FADED GLORY | American Racing SEMA Calling Card

American Racing SEMA Calling Card

American Racing has long been a staple of the USDM custom wheel market. Its diverse styling and world-renowned quality have poised the company as one of the top players in the truck market. Dan Ricehouse of Wheel Pros took charge for this year’s SEMA Show with a 1967 Ford F-100 project. His truck build would serve a dual purpose: to display the form and function of American Racing wheels, and to absolutely devour asphalt. To pull off the show truck timeline in just three months’ time, Dan teamed up with KC Mathieu of KC’s Paint Shop. The build team came through big time, bringing with them one of the finest driving F-100s on the road.

The suspension that underpins the American Racing F-100 was thoroughly rebuilt at KC’s Paint Shop. First up was reconfiguring the front geometry by making use of a Crown Vic IFS. The front clip is supported by RideTech’s HQ series front coilovers. The HQs provide the heavy lifting out back as well. KC’s team fabricated the frame’s C-notch and custom mounted the rear coilovers, along with a custom 4-link. The lowered stance is as functional as it is formative. The HQ series coilovers allow for endless adjustability. Dan’s got it dialed-in for a perfect balance of comfort and capability.

All that extra action underneath the chassis isn’t lost on a stock motor. Dan’s ’67 has been properly hot-rodded by way of a 2015 Ford 5.0 Coyote, aka the “Aluminator.” The quad-cam V-8 hits hard, forcing the updated suspension into overtime. Just to add a bit of extra sauce to the mixture, the build team thought a Roush supercharger would be prudent. Dan and gang teamed up with Power by the Hour to source their go-fast bits. The potent package makes a modest 700hp thanks to the blower. All those gains make their way to a stout 6R80 6-speed automatic transmission. That gearbox spins a custom driveshaft hooked to a Ford 8.8-inch rearend. The housing was borrowed from a late model F-150 and boasts a TruTrac limited-slip differential with 3.73 gears. The ratio is optimal for the super-powered daily-driver. The ’67 is more than happy to highway cruise, but should one get an itch underneath their right foot, the F-100 light’s ‘em up without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of lighting them up, even the Continental ExtremeContact tires meet their match in this combo. The front and rear boast a bit of stagger, measuring 255/40/ZR20 and 275/40/ZR20. The advanced rubber wraps around the star of the show. A set of American Racing VF526 measuring 20×9 inches in the front and 20×10 in the rear. The ARs are members of the maker’s two-piece forged series. The made-in-Cali rollers display a beautiful throwback style to the golden age of hot rodding. Yet, they still tout modern queues. For Dan’s ’67, the custom set was made with 6.25 inches of backspacing in the front and 7.25 in the rear. All of American Racing’s forged sets are available in unlimited finish options. This set is machine finished with custom painted centers to echo the patina. The barrels are fully polished for added style points. Peeking between the open-window spokes are Wilwood 6-pistons at each corner. The Wilwood-forged calipers provide all the necessary restraint for the Roush-topped monster. Their signature gloss-red finish provides a perfect contrast to the subtle wheel finish. They also match and highlight the prominent American Racing door logo.

Within the heightened trend of preserved patinas, Dan’s F-100 is the cream of the crop. The original off-white color is aged to perfection. The underlying surface rust breaks through in waves for a complementary brown and beige color palette. The natural patina is protected by a satin clear top-coat. KC and crew left the rest of the body almost entirely untouched. The OEM bumpers have been swapped out with a polished original-style set from Dennis Carpenter. The body side moldings have been re-polished to match. The dazzling bits tie together the matching finish of the VF526 wheels. Another key exterior feature is of course the hand-painted American Racing door logo completed by Tanner Leaser at the world-famous KC’s Paint Shop in Everman, Texas.

Another perfectly executed modern Dakota Digital setup used in a classic manner helping to keep vitals in check.

Finally, the well-kept interior of Dan’s ’67 now sports a host of comforting updates. The factory bench seat still occupies the cabin but has been reupholstered entirely. The build-team worked alongside PG Auto Upholstery, an outfit of Fort Worth, Texas, to bring the interior back to life. The bench seat now sports full-grain black leather trim. The beautiful classic style is maintained on the dash with a set of Digital Dakota VHX gauges. The advanced cluster, however, now conveys all the up-to-date info on the modern powertrain. Dan keeps his “perfect daily-driver” cool thanks to a full Restomod Air A/C system.

All in all, Dan’s ’67 is one helluva truck. It keeps it simple, putting its money where its mouth is, and doing it with comfort and style. Everything from the refreshed chassis, sparkling suspension components, iconic patina and dazzling rolling attire work together to form a near-perfect F-100. It’s living up to every task asked of it, providing a platform to display the best the industry has to offer and put every bit of it to good use, seal of approval across the board from the F-100 BG crew!