I hope to keep this from sounding too "Award Show Speech"ish so bear with me.
I want to express a very sincere and heartfelt thank you to the following people who helped personally or contributed in any way. I hope I remember all those involved and will do my best not to forget anyone. On the bright side, there won't be an orchestra playing me off once I start rambling. So here we go:
First and foremost, I'd like to thank those closest to me. The friends and family that not only helped finish this truck, but also put up with me through the most trying of times. If they stuck around through this build, they must be special.
These thanks go out to:
My dad, Tim Horton and my mom Beate, who helped in more ways than I can put into words.
My amazing girlfriend Jade, who was (to use a horrible cliche) my rock throughout this build. She kept me going and whenever things got too stressful or overwhelming, she would take my hand and tell me everything was going to work out.
Our great friend and part-time reality-check person, Jay DeGrado, who put in countless late nights after working a day job and raising a family to make sure this truck was finished.
Jason and Sue Russell and the guys at
Airhead Kustoms, who stuck it out and got all 22 feet of this truck painted for us. They stayed late many nights give the truck its unique exterior.
Ryan Franklin at
Painted Rhino who not only hand-crafted the truck's body kit, but came by for some crazy last-minute work that only he and his guys could knock out under such intense deadlines. I've taken to calling on Ryan in near, if not full-on, panic from time to time and he's always been there for us. The guy is a class act.
Our late-night, 11th hour friends who stuck out the final push with us, Tommy Roberts, "Chino" Avila, Nick Zajkowski and Robbie Ellis, who can tape headlights like nobody's business.
Also a big thank you to Wayne Reed, KC Horvath, and the guys at Hamner Towing for coming at all hours to transport our beast of a truck.
Of course the truck wouldn't have be been nearly as cool without many of the great products that are featured on it. We had the opportunity to work with some great companies on this build and would very much like to thank them (in no particular order):
American Force Wheels - For supplying the amazing rolling stock for our truck and ensuring people will always stuff their heads in the rear wheels and ask "how deep are these???"
Falken Tire - For their excellent tires, both on the truck and on the wheels in the bed.
BASF Refinish - For the paint and supplies needed to give this truck a beautiful finish.
DJM Suspension - For giving the truck the low-slung stance we were hoping for with their excellent suspension components.
Pecca Leathers - For their beautiful work on our seats and making sure our backsides are riding in comfort and style.
Rockford Fosgate - For making sure our ear drums are in mortal peril.
BedRug - For laying the foundation of our truck's showpiece bed.
Snow Performance - For the boost juice and the smiles that go with it.
QuietRide Solutions - For keeping the good sounds in and the bad sounds out.
Billet Badges - Steve makes some true automotive jewelry and helps feed my inner narcissist by helping to put my logo on the truck in style.
Hydromech/CMAI Industries - For creating an excellent hydraulic lift system for our bed and for being super helpful along the way.
AFE Power - For being the first company to jump onboard and for making sure the truck breathes in only the good stuff.
Nitrous Express - For their awesome Diesel Nitrous kit and accessories which always draw a crowd.
Street Scene Equipment - One of the coolest companies I've had the pleasure of working with since I got into the game, they supplied the huge rear fenders and roll pan for the truck.
Hellwig Products - For supplying big beefy sway bars to help keep the truck from getting too out of hand.
NSV Auto - For sending an 11th hour care package from half way around the world to help light up the front of our truck.
Dashboard Devices - For supplying and installing their ENV100 in-dash computer system.
Undercover - For supplying us with awesome SwingCase Toolboxes and for being fun to chat about car design with.
Gaylord's Lids - For supplying a gigantic bed lid to cap our truck off with.
Firestone - For their RideRite helper bag kit to ensure a comfortable ride even with a ton of stuff in the bed.
DPE Wheels - For the beautiful wheels on display in the truck's bed.
TireGate/Wilschur Manufacturing - For...well, a bunch of things really. They engineered the bed-mounted tire cage, made beautiful wheel knock-off caps, built the floor of the bed, and cut the amazing exhaust tips featured on the truck. These guys can do it all and were a tremendous help. Not to mention they put up with all of my last-minute needs. Paul, Vishal, Derek, Steve, and everyone else there were fantastic to work with.
And last, but far from least, Sherry, Melvin, and everyone who had a hand in SEMA at
Ford Motor Company. You guys are awesome and have made this project and our time at the SEMA Show some of the most memorable and enjoyable things I've ever experienced.
And a few hours later...
We received a very special delivery today, but definitely not the kind a stork drops off...
