Justin's Ford in Progress

Recent Events

2009-12-06T16:37:00.001-08:00

Since the last post the truck has made many appearances. Here are two that have happened in the last year.

It was in the Memorial Day Parade in Dansville, Michigan this year. Last year it broke down right before the parade so Justin was very excited to drive it in 2009. His dream was to be able to drive it in the parade and that happened this year.

It was also in the SEMA car show in Las Vegas, NV during the fall of 2009. This is the second time it has been in this show and this year it was in the Ford Cruisin' Legends section of the show. Justin also travelled to Las Vegas and was able to show off his truck and talk about it with other visitors.

(I apologize for this picture being sideways, it keeps rotating after Iupload it and I can't seem to change it once it is loaded.)

Here It Is!!!!

2007-11-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Justin's Truck has been finished! It still has a few more things to go but it runs and it looks complete! Justin and his brother are in Los Vegas this week to see the truck at SEMA. Then it will come back and be in a few shows before Justin will get the completed truck next spring.

Justin telling the story of the truck to the whole crowd

The finished truck rear view

Finished truck front view

Justin gets his first ride in his new truck

The new steering column and dash board

The new engine under the hood

The seats with Make A Wish embroidered on them

Justin's first chance to sit in the driver seat

Justin's grandfather that has been with him through the whole process

Justin being interviewed by a local reporter

Justin and some of the guys that made this all possible

Thank you to everyone who shared in this day with Justin and made it possible. And for those of you that weren't able to make, I hope this helps you somewhat see Justin's truck!

The Big Day

2007-10-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Today is the day of the car show at Washtenaw Community College. Justin has been getting extremely excited and was asked not to come to the college for the last 10 days so he will be surprised. More information to come in the next few days!

Here is also a news article that was posted by Ford in their publication in June, 2006. Enjoy and if you want to look at the article yourself check out the link on the right hand side of the page!

Volunteers Help Rebuild Classic Ford Truck To Make a Youngster's Wish Come True
By Jessica Thiringer
Special to FCN Online
DEARBORN, June 21, 2006 (FCN) -- Justin Lilly, 18, his dad, and other family and friends crowded into the cafeteria at Ford's Beech Daly Technical Center building recently to build a very special engine. Now a makeshift garage, the cafeteria's plastic chairs had been pushed up against the wall, making room for rolling tool boxes, an engine block, and a cart full of high-performance engine parts.
Lilly, with an unfailing smile and bright eyes, was there because his wish was coming true: he restored his father's 1951 Ford F-100 pickup with the help of 30 Ford volunteers, Washtenaw Community College and the Michiganchapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Lilly, of Jackson, Mich., has bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disorder marked by abnormal scarring in the lungs, and is only able to use about 30 percent of his lungs. He uses oxygen while sleeping.
"With the tools I have and the mechanics I know, the best I could have done [on the truck] was to drop in my rebuilt flathead V8 [engine] and drive it like it is," said Lilly, taking a break for pepperoni pizza and soda. "I was getting under the truck, rust falling in my face whenever I'd work on it. Now the whole thing is being built new, from the ground up. I never could have done this myself."
Lilly wanted to restore his father's classic Ford F-100 pickup for years; it hadn't run in nearly two decades. He remembers constantly asking his dad, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we worked on the truck?”
The entire truck is being entirely overhauled. Ford is donating a racing engine: a 2003 4.6-liter 4-valve Cobra engine with a Kenne-Bell supercharger. The powertrain was originally built for a 2004 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and entered in the 2005 One Lap of America race. The Custom Cars and Concepts program at Washtenaw Community College is fulfilling Lilly's wish by completely restoring the truck's body.
Described as a gearhead by a family friend, Lilly prefers to spend his time working on, as he describes, "anything with wheels and an engine." “It doesn’t matter if it has four wheels or two. If I could take a lawnmower and do something [hot rod] to it, I’d do it,” he said.
This project is also special to the Ford volunteers.
“Justin’s a car guy, like us,” said Ray Evans, project coordinator. "We can bring him in here, show him things, and he’ll understand. When he’s pushing the gas pedal, he’ll know what’s in his truck. Not many people have the opportunity to come here and build engines."

