COYOTE IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
A Mashup of Retro and Modern Goodness
A Mashup of Retro and Modern Goodness
Phil has been around the world of custom cars and trucks for more than 20 years. He’s no stranger to building special projects.
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU PUT A modern Ford 5-liter into a worn-out farm truck? Well for starters, a whole lot of fun. But what happens when you throw an entire 2016 Mustang GT into the mix? That’s exactly what Phil Lehart wanted to find out.
Phil has been around the world of custom cars and trucks for more than 20 years. He’s no stranger to building special projects. In fact, when he purchased his 1964 F-100, the truck spent some time on the sidelines while his attention was turned elsewhere. This long-awaited build was two years in the making before boasting any movement.
But this was time well spent, as Phil used it to find the donor of his dreams: a 2016 Mustang GT abandoned in the wrecking yard. After winning it at auction, Phil took delivery of his shiny new parts bin. His
’64 F-100 already had an updated front suspension that was begging for the engine swap—but Phil asked the all-powerful question, “What if?”
The 1964 chassis had been treated with a certain amount of creative freedom. It used an independent front suspension from a second-generation Ford Crown Victoria. The Panther platform IFS was a common enough update for the F-100
series. The updated geometry made for a vastly improved driving experience over the 1964’s straight axle configuration. The famously innovative twin I-beam design was not introduced to the F-100 until
1965. In either case, however, the single piece aluminum crossmember of the 2003+ Crown Vic made for an ideal alternative. The unit contained the suspension, power steering and disc brakes all in one. It also maintained serviceability, using OEM parts that were produced new until 2012. The swap was relatively painless as the trackwidth is virtually identical. The Crown
Vic’s subframe alignment pins matched perfectly to the F-100’s frame rail center lines. The end result was a near-factory fit with an improved steering, ride height, ride quality and stopping power.
The tail section of Phil’s F-100 was seriously customized. The pony car’s track width also happened to be a near-perfect match for the F-100 frame rails. Phil decided to take his truck to a whole other level, adapting the 2016 Mustang’s independent rear suspension. The
S550, since its birth in 2015, has quickly become regarded as one of the best Mustang platforms ever. Its balance and geometry bring a degree of handling to the equation, previously thought unattainable for the American icon. In addition to the benefits of an IRS, the rear subframe includes a stout limited slip differential and powerful disc brakes. After a lot of measuring and a few cuts, Phil fabricated frame extensions. These provided mounting points for all four of the Mustang subframe’s OEM locations. He described this modification as, “surprisingly the easiest mod of the build.”
Its balance and geometry bring a degree of handling to the equation, previously thought unattainable for the American icon.
With its four-wheel independent suspension and muscle-car ride height, this ’64 was seriously ready to boogie and scoot. All it needed was some proper motivation to the tune of 435 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque. Those are the factoryrated power figures for the infamous 5.0L Coyote V-8. The canine-inspired motor loves to sing, bringing brand-new life to a previously tired truck. The V-8 is paired with a durable six-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain makes this ’64 the ultimate muscle truck. With all that extra pep in its step, the truck was begging for a complementary braking update. The 2016
Mustang’s rear brakes did the job just fine, but the out-shined Crown Victoria units up front had to go.
Phil opted for a pair of kick-ass Baer brakes. The absolute units brag about their six-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors. One thing is for sure: When it comes to V-8s and brakes, size matters.
With the frame fitted, the suspension sorted and the motor mated, Phil turned his attention to the interior. The donor ‘Stang continued to give up the goods, this time by way of a floor pan and firewall. The idea was to retain the Mustang’s pedals and driver configuration. It cannot be overstated how important
touchpoints are to driving experience. The coolest Coyote swap in the world could still disappoint if the driver connection is not there. Phil surgically removed the F-100’s floor and firewall, grafting in the updated parts. Plenty of trimming and welding were required with regular rinse and repeats. The result, however, was a massive pay-off.
For all intents and purposes, the interior is that of a Mustang. The lower door panels, headliner, console and dash were all retrofit to the ’64 cabin. The OEM wiring harness remained completely intact. All systems are a go. The heavily bolstered pony seats proved to be just too damn big for the standard cab. Phil opted for a pair of SN95-style seats from Speedway Motors. The earlier model units did the trick and brought the desired look to the puzzle. The few untouched bits of the interior were finished to match for a singular cohesive look.
The exterior, while quite tame all things considered, brought exactly the kind of balance this one-off needed. The F-100 was finished in a very cool combination of classic colors. The lower body section and cab top now wear Heritage Satin-Red from TCP. The visual interest comes by way of satin-white accents. The smooth white stretches over the hood, front bumper, bed rails, and divides the cabin. A satin black spear runs along the truck-side to exaggerate the contrast. It also draws the eye along the iconic ’64 body lines. The rear section is smoothed out with a custom steel roll pan. The visuals are tied together with a tough set of Niche wheels measuring 19x9-inches all the way around. They matched up to Nexen 255/40/19 sport tires.
Phil’s F-100 is no-nonsense. He had a killer truck and an enticing pile of parts formally known as “Mustang,” so he put them together. It was a whole lot easier said than done, but in all honesty, Phil made it look easy. And easy looks damn good. A lot of people dream about a truck like this. A lot of people dream about building a mashup of retro and modern goodness. The only standing between them and their dream build is a few inches of expendable metal. Take some notes from Phil. Get up, get in the garage, and make it happen!