Introducing the 2007 F-100 Supernationals Truck of the Year

Every year, thousands of trucks pour into the F-100 Supernationals with the hopes of taking home the very coveted F-100 Truck of the Year award. This highly regarded trophy is awarded to only one truck per year and it represents the entire classic Ford truck spectrum. While the Ridler may be the award some builders dream of, for the classic Ford truck crowd, the F-100 Truck of the Year (TOTY) is the trophy they covet.

With more and more trucks receiving full one-off builds with custom body panels and outlandish custom interiors, the F-100 TOTY award has become the top Ford truck enthusiast award. Longtime enthusiast Jeff Schwierman collects anything on four wheels, especially Fords, and he was fully aware of the honor that goes along with the TOTY award. While his extensive collection already included original and unrestored Model A Fords, several ’33-’34 Ford sedan deliveries and countless roadster pickups, he never owned, built or purchased a hot rod truck before, so this was to be a new experience for Schwierman.

Longtime friend and fellow car enthusiast Gordon Riley continually tried to talk Schwierman into building a custom truck, but he was cool to the idea, until the day the two happened upon this ’53 Ford F-100. At the time, the unrestored classic was in rough shape and in dire need of attention, but with an interest in building a nice, streetable hot rod pickup for his wife, Connie, Schwierman hauled the $1,500  hulk home. After taking the Ford back to their home in Sharpsville, Indiana, the truck was stripped of all its parts. Upon inspection, Schwierman decided that the truck would receive a ground-up build.

Since the Ford truck was to be Connie’s daily driver and fairground cruiser, she began by selecting all of the necessary components at the beginning of the build. Rather than attempt to repair the chassis, she opted for a completely new chassis from Fat Man Fabrications. The new frame would save the build team both time and money, while providing a solid new platform from which to build the truck.

Up front, the new Fat Man chassis features an IFS with tubular upper and lower control arms bolted up to 2-inch-dropped spindles and Wilwood disc brakes. In the rear, a four-link holds the narrowed 9-inch rear in place. For cruising, the rear is equipped with 3:55 gears. Fat Man also installed a set of Wilwood disc brakes on the rear. For that massive look, Intro Pentia 20×8- and 20×10-inch rollers were tucked into the fenderwells, and Schwierman bolted up an Air Ride Technologies airbag system. Front and rear sway bars are used to keep body roll to a minimum.

With the chassis of Connie’s dream pickup finished and awaiting power, it was time to order the engine. Schwierman went to the Ford Racing catalog for his selection and settled on a 351W, which he figured would pump out plenty of horsepower for the’53. The 351 delivers 430 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque through coated Hooker headers that flow into a stainless steel exhaust and Turbo mufflers. The Ford Racing internals were left untouched, but the engine block and heads were smoothed and treated to the same beautiful burgundy paint that adorns the exterior. Clay Cook built the beautiful one-off valve covers, while a Billet Specialties Tru Trac system locates the polished accessories. Riley designed and built the custom air cleaner that breathes fresh air through the core support. In order to transfer coolant to and from the 351, polished tubing was formed and installed. Schwierman chose to back the 351 with a ’78 C6 trans, fitted with a custom torque converter and oil cooler.

With the project about a third of the way complete, Schwierman and Riley began to sit back and look at the truck. Over the previous months, the truck really started coming together, and the idea of taking it to the next level came up during their conversations, so the project took a quick turn. Connie soon lost her project truck to the boys, which meant that her project was temporarily replaced with an early fastback Mustang. 

The F-100 project continued, and the original sheetmetal was stripped to bare steel and modified where appropriate. Riley began by cutting down the original grille and blind mounting the headlights from the rear. This change gave the grille a cleaner, more conservative style. This then led to the hood, as the two felt it needed some attention if this truck was to be a true contender for the TOTY award. Riley and Schwierman pancaked the hood 2-3/4 inches, giving the nose of the F-100 an improved profile.

After reworking the hood, the two decided to remove 3 inches from the roof of the truck. The entire truck now had a lower profile across the board. The once bulbous roof line was now streamlined along with the lowered front hood, giving the truck a great new look and a much-improved profile. 

To accommodate the massive rear wheels, the rear fenders were widened 1-3/4 inches. In addition, a custom-designed bed floor was built, along with a rear rolled pan. With the countless modifications to the truck now complete, the truck was shipped to Greening Auto Company in Cullman, Alabama. Jeff and Jesse Greening performed the outstanding paint and bodywork. Jeff Greening applied the PPG custom Burgundy and Champagne paint that adorns this ’53 Ford. Once the paint was completed, the Greenings color-sanded and buffed the truck before shipping it back to Riley’s shop in Kokomo, Indiana.

Once the truck arrived back at the shop, the reassembly began. Riley decided to add the bright neon green pinstripe to the truck. Schwierman shortened the front bumper brackets to draw the new front bumper close to the body. With assembly complete, the truck was shipped off for its award-winning interior.

Wanting to take home the coveted F-100 Truck of the Year award meant that not just anyone could design the interior. Having built and owned many cars before, Riley knew just where to send the truck. Paul Atkins, a neighbor of Jesse Greening and owner of Paul Atkins Interiors located in Cullman, Alabama, agreed to fit the truck into his year-long schedule and transform the bare interior into the outstanding package you see here. Atkins began by building a pair of custom seats wrapped in light tan leather and European wool, accented by polished aluminum strips. Atkins added a set of custom door panels complemented by a set of Clayton Machine Works polished door handles. Riley and Schwierman had previously smoothed the dash and built the custom center console that houses the Classic Instruments All American gauges.

The builders added a smooth tilt column and Billet Specialties steering wheel that is shod with the PHAT 53 logo that can be found on the custom cupholders and throughout this beautiful truck. The under dash panel that flows in the center console houses the billet A/C vents and headlight switch. The A/C vents deliver hot and cold air from the hidden Vintage Air under dash unit. The outstanding quality of the PHAT ’53 interior exemplifies the best-of-the-best in interior design. 

While Jeff Schwierman’s wife, Connie, may not have gotten her daily driver pickup, Schwierman now has the F-100 Truck of the Year trophy, and plans to tour the country with the truck during the 2007 show season. After the initial tour, next year’s plans call for driving the truck to every event possible. Then, perhaps, Connie will get her truck. TB