Performed by Motorsports Authority and Audio Innovations
• Roadwire interior leather kit
• Road Controller RC8 Bluetooth controller
• Sony XS-GS1621C 6.5-inch component speakers
• Sony XS-GS1621 6.5-inch coaxial speakers
• Sony XS-GS80L 8-inch subwoofers
• Sony XM-GS100 and XMGS400 amplifiers

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: Bruce Castillo, Justin Carter, Robbie Page, Ron Dey, Chris Vanderpool and Audio Innovations.

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