Chip Foose: Early Beginnings and Education

Long before the automotive world was familiar with the name Chip Foose, he had already honed his skills working with his father, custom car builder Sam Foose, at Sam’s Goleta, California, shop since he was a mere seven years old. Armed with this hands-on knowledge of the mechanics of hot rods, Chip enrolled at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Financial Support and Early Career

Anyone who knows of the Art Center knows that it is an expensive place to study, but, fortunately, monetary assistance came from one of his future employers, Alain Clenet, president of Asha Corporation. Clenet valued the young Foose’s potential so much that he subsidized his education. Of course, Chip finished at the top of his class, and even as he worked on his own assignments, he found time to assist several of his fellow students with their final projects in the weeks leading up to graduation. One student’s project was building a guitar from rosewood and stainless steel; another created a fiberglass motorcycle fairing. As a result, a great deal of Chip’s work filled the presentation following the graduation proceedings. Chip went to work for the Asha Corporation for two years to repay Clenet for his largesse, all the while displaying brilliance with his innovative designs. Despite several offers from major automakers, Chip then chose to go to work for the equally innovative Boyd Coddington.

The Forgotten Project: Chip’s 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup

All the while, Chip’s 1956 Ford F-100 pickup languished. Like many of us, he was always busy with work. Of course, his work consisted of designing Ridler Award winners and ground-breaking rods and muscle cars, not to mention building 54 different cars on his wildly popular television show, Overhaulin’. So it wasn’t until last year that Gary Fulkerson came up with the idea of Overhaulin’ Chip’s truck. As with other cars on the show, they had to trick the owner into thinking that his truck had been stolen or misplaced. But in his busy state, Chip barely even knew that the truck was gone and was more puzzled about his shop’s sign, which also went missing at the same time. Chip says that this made him wonder if someone was pulling a fast one on him, but he actually thought people from another show were up to something. Unlike the other Overhaulin’ cars, which take only one week to construct, this build took the Overhaulin’ team (headed by Sam Foose, Trent Trimble, and Dennis Graff) a full six months.

The History of the F-100 and the Build Begins

Chip had bought the ’56 small-window F-100 from his dad in 1978. The elder Foose had bought it from Goleta Auto Parts in 1968, which had used it as a parts truck since it was new. The furthest Chip had gotten on the project was to do some initial renderings while at the Art Center and a few others in the years since, but other than that he pushed it into the corner of his shop, Foose Design, located in Huntington Beach, California.

That all changed when the team took on the job. The first step was to move the truck into the Original Parts Group’s new building in Huntington Beach, where the build was to take place. The original plan came from Gary Fulkerson, who was at Saleen at the time. It had been the plan that Overhaulin’ producer Bud Brutsman was going to film the rebuild of Chip’s truck, but in the end, TLC signed off on this being an episode, so rather than be in Michigan, Brutsman looked around SoCal for a location for the 6-month-long buildup.

Collaboration and Custom Modifications

From there, Sam Foose was contacted to get in on the project. Sam teamed with Trent Trimble and Dennis Graff to handle the modifications to the Effie. They began with a Dave Willey-built chassis, which included one of his four-link rear suspension systems. To this, they added an Art Morrison independent front suspension clip. The aforementioned four-link holds a 9-inch rearend housing. The frame actually positioned the front wheels forward 8 inches, while the rear wheels were pulled forward 3 inches. If the rolling hardware looks like something that you have never seen before, that is because they are true one-off models built especially for this truck.

Arron Youngerman, who worked with Chip for 13 years designing wheels, came up with the killer units for this project. Mounted onto the rims is a set of BFGoodrich g-Force radial tires, with 295/40-20s in the rear and 255/40-19s up front.

Bodywork and Fine Detailing

If the altered frame and rolling hardware aren’t enough to get hardcore Ford guys drooling, then the bodywork will. Beginning at the front, the crew moved the wheel wells forward and made them smaller than stock for a tighter fit around the tires. The front fenders were shortened so that they do not hang below the running boards. The roof was rocked forward by cutting one inch out below the windshield, while nothing was removed in back. The hood was modified in a similar way, with an inch removed from the front edge and zero in back. The running boards and the bed have been raised so that there is no longer a gap between them and the body. The gas cap is a carryover from what Sam Foose did in 1975.