Lilly helped engine techs Jess Novak and Steve Egan install and fasten some of the pistons and connecting rod assemblies. The engine was completed and then taken to Ford’s Engine Manufacturing Development Operations in Allen Park, Mich., for dyno testing and shipped to the college, where it will be put in the truck. Fabrication on the truck should be complete by early August.
“Justin’s wish is different," said Alissa Shipman, Lilly’s Make-A-Wish wish manager. "The story behind it is special and sentimental.” One of Lilly's favorite stories about the truck is his dad, Doug Lilly, took his mom, Shawn, on their first date in the truck in 1981.
The truck was parked for 20 years, and by 2002, it had sunk in the ground up to the frame.
“Everything was seized up. I spent the first two weeks with a torch in my hand while my grandpa had a hammer and a grease gun, trying to loosen everything up,” said Lilly.
Evans called in some of the team members who worked on the CVPI project and other highly talented employees.
“We knew this engine would be perfect for Justin’s truck. We were in the right place at the right time when this opportunity came up," said Evan s, echoing the sentiments of the entire Ford team.
Lilly would like to paint the truck cherry red with a silver base coat. “With that silver, the red looks almost maroon. I think it’s really nice," he said. His wish list also includes bucket seats with a console and a three-point harness.
After some internal debate, Lilly decided he’d like an automatic transmission.
Most of the truck's parts aren’t salvageable. The Ol’ Parts Mining Company, which specializes in Ford restoration, is accepting donations through its Web page for Lilly’s truck. Contributions include a bed kit and tonneau cover from Pro’s Pick, a chassis from Fatman Fabrications, a full brake system from Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation, a steering wheel from Grant and performance tires from Goodyear.
"This is the first time we've done a project like this here," says Bob Calleja, Beech Daly build area supervisor. "I don't think it will be the last, either. We love this, and the guys love it, too."
The best part of the project, according to Evans, was no contest. "The look on Justin's face. He rode in a red Cobra on the way to the dyno test and couldn't quit smiling," he said.

Truck Will be in Show October 7

2007-09-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Justin's truck is now near "show" completion. It will be unveiled at Washtenaw Community College in 15 days, October 7th at around 12:00 noon. The show is from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM. It is a college wide show where different departments at the school feature their various programs.

The truck will likely be shown toward the end of October in Las Vegas. This show is called "SEMA" and is one of the two larger shows for the college that happen once per year. The truck has a chance of being in the "Ford"
booth but if not will be in another booth at the show.

The truck will then be put in various Ford dealerships in Ann arbor and Jackson throughout the winter. In March it will be in the other big yearly show called Auto Rama at Cobo Hall Detroit. Justin will probably get the truck for himself next spring sometime after the Ford crew is done "tweaking" the performance.

Justin's Graduating!

2007-05-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Justin will be graduating from Northwest High School

June 3rd, 2007

We will be having an open house to celebrate this event!
Justin's home
June 9th, 2007
1-4 PM
Come if you would like!
The truck will NOT be here

Most recent news:

Custom made Dashboard Guages

Gene Winfield came in to chop the top

Another picture of him working

Putting the top back on

Other improvements:

Put the CC logo stamp on the tailgate
Currently ordering electric tailgate locks
Wheels came in (pictures coming later)
Back end has been tubbed
Fixed radiator size problems
Suicide doors put in

Near future work:

Bed painted and finished
Rear bumper lights finished

Estimated completion date:

Still unknown at this time

Keep checking back for more information

Recent Pictures

2006-07-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Justin Standing outside his Truck

Truck from the front

Justin Sitting inside his Truck

Engine inside the Truck

Truck Radiator

Truck Bed and Back Hatch

The Latest

2006-06-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Justin and many of his friends and family visited Ford Racing where they were given a tour of the place as well as watching some of the assembly of his engine. Justin was also given the opportunity to put in 7 of the 8 pistons on his engine.

A week later Justin and some of his family members visited Washtenaw Community College to see how the progress of the actual truck was coming at the time. The engine had already been delivered to the school, completely ready to be put into the truck.

This sticker was placed on the side of the engine as you can see in the picture above, made especially for Justin.

Running boards being made
Completed chassis Brake System
Truck bed just before being primed
Transmission While at the college Justin was also given the opportunity to go for a ride in a previously finished project by the college. A Ford GT500

We would like to thank everyone for your interest in Justin's ongoing project and your encouragement to his family throughout this.

If you would like to know about any of the parts that have been donated already or are interested in what still may need to be donated there will soon be a link on the right side of this page that says The Ol' Parts Mining Co.

