It’s a special treat when you grow up in a car enthusiast family. Entering the car community at a young age means you’ll always be around great people and probably have a wonderful hobby for life. That’s how it worked for Bobby Jenkins from Bristow, Virginia. He comes from a family where his father helped each of his sons build his first ride, ensuring that they were always headed in the right direction. Bobby has been a Chrysler/Dodge mechanic for the last 30 years but the big surprise is that he has owned this 1950 F-1 for 42 years, having bought it from his older brother at the ripe old age of 13! It was his first truck and in just fair condition back then but a family friend welded in patch panels and Bobby paid a local body shop for its first light brown paintjob. Many years later, he and his brother, Brian, stripped the truck, made a few changes, and painted it a bright Porsche Red. The truck was competitive, taking multiple class wins in World of Wheels competitions. That paintjob lasted 20 years until Bobby met Harold Fogle and his son, Keith, both expert metal fabricators working in a body shop. It was a good connection because when Harold needed work done on his 1948 Chevy Fleetline, Bobby was able to get the car running. Later, trading favors, Bobby and Keith teamed up to start the F-1’s third rebuild, a project that became eight years of part time and weekends to get it to the condition it’s in today.
Even though they were working in the family garage, the goal of the current renovation was that every step would be done to the highest professional standards. They began the latest revision by stripping the truck to bare metal and rejuvenating it top to bottom. Originally, the Ford had boxed rails with a Nova subframe. Upgrades began with narrowed Fatman control arms and a Unisteer rack-and-pinion power steering up front. The rear was C-notched to clear the 9-inch Ford Posi in a No Limit four-link rear. Wilwood 11-inch discs went in up front and Ford drum brakes were retained in the rear. Just for fun, adjustable altitude now happens at the touch of a button, thanks to the RideTech ShockWaves on all four corners. The 1/4-inch lines run inside aluminum tubing along the framerails. The chassis became a roller thanks to 18-inch Billet Specialties Rail rims and Goodyear Eagle rubber. The changes were dramatic and Bobby smiles when he says, “On winding roads, this truck handles like a sports car!”
Lots of personal touches were added to the body, beginning up front with a tucked-in 1940 Ford bumper and handmade aluminum grille bars shaped from raw material sold at Home Depot. After louvering the hood, the hood-style lines were extended into the welded cowl vent, then aftermarket running boards were adapted to fit the original fenders. A new roof was added to eliminate the old ’70s sunroof and the decision was made not to chop the top. Bobby says, “Comfort is more important than fashion. I’m tall enough to appreciate that extra headroom!” There is a subtle frenched-in antenna on the passenger side and all the seams on the bed were welded smooth. Inside the bed, oak planks add a traditional look with an electric actuator opening one of the planks for access to the gas tank. Modern Jeep Wrangler headlights light the way with vintage-style LED taillights and a tucked rear bumper finishing off the rear.
In the past, the truck ran a small-block Chevy for more than a decade but Bobby decided that he was going to put a Ford in a Ford and opted for a no-nonsense replacement. The big 460 V-8 came from a 1971 Lincoln and is equipped with dual quad 450 Holleys on a Blue Thunder intake, ported and polished heads, a Comp cam, and Sanderson headers. Thinking ahead, Bobby created a custom stainless steel dual exhaust system with just one exit on the passenger side running board to protect the frame-mounted master cylinder from heat. The smoothed firewall was fabricated by Keith, the original-style hood springs showcase the big motor, and the custom alternator bracket on the March pulley system was fabricated by Bruce Decker. Additional crossmembers underneath make sure the frame can handle the power.
