Steven Bohte only wanted to change the brakes on his 1955 Ford F100. The brakes were OK for him because he had had the truck for a few years and had used it as a cruiser, but his significant other wasn't so keen on the vehicle's safety when they went on a cruise. The '55 had disc brakes up front and drum brakes in the back. It appears that the drum brakes were not up to the task of bringing the vehicle to a halt.
When Bohte approached Dupuy at Rock-lt Hot Rods about fitting Wilwood brakes to the truck, it began to snow. Bohte has previous experience with Dupuy because he is an Axalta paint rep and, of course, a Dupuy p at Rock-lt Hot Rods. Bohte inquired about installing Wilwood brakes on the '55, but the brakes would not fit inside the truck's current wheels. Dupuy advised new wheels, but he didn't see the need in stopping there. He proposed placing a new chassis beneath the truck, as well as a new drivetrain if they were going that far.
Thankfully, Bohte agreed with all he proposed. The vehicle had to wait its turn, but Bohte was a regular at the shop, checking on the progress and receiving updates. Dupuy and the Rock-It Hot Rods crew blew the vehicle apart to begin the restoration after spending some time finishing previous projects. Dupuy used a Scott's Hotrods SuperSlam chassis with an AccuAir CVT airbag system to get the project off to a good start.
When Dupuy and Bohte first discussed brakes, they decided that the quickest way to achieve the correct braking system was to buy a chassis with Wilwood brakes already installed. Adding the Scott's Hotrods chassis was a simple method to do this. Furthermore, the Accuair CVT system provided quiet and intelligent operation for the truck's suspension, resulting in the ideal balance of for and function. Bohte used American Racing eels with Mickey Thompson treads to finish out the chassis wheels and suspension. It all starts up front with a Ford Power Module system with a Coyote crate, Pe'rfo°rrtmheandcreirain. The AccuAir CVT air ride system on DaBrakeJob provides the maximum in flexibility.
Unfortunately, AccuAir is no longer in business, but the CV-I system was created to give silent operation and limitless flexibility in order to arrive at the correct settings, whether for street or show. The engine is mated to a 6R80 gearbox. The truck had a 460 big-block with a C6 in the tunnel before the Coyote combo. The vehicle also featured a Moser 9-inch rear axle at the time. The vehicle had enough of power, and the drivability was excellent thanks to the FAST EFI system. It possessed so much power that when Bohte initially received it, he almost overturned it after executing a burnout in front of a friend's house. The new powerplant is maybe more polite and street-friendly than the old big-block.
"The cab, doors, and front fenders are the only items left over from the last build," Bohte explains. Everything else is brand new and tailored to the truck's needs. There isn't a single panel on the truck that hasn't been shaved or smoothed. Everything was changed, from the grille to the taillights. The grille was redesigned and recessed to accommodate a contemporary Ford oval emblem that also lights up. To accommodate the large rolling stock, the front and rear fenders were changed, and the running boards were lengthened and extended up to the body.
The drip rails were taken down, and the bed was smoothed to conceal any fasteners. The mahogany wood bed floor rises to reveal the back end, petrol tank, and exhaust system. is referred to as The truck's earlier model was known as the "Thick N' Flat" because of its fat fenders and flat paint. Bohte liked the flat paint, but thought the aesthetic was fading, so he wanted something a little more striking. As a result, his girlfriend, Ambre Colletti, chose the color and it was even named after her.
Ambre' Honey Effect is the name of the color, and it was created with Axalta's Hot Hues Beyond Bronze. "We modified that hue with a little bit of this and a little bit of that," adds Bohte. The end result is just stunning. The interior of the vehicle was the last phase of the project to be finished. Wesley Cato of Anything Audio & Fabric handled that component of the project, recovering several of the original interior elements to match the new seat upholstery. The new seats come from a midsize SUV and are upholstered in Carroll Leather damaged hides with a hint of ultra-suede fabric and Krist Kustoms seat medallions.
Cato built the center console out of PVC material to contain numerous fuse boxes, the PCM, OBD-II connector, and other electronics, while the headliner and door panels were upholstered to match the seats. The interior is finished up with Scott's Hotrods billet door handles and a Mercedes carpet.
DaBrakeJob took about a year and a half to build once Rock-It Hot Rods got started on it. DaBrakeJob has won almost every show it's entered since its completion, including Truck of the Year at the 2020 Grand National F100 Show. Bohte now owns a truck that he is proud to display. However, there are now plans to equip the Coyote engine with a supercharger. We're guessing Bohte's burnout days are still to come.
We only hope he includes a Line-Loc in the vehicle. Burnouts without a Line-Loc quickly wear out the back brakes, and DaBrakeJob isn't ready for another "brake work."
