Choose Your Build Path
An avenue is a single job. A path is the whole truck, sequenced so you never buy a part twice. Tap a path to see its order of operations.
Budget Junkyard Restomod
Donor parts, sweat equity, smart new parts only where safety demands it. The lane this site was built for.
Donor-first · Lowest total cost Path 02The Cruiser
Comfortable, reliable, drive-it-anywhere. Modern brakes and steering, mild drop, an engine that starts every single time.
Mid budget · Max seat time Path 03Pro-Touring
Coilovers, big brakes, wide rubber, serious power. A bumpside that corners like it means it — built in stages so the wallet survives.
Staged spend · Highest ceilingBudget Junkyard Restomod — Order of Operations
Pull first, buy second. The sequence that keeps a donor build cheap: every step unlocks the next, and nothing gets painted before it fits.
1 · Donor hunt
Crown Vic cradle up front, Explorer 8.8 out back — same 5×4.5″ pattern, factory 3.73 LSD when the door code reads D4. GT40P Explorer 5.0 on the same yard trip if one’s there. Grab harnesses, hardware, and anything attached — yard trips are the real cost.
2 · Front end swap
CV cradle in, steering connected, stock motor back in place — $1,500–$3,000 all-in refreshed. Get it rolling and stopping before anything pretty happens.
3 · Stance on a budget
Rear flip kit, shocks, yard-sale wheels in the 5×4.5″ pattern the CV front demands — or DJM Dream Beams money (~$1,000) if you’re keeping the beams. Drive it. Live with it.
4 · Motor refresh
GT40P heads + gaskets on the existing small-block: a ~$350 yard long block against $2,500–$3,500 for an aluminum top end. Real power per dollar, no swap fabrication.
The Cruiser — Order of Operations
Built to be driven to dinner, to work, to the next state. Reliability and comfort outrank lap times at every step.
1 · Brakes & steering first
Crown Vic front end for discs + rack steering, new lines and master cylinder. A cruiser that won't stop straight isn't a cruiser.
2 · Mild drop, real ride
2–3″ drop with quality shocks and full-travel bump stops. Stance without the harshness.
3 · Motor for manners
Rebuilt small-block, or keep it and add Holley Sniper 2 EFI ($1,400–$2,200 all-in with the fuel system) — cold starts, A/C-friendly idle, highway gears. Quiet exhaust you can talk over.
4 · The comfort stack
Dakota Digital RTX gauges (~$1,677–$1,727), Vintage Air SureFit A/C ($2,472), sound deadening and fresh carpet. The step most builds skip and every passenger notices.
Pro-Touring — Order of Operations
Staged so the truck stays drivable between phases. Each stage is a complete, balanced package — never power before brakes.
1 · Chassis & brakes
QA1 bolt-in coilovers (from $4,359.95) or a full chassis — Roadster Shop SPEC at $15,495, Fat Fender packages $30,000–$75,000+. C-notch, big Wilwood discs all around, sway bars. The foundation everything else stands on.
2 · Wheels & rubber
Wide forged or flow-formed wheels, 200-treadwear rubber, alignment specs for grip — not just looks.
3 · Power
Gen 3/4 Coyote + 10R80 (crate builds run $22,000–$34,000 per Street Trucks) or a built stroker small-block, cooling to match. Power is step three, never step one.
4 · Dial it in
Corner weights, shock tuning, shakedown miles. The difference between a parts list and a pro-touring truck is this stage.
