By Brandon Burrell – Images by the Author
For a lot of us, the love for vehicles started at an early age. Whether it’s a cool car on a TV show or movie or a neighbor who has a custom truck, something sparks that interest in us. While many kids find other things that excite them, for us gearheads sheetmetal formed into cool shapes does it for us. For Tony Hicks, he was one of those kids inspired early in life. We asked Tony when it happened for him and he remembered it vividly. “It was the kind of moment that sticks with you. I was around 8 years old when I first saw her—a 1966 red Ford F-100, owned by a friend of my uncle. Even then, I felt drawn to that truck. It wasn’t flashy by today’s standards, but there was something about the rugged body lines and the no-nonsense stance that made it unforgettable. I couldn’t have known then, but that truck and I had a future together.” Most of the time, that vehicle that sparked it for us is just a faint memory and we can never see it again, but that’s not the case for Tony. Years later, that F-100 was owned by a man who worked for his family’s construction business. When he heard in 1980 that he was planning to sell it, he jumped at the chance. Tony says, “I was 21, newly married, and full of excitement to buy my first truck. That’s how ‘Ol’ Red’ came home with me.” For seven years, Ol’ Red was his daily driver. Tony and his brother lived next door to each other and worked together. Some mornings, they rode in together. Other days, they drove separately and raced each other home like a pair of teenagers with something to prove. He said the neighbors still talk about those days.
Eventually, Tony upgraded to a newer truck and parked Ol’ Red in the shop, always telling himself he’d fix her up “one day.” His father was a classic car collector, so Tony and his brothers worked on his restorations whenever bad weather slowed down their construction work. Just like many of us, life got busy and projects get forgotten, so Ol’ Red waited. From 1987-18, it sat in that shop but was never forgotten. Remarkably, since Ol’ Red was stored indoors, it was still rust-free and solid after all those years, with only 105,000 miles on the odometer. When he finally decided it was time to bring her back, Tony knew he wanted a top-notch restoration. For that, he called Andy Mayes of Maz-Coat Customs in his hometown in Northeast Georgia. It took more than a year to convince him to take on the project. He was reluctant because people told him Tony would be hard to please, they would be in a fist fight before it was over with, and he’d never finish it. Despite reservations, Andy finally agreed and the three-year restoration was underway. Tony says “I am happy to report that Andy and I have never had a cross word between us. He does amazing work and is now a good friend.”
Once Andy and his sons, Jamie and Jack, got the truck into the Maz-Coat Customs shop and torn apart, they set a plan in motion to make it exactly what Tony always dreamed it would be. Starting from the ground up, they swapped the boring stock frame for a custom one from Fatman Fabrications, complete with Ridetech coilovers and Wilwood brakes. This gave the truck a much better stance while helping it drive and ride better. With the chassis done, it was time to give the truck the power to move it down the road. For this, they installed a Maloof Racing–built Ford 438 stroker engine with a 4.155 bore and a 4.00 stroke. Parts like a Dart block, AFR cylinder heads, Concept One accessory drive, Holly EFI high-ram intake, and Holly Terminator X fuel injection make sure it would run right. Ultimate Headers, MagnaFlow mufflers, and custom stainless exhaust ensure the engine breathes nicely. This was mated to a Gearstar Stage 4 4R70W transmission and a narrowed Currie 9-inch rearend. For rollers, they opted for Billet Specialties 19×9 and 19×12 wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
With the full rolling chassis and drivetrain done, it was time to dial in the body to look even better than it did new back in 1966. The Maz-Coat Customs crew handled all the bodywork to ensure the new PPG High Chroma Red paint would look flawless. The rear bumper was tucked while the front bumper was custom built to eliminate the factory tag box. All the chrome was redone to bring it all back to life as well. The smooth, painted sheetmetal carried into the engine bay to make that built engine have a nice place to call home.
The only thing left at this point was to get the interior to the same caliber as the chassis and exterior. For this Ol’ Red was taken over to 626 Custom Upholstery to build the new panels and console to be wrapped in Relicate leather. A set of bucket seats out of an Infiniti QX60 were cut down and wrapped in matching leather. Square-weave carpet was laid front to back for a classy look and to tie it all together. American Autowire was used to provide the right connections for the truck as well as the Dakota Digital gauges and climate control panel that were mounted in a custom dash panel.
Since Tony took possession of the finished truck, he has been burning up the show circuit with it and enjoying it even more than he did back when it was his daily driver. In 2021, they rolled her out for her first show, Battle in Bama at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. Out of more than 1,500 vehicles, Ol’ Red took home Best Paint. Then, in 2023, she claimed Best of Show at the F-100 Supernationals in Sevierville, Tennessee, standing out among 800 Ford trucks. Tony says “The trophies are special, but they’re not the whole story. The real reward has been the journey. Reconnecting with old memories, collaborating with Andy and his sons, making new friends at shows, and meeting fellow enthusiasts who appreciate the history behind every curve of the sheetmetal. Ol’ Red isn’t just a restored classic, she’s a reminder of my youth. She’s a piece of the past brought back to life, with a whole lot of pride and plenty of horsepower.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
