One Truly Unique F-150 Done up TJIN Style

Relationships in the custom automotive world can definitely take you places. Especially when your “day job” is to build, promote and show some of the coolest aftermarket performance parts and cars in the industry. Neil Tjin is no stranger to building one-of-a-kind show rides and touring them all over the country for partners such as Ford Motor Co. But one thing that is a bit different about this particular build is what comes right after the cab, the bed that is attached.

If you’re familiar with the name “Neil Tjin,” then you probably already know that up until now the majority of his builds have been Ford cars that he customizes to suit different scenarios and themes. However, for SEMA 2014, Neil partnered with Ford again, but this time around it was for something unique for both Neil and Ford. The basic concept was to take an F-150 EcoBoost and modify it as a blend between a slammed Raptor and the ultimate street cruiser (think Liberty Walk here).

The main obstacle with any SEMA build is the short timeline and the undoubtedly long nights spent to make it happen. About the time this truck was in hand, the build time was set at about 10 weeks or so. Luckily for Neil, he has a solid crew of partners that he leans on heavily, including Unique Fabrication, who’s handled more than 600 hours of custom suspension fab and sheet metal body mods.

The crucial part of building an F-150 to stand out from the rest is getting the ultimate stance. To accomplish this goal the Unique Fabrication team (Adam Carpenter and Josh Freeman) worked around the clock, using custom Raptor suspension components paired with Chris Alston’s Chassisworks parts to build a custom air suspension setup. The suspension was vital to tuck the massive 24-inch custom-built Rotiform 6Shooter wheels deep into the fender wells.

Once the air suspension was built and functioning as needed, a complete AccuAir management system was installed to control the height and supply air to the proper corners as needed.

The next major item on the list was tackling the custom exterior to tie in Neil’s idea of incorporating Raptor-style fenders, giving the F-150 more of a menacing off-road look even though this is definitely a 100% purebred street bruiser. Once the Raptor fenders were modified to fit, it was up to DTM Autobody to lay down the custom gunmetal gray and wrap up the rest of the finishing touches. With some help to quickly put together the Katzkin interior, install the two Webasto sunroofs and knock out the full Sony sound system, it was time for the F-150 to hit the road to SEMA.

In just a few days more than 10 weeks, the talented team pulled off yet another SEMA miracle build and presented Neil with his vision come to life. A few power upgrades from Vortech and Magnaflow rounded out the modifications and allowed Neil to enter the truck game with his head held high. Nice work, Neil. If your first truck build turned out this good, we can’t wait to see what you guys have in store for us next. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNERS

Neil Tjin
2013 Ford F-150
Laguna Niguel, CA

ENGINE

• 3.5L V-6 EcoBoost
• Motiv air cleaner
• Vortech intercooler and custom tune
• Magnaflow exhaust
• Six-speed automatic transmission

SUSPENSION

• Shop: Unique Fabrication’s Adam Carpenter and Josh Freeman
• Chris Alston’s Chassisworks components with custom hand-built pieces
• Ford Raptor suspension components
• Complete custom air suspension setup
• AccuAir management
• Raised/relocated gas tank
• Baer six-piston brakes

WHEELS & TIRES

• 24×10 and 24×12.5 Rotiform 6Shooters with matte black face, gloss black lip with red pinstripe
• 295/35/24 and 305/25/24 Falken Ziex S/T Z

BODY & PAINT

• Racemesh woven grille
• Lightwurkz LED bars, headlights and taillights
• Modified Raptor front bumper
• Street Scene rear bumper
• Custom Raptor fenders modified and flared
• Twin Webasto sunroofs
• Custom Gunmetal Axalta paint applied by DTM Autobody
• Pinstriping from Jeff Styles
• Spray-on bedliner
• Thule bike rack

INTERIOR

• Custom Katzkin interior wrapped in leather/suede combo throughout
• GlowShift gauges
• Complete Sony sound system by Robert De La Croix
• Scosche wiring and sound deadener
• Optima battery
• LEDglow LED interior bars

Special Thanks From Owner: Ford, Unique Fabrication, all of our amazing partners throughout each and every build, my wife, kids and brother for their support, and of course, Jesus Christ, through whom it is all possible

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