The bed has been shortened 3 inches, and the rear fenders are the same units that Chip widened 2.5 inches while in high school. Paul Brutsman milled the black walnut bed wood that adorns the floor within the smoothed ribs and, rather than fill the stake pockets, a set from an earlier F-1 has been installed. In a touch of flair, Quality Metal Craft’s Mike Chetcuti stamped the original tailgate with “Foose,” and Dennis Ricklef pinstriped the word “Design.” Ricklef also striped the truck, but before that could be done it was painted BASF RM Black, while the chrome pieces were redone by Greg Cox of Artistic Silver Plating. It was during the build that Craig Chaffers, a top-notch builder in his own right, was busy collecting and gathering the parts to complete the project.

Interior and Engine Excellence

The all-leather interior was designed by Sam Foose and laid out by Bill Dunn Interiors of Huntington Beach. The pair decided to use black, charcoal, and burnt orange leather to go with the black wool carpeting. Built by Limeworks, the steering wheel is a cool ’40s-style unit sized to work with the power steering that the Ford now utilizes. The crew at Redline Gauges reworked the original gauge cluster, which is color coordinated to match the rest of the truck. It was also fitted with speedo markings capable of reading higher speed limits. It is rumored that a Foose signature audio system from Arc is still to come.

An all-aluminum Roush 427 side-oiler was purchased for this project because Chip had seen one and said, “Wow, that would be a cool motor in my truck.” It is a hot engine, but what makes it special is its number. You may be proud that you own a “numbers matching” truck, but how many people can say that their truck has a Roush engine, let alone number 0001? This limited-production engine is mated to a C6 transmission that has been equipped with upgraded internals and a Gear Vendors under/overdrive unit, so the truck is as at home on the freeway as it is in the Petersen Museum.

The Reveal at SEMA Show

Now, everyone knows that the “reveal” is a big event on an Overhaulin’ show, and it was doubly important with this truck. On one hand, it was important that Chip be surprised and that the setup be just right, but it was also important just to get him there. It is no surprise that Chip Foose is a busy guy with a busy schedule. There aren’t too many places you can count on him being, but the SEMA Show is one of them. It is also a venue that attracts a lot of big names in hot rodding, many of whom would want to be there when the reveal went down.

Chip was asked to take part in a special engine unveiling at the SEMA Show in the Roush booth. As it worked out, he had his back to the curtain when the Roush product (Roush’s all-aluminum side-oiler 427) was supposedly revealed. But when Chip turned around after the curtain had dropped, there stood his dad, mom, and wife, along with some special members of the Overhaulin’ crew. Needless to say, it was an emotional time, as Chip was visibly overwhelmed by the experience. Emotional and tear-filled, he hugged his parents, his wife, and others who were nearby.

Chip’s Gratitude and the Legacy of His Dream Truck

“It was real nice to be on the other end of an Overhaulin’, and this was my dream truck,” said Chip. “Even though I’ve enjoyed the giving aspect of these shows, I was in awe and words are hollow in expressing my feelings of being grateful. It was a fabulous feeling to have that many people do so much for me. It came from the heart of all involved and I can’t say enough about their kindness.”

As always, Chip’s honest, giving nature showed in his adulation over what had been done, as he truly didn’t expect it. Nor did he have any idea of the love that so many other talented, gifted, and generous people had for him. Chip Foose is one of today’s most creative members of the rodding community. Finally, after so many years of his own project being put aside so that he could bring new possibilities to the vehicles of others, Chip’s own dream truck was finally realized. Best of all, it reflected the supreme skills of his father, his fellow overhaulers (headed by Overhaulin’ producer Bud Brutsman), and many other special individuals who helped bring this project, and his dreams, to fruition.