With the finish line almost in sight, the interior was next. The cab was Dynamat’d and Mark Warnock from Haymarket, Virginia, sprayed the PPG Deltron Sienna Brown. The Ford Ranger split bench seat was reupholstered in beautiful Saddle Brown leather, as were the door panels, shift boot, and steering wheel, all accomplished by Mike Oss in Manassas, Virginia. The dash sports a complement of AutoMeter gauges and when the vintage chrome speaker grille drops down, the air suspension controls and a modern stereo are visible. The ididit column holds a leather-wrapped Lecarra Banjo wheel and a Lokar shifter works the C6 automatic, beefed up with a B&M shift kit to handle the power of the big V-8. The final step was paint with Warnock spraying the distinctive PPG Renaissance Red. The truck was finished in June and shot in October with only 98 miles on the new odometer but we’re certain this lifelong enthusiast will be driving his “modern vintage” ride for years to come. Special thanks to Keith Fogle for metalwork, bodywork, and assembly, Mark Warnock for paint and buffing, and Bruce Decker for TIG welding and custom machining, along with special thanks to his very supportive wife, Kina.
Facts & Figures
Bobby & Kina Jenkins
1950 Ford F-1 Pickup
CHASSIS
Frame: Original rails boxed and reinforced with additional crossmembers
Rearend / Ratio: Ford 9-inch running 3.50 gears
Rear Suspension: No Limit Engineering four-link
Rear Brakes: Mustang drum brakes
Front Suspension: Fatman Fabrication narrowed A-arms, RideTech ShockWaves, compressor mounted on frame, 5-gallon reserve tank behind the seat, 1/4-inch lines protected by aluminum tubing
Front Brakes: Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes, CPP frame-mounted booster, ShockWaves
Steering Box: Unisteer power rack-and-pinion
Front Wheels: 18×7 Billet Specialties Rail
Rear Wheels: 18×9 Billet Specialties Rail
Front Tires: 225-45R18 Goodyear Eagle RSA
Rear Tires: 245-55R18 Goodyear Eagle RSA
Gas Tank: 16-gallon aluminum tank mounted under bed, Legens Hot Rod Shop fuel filler concealment kit
DRIVETRAIN
Engine: 1971 Lincoln 460 V-8, painted Sienna Brown with machining by CNC Performance in Manassas, VA, engine compartment painted Renaissance Red, March pulleys
Heads: Cast-iron Dove 10.5:1 heads
Valve Covers: Holley finned covers, a gift from Newman Adkins
Manifold / Induction: Ford Blue Thunder Dual Plane manifold with a pair of 450 Holleys and an O’Brien Truckers dual quad finned air cleaner
Ignition: MSD Pro Billet, Accel wires
Headers: Sanderson FF460 block hugger headers
Exhaust / Mufflers: 304 stainless steel, custom-made by owner / TIG welded by Bruce Decker, Stainless Specialties mufflers
Transmission: 1978 Ford C6 three-speed automatic rebuilt by owner and beefed up with a B&M shift kit with a 3000 stall speed
Shifter: Lokar
BODY
Style: 1950 Ford F-1 Pickup, Keith Fogle bodywork and metal fab
Modifications: Custom grille, gray tinted window glass, frenched antenna, custom
firewall, welded cowl vent
Fenders front / rear: Original Ford steel
Hood: Original Ford hood with 98 louvers
Grille: Aluminum grille bars custom-made by owner and Keith Fogle
Bed: New from Midwest Early Ford, filled pockets, smoothed seams, Legens Hot Rods tailgate latch and hinge kit, oak planks with fuel filler concealment kit
Bodywork and Paint by: Owner and Mark Warnock from Haymarket, VA
Paint Type / Color: PPG Deltron Sienna Brown inside and PPG Renaissance Red outside
Headlights / Taillights: Jeep Wrangler headlights, LED taillights
Outside Mirrors: Aftermarket
Bumpers: 1940 Ford front bumper, stainless steel rear bumper
INTERIOR
Dashboard: Factory stock dash painted Sienna Brown with the stereo and air suspension controls hidden behind the original stainless steel speaker grille
Gauges: AutoMeter Quad System instrument package
Stereo: Pioneer AM/FM/CD player with 6-inch Pioneer component sets mounted in the doors
Steering Wheel: Lecarra leather-wrapped Banjo wheel
Steering Column: ididit, brushed aluminum
Seats: 1999 Ford Ranger 60/40 split bench, Juliano’s lap belts
Upholstery by: Mike Oss, Manassas, VA
Material / Color: Saddle Brown leather
Carpet: Brown
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