Jay Arnold from Plainfield, Indiana, has retired from his primary occupation as a custom homebuilder but he's never stopped as a working musician, playing the bass guitar since he was 10 years old. He's also been a car guy from about that same age, building miniature models and then later personalizing a series of fullsize vehicles. Creating a cool custom classic truck, however, has been an item on his bucket list for many years. The opportunity came in 2011 when he found a very tired 1954 F-100 in a small town parked in someone's front yard with a $2,500 price tag. It had a Chevrolet motor, a bunch of patch panels, and the seat wasn't even bolted down. After the safety issues and some of the rust problems were addressed, Jay drove it for about a year and half in primer before contacting his good friend Jim Bonesteel, owner of Bones Body Shop in Avon, Indiana.

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Jay describes the initial conversation with a smile, saying, "I had a lot of excitement about what I wanted in the build but Jim kept me reined in. He had a more accurate vision of what was possible than I did but he let me provide lots of input. The goal for the truck was simple. I liked the idea of creating something that would not break down and would be dependable. I also wanted to one day drive it in the local parade with the four grandkids in the back. Jim's advice and experience were invaluable."

With a clear charter established, Bonesteel took the truck completely apart, starting the upgrade with the chassis, sandblasting it, and painting it with Gloss Black POR-15 rust preventive paint. Fortunately, a unique solution to many of the planned upgrades presented itself when they heard about a 2008 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that had been in an accident. It had low mileage and was available at a low price. Jay snapped it up and it became the donor car for the rest of the project, beginning with adapting the boxed F-100 chassis rails to accept the entire Crown Vic front clip. The motor, automatic transmission, computer, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and more were repurposed during the transformation. They took a different approach in the rear, modifying an Explorer 8.8 and holding it in place with a Heidts four-link and coilovers. The original Interceptor 4.6L V-8 was installed under the hood, with just a few modifications for a little extra horsepower, like the Spectre cold air kit and dual MagnaFlow mufflers. A custom tune was dialed in by Automotive Specialists in Noblesville, Indiana. Don't be fooled by that vintage-style air cleaner on top. It's designed to give the engine the nostalgic look of a carbureted motor but in fact a standard Police Interceptor fuel-injection package resides underneath. In order to make the EFI work they fitted the stock 17-gallon F-100 gas tank with an Econoline fuel pump and custom return line. Not only was the donor car a great solution to sourcing multiple components during the rebuild but now Jay says "The finished truck is quick, reliable, and gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway!"

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There are very few external body mods on the truck since Jay's vision was a beautifully restored original with a flawless paintjob rolling on modern wheels. Economics played a role in the exterior renovation since much of the original sheetmetal was in poor shape and would cost more to repair than to replace. The original cab and doors were retained and Hot Rods Classic Truck Parts in New Carlisle, Ohio, made the restoration easier, supplying new fenders, hood, and bed. Bonesteel bolted everything in place, ensuring a tight fit with all the gaps properly aligned. Red Oak covers the bed floor with stainless strips in between. Starting to look like a truck, the "Effie" rolls on American Racing Torque Thrust rims, 17x8s up front and 18x8s in the rear, with Goodyear rubber.

Moving inside, one of the first challenges was adapting some of the new electronics to the original Interceptor wiring harness, now located on the rear cab wall. The talented crew at Ron Francis created add-ons that allowed the use of the Dakota Digital instrument package. Vintage Air was also a priority and a valance panel was added under the dash to accommodate the vents. Jim's Auto Trim in Mooresville, Indiana, did the upholstery, covering the 1995 F-150 bench seat with tan and Teak Brown Italian Caprone leather, a top grain Aniline leather that features a protective topcoat. The power seat is equipped with adjustable lumbar bladders but the seat controls were relocated from the side to underneath for a cleaner look. The elaborate stereo package begins with a Sony head unit hidden behind a removable panel in the center of the dash. It controls the 1,500-watt JBL amplifier on the rear cab wall that drives a collection of JBL speakers, beginning with a 10-inch sub underneath the seat and 6 1/2-inch separated component sets in the kick panels. As a final touch and just for fun, they motorized the old manual cowl vent.

Every truck has a special feature, something that is uniquely important to the owner. In Jay's case it's the Cocoa Mat, something that harkens back to the '70s when Jay was a Volkswagen enthusiast. "When I was done with the truck, I researched suppliers and finally located one in South Carolina. I drove the truck to them, they measured my truck and a couple of weeks later, and they mailed me my custom mat. It's a unique touch and I love it!" Bonesteel wrapped up the 2 1/2-year effort by spraying the distinctive Italian Racing Red Pearl, a Jaguar color.

How is the completed truck to live with? Jay and his wife, Karen, love getting behind the wheel and driving the truck everywhere. They have already accumulated more than 10,000 trouble-free miles with the only anxiety occurring the very first weekend it was done. The freshly completed truck was in a wedding and scheduled to transport the bride to the ceremony. Jay says, "I had this fear that it might not behave but it ran perfectly, idled smoothly, and never overheated. It was a great relief."



1954 Ford F-100 Pickup

CHASSIS

Frame: Boxed Ford frame

Rearend / Ratio: Explorer 8.8, 3.55 gears

Rear Suspension: Heidts four-link, Panhard bar, and coilovers

Rear Brakes: Explorer power discs

Front Suspension: Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

Front Brakes: Crown Victoria power discs

Steering Box: Crown Victoria power

Front Wheels: American Racing Torque Thrust M 17x8

Rear Wheels: American Racing Torque Thrust M 18x8

Front Tires: Goodyear Assurance 235/60R17

Rear Tires: Goodyear Assurance 235/65R18

Gas Tank: Stock F-100, 17 gallons with Ford Econoline fuel pump and custom return line

DRIVETRAIN

Engine: Ford Police Interceptor 4.6L V-8

Heads: Factory

Valve Covers: Ford

Manifold / Induction: Factory

Ignition: Factory

Headers: Factory

Exhaust / Mufflers: 2.5 stainless, MagnaFlow mufflers, rectangular exhaust tips

Transmission: Interceptor Automatic

Shifter: ididit column

BODY

Style: F-100 pickup

Fenders Front / Rear: New from Hot Rods Classic Truck Parts in New Carlisle, OH

Hood: New from Hot Rods Classic Truck Parts in New Carlisle

Grille: Chrome from a 1956 F-100

Bed: New from Hot Rods Classic Truck Parts in New Carlisle Red Oak bed floor

Window Glass: Tinted Vintage Glass with one-piece side glass

Bodywork and Paint by: Jim Bonesteel, Bones Body Shop in Avon, IN

Paint type / Color: Jaguar Italian Racing Red Pearl

Headlights / Taillights: Projector beam headlights and LED taillights

Outside Mirrors: Chrome stock

Bumpers: Chrome stock

INTERIOR

Dashboard: Reworked and painted to match, stereo hidden behind a custom dash panel.

Gauges: Dakota Digital instrument package

Air Conditioning: Vintage Air with valence panel added to the dash

Stereo: Sony head unit hidden behind a central panel in the dash, 1,500-watt JBL amplifier, JBL Crossover, JBL 10-inch sub and 6 1/2-inch separated component sets in the kick panels

Steering Wheel: Grant

Steering Column: Chrome ididit

Seats: 1995 F-150 bench seat, matching door panels with billet accessories

Upholstery by: Jim's Auto Trim in Mooresville, IN

Material / Color: Tan and brown Italian Caprone leather

Carpet: Custom Coco Mat, Dynomat added everywhere