AS SEEN IN OUR F-Series Builders Guide Summer 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

Building the Dream

A typical Wednesday for us at the shop (Mobsteel/Detroit Steel Wheel Co.) includes office duties, building wheels, and post-work Old Fashions in Corktown. Specifically, Old Fashions from Cork & Gable, which if you’ve been to our city before, you’d know as the restaurant in front of Michigan Central Station with the oil drum door sprayed by local Detroit artists. These are important details for later on, not an F-Series restaurant review.

It’s an establishment that’s built on the values of sourcing materials and labor locally, elevating the rich history of a building that stood on Michigan Ave. for well over 100 years by breathing life into the bones with its latest business. Being right up the street from Cork & Gable on 14th makes it easy for us to indulge there, but what keeps us coming back is the people, the food, and the celebrated history of our city.

You see where I’m going with this, right? Acquiring something old, appreciating the stock components, and modifying it to modern creature comforts while still paying homage to the originality of its design is what we’re all about! Hello, aftermarket!

 

I had set up a shoot at our shop in Detroit with this beautiful 1970 Ranger for after my return from a SEMA-Dinos-Goodguys trip. I talked with the builder, Matt Snopek, on Instagram and knew he had the owner coming to pick up the truck after the shoot because he lived right around the corner. That was the first day that I met Joe Mifsud, owner of Cork & Gable, in person.

Matt Snopek of Snopek Kustom is a Michigan native who has been operating his shop out of Macomb County for over 20 years. Joe had owned the truck for around 30+ years and, after finishing a neighboring business, Six Spoke Brewing Co., decided it was time to get the truck dialed in. Matt’s advice for someone building a similar truck is “save your money, do your research, and buy the highest quality parts.” Matt and Joe share that level of professionalism when it comes to their products. Simply put, “If it isn’t right, it does NOT go to the table.” These owners support local and invest in high-quality results, so naturally our Detroit Steel Wheels were going to be a part of the final vision.

Matt worked with Joe on the flair. As a highly experienced painter, he laid out the two-tone Sky View Blue and Wimbledon White color scheme. Tyler Maass helped on the engine, swapping for a Heidts crossmember and a 351 V8 fuel-injected with a Holley Terminator X and Ford EFI cam. Vintage Air climate control, a CVF serpentine front drive system, and an Ididit column shift keep it running cool and efficiently. Dave Schnell worked on the transmission, using a Stifflers trans mount on the Ford C6, a CCI Driveline drive shaft and U-joints, with the OEM rear drive axle. Tyler jumped back in, adding nickel/copper brake lines with Wilwood disc brakes up front, Speedway Motors disc brakes in the rear, and a Speedway power booster kit.

Joe wanted the short bed conversion with a subtle lift. To oblige that request, Matt used a Heidts Superride II IFS system, complete with QA1 coilovers up front and Eaton leaf springs and Bilstein shocks in the rear. Tyler and Dylan Winget put together the suspension components using a ’93 Mustang power rack and stabilized them with front and rear sway bars. The interior features a bench seat wrapped in 1990 F-150 OEM cloth and a New Vintage USA gauge system.

We here at Detroit Steel Wheels have worked with Matt on a bunch of his builds, so when he ordered at the time we launched our John R style, we were super pumped to see what he was up to. He went with 18x8s all around with a 4-inch backspace up front and a 3.5-inch backspace in the rear. When you get close, you’ll notice the painted lip, pulling the Sky View Blue into the details of the wheel.

As far as opinions go, I personally like everything that is either well executed or has a great story. That being said, our little corner of Detroit has become heavy on the Ford love. The parties involved really did an outstanding job of handling the renovation and restoration of Michigan Central Station. The difference between Roosevelt Park from 2022 to 2023 is night and day. Covering vintage Fords these days makes me feel really proud of our city, and Joe’s Ranger, besides being an incredibly well-executed build, really embodies the energy that has been fueling this part of our city. Joe was inspired by what would become his building—his piece of Detroit that he could respectfully shape in this era. Restoration is the core of our industry. We are all about nostalgia, collecting memorabilia, and getting lost in the generational memory of our family members. Being a part of the next phase of something’s history that has shaped your life, in turn, lays the groundwork for how your legacy impacts its future.

The automotive and architectural worlds are pillars in the history of Detroit. The impact Joe leaves in the community with his businesses and what Matt leaves with his builds add to the chapters of our great city’s story. On Wednesdays we make a toast to everyone whose hard work leaves a positive impact, which directly inspires us to invest in the highest quality product possible.