Bink’s F-1: 2005 Ford F-150 Supercrew 2WD

In the dirt, form follows function. Brian Binkert of Bink Designs purchased this 2005 F-150 Supercrew brand new, planning to use it as a daily driver. Desert duty wasn’t the truck’s primary role back then, so Brian installed a lowering kit along with a set of 22-inch Foose wheels. It was perfect for the pavement.

A pavement truck that stays on the pavement never has an identity crisis and rarely gets damaged. The trouble is that Brian’s business, Bink Designs, takes him to off-road events including desert races, short-course races, and informal gatherings in the dirt. As a slammed street cruiser, Bink’s F-1 was getting stuck or getting parked whenever dirt was involved. Something had to be done.

Even though his truck needed a re-do for the dirt, Brian had a working, driving vehicle: reliable transportation. Planning down time is tough, so it was somewhat serendipitous when he lost control in the rain and slammed the front into a brick wall. Down time—and a rebuild—had come a-knockin’!

Before

The brick wall had hit the Supercrew hard, destroying the front clip and tweaking the front of the frame. A visit to a frame shop smoothed out the structural wrinkles, but the ’05 front clip needed to be completely replaced. Since the truck was being rebuilt as a desert truck, replacing the stock sheet metal didn’t make sense. A Fiberwerx 2009-and-newer conversion clip, with its wider coverage and larger fender openings, was a natural choice. This was a perfect time to re-skin the bed to match the front. To that end, a pair of Fiberwerx flared bedsides was installed. The rest of the stock bed was retained, right down to the functional tailgate.

In place of the lowering kit, you’ll find a Brenthel Industries long-travel kit up front these days, damped by Fox coilover and bypass shocks. Out back, the F-1 has been returned to stock, but plans are in the works for long-travel Deaver leaf springs and another pair of Fox shocks.

For the finishing touch, Brian went with a color scheme that sets the truck apart yet remains on the subtle side. This is no rolling billboard, and that’s a good thing.

Down time is hard to plan around, especially if your off-road truck is also your daily driver. We don’t recommend the “brick wall” approach to rebuild scheduling, but Bink’s F-1 shows what can happen when opportunity comes knocking, and knocks hard. Once slammed for the street, it’s now dialed for the dirt.

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