We will try to keep the blog posted more often now that things are coming along much quicker.

Engine Correction

2006-04-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

The engine for Justin's Wish is coming from this vehicle. Ford placed 5th in the "One Lap of America" race in 2005.
It started life as a 2003 SVT Cobra engine, but has been modified since then with the addition of the Kenne-Bell supercharger, custom Mass-Air meter and injectors, and custom fuel system, and has been rebuilt by our internal prototype engine build facility. In full-tune, it should indeed make 630 flywheel hp, but Ford will also give Justin a larger supercharger pulley and belt in case he wants to tone it down to around 550 or so, depending on what Justin is comfortable with. Ford has invited Justin to visit their prototype shop to watch them assemble the engine as it has been recently reworked for Justin's truck.

What's Up?

2006-03-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

Just want to let everyone know what has been occuring in the progress of Justin's truck. Justin visited the Auto Rama car show in Detroit March 3rd and got a few ideas of colors for his truck, and a few other decisions he is thinking about. He is leaning toward candy red for his truck right now. While there Justin was informed that Ford is now considering donating a super charged 4.6 liter Roush racing engine with 630 horse power, which has gotten Justin extremely excited.

After this news, Justin's dad decided that it would be a good idea to take him to test drive a mustang with a similar engine in it so that Justin could get a feel of what his truck will be like in the end. In the middle of March, a time was set up with a Ford dealership to allow Justin to drive a Mustang. After this experience, Justin is now leaning toward having an automatic transmission put in his car instead of a manual.

Special thanks to Marianne and the employees at Grand Ledge Ford for helping with Justin's wish!

Truck Pick Up

2006-02-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

Justin's Truck was picked up Saturday, February 11 by Washtenaw Community CollegeGary saw the truck for the first time

Pushing the truck into the trailer

Justin being interviewed by the Jackson Citizen Patriot

And this is the article that was on the front page of the Jackson Cit Pat on Sunday Feb 12
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1139742428267350.xml?jacitpat?NEJ&coll=3

Classic project
Make-A-Wish, college to help restore '51 Ford pickup
Sunday, February 12, 2006
By Aaron Foleyafoley@citpat.com -- 768-4944
By July, the Lilly family probably won't recognize the classic Ford pickup they've known for decades.
Back in 1975, Doug Lilly and his brother, Dave, got the bright red 1951 Ford F100 pickup to drive around their hometown of Dansville. Doug's wife, Shawn, is quite familiar with the truck: She rode around in it while the couple was still dating.
Doug's son, Justin, decided to restore the truck -- rusted, partially sunken into the ground and not running since 1981 -- in 2002. He and his grandfather spent two years looking for the right parts. Eventually, a new engine was put in.
It was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill restoration. But with some added help from some outside sources, it's anyone's guess as to what the truck will look like by the summer.
Washtenaw Community College and the Michigan chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation are working together to completely make over the truck.
Justin has bronchopulmonary dysplasia, an abnormal development of lung tissue. Born premature, Justin's lungs did not grow to their full capacity.
"He has about 30 percent of his lung capacity," Shawn Lilly said.
He could not complete the body work on the truck because of how the chemicals in the body paint affect his breathing.
On Saturday, the truck was taken from Justin's grandparents' home in Pleasant Lake to WCC in Ann Arbor, where automotive professors and students will finish the restoration.
The 55-year-old truck will have some modern toys added to it -- a new sound system, chrome detail, a DVD player and GPS navigation are just a few ideas Lilly has tossed around.
"The look I'm going for is kind of sleek and smooth," said the 17-year-old Northwest High School junior.
Besides adding new accessories, WCC will also replace the engine and tires, and refinish the body.
Lilly, a car buff, happens to be a fan of shows such as "Pimp My Ride" and "Rides," where ordinary cars are completely redone with state-of-the-art features. WCC's Custom Cars and Projects, which will be involved with the restoration, was featured on "Rides."
"I'm kind of in awe about all the things they want to do and are willing to do," Lilly said. "I've never had a chance at anything like this."
Lilly said he plans on showing the truck at car conventions, as well as driving it in parades.
"We're just real grateful that someone would be willing to do this for Justin," Doug Lilly said. "It's way beyond anything we ever expected."
It's something Justin Lilly has been waiting for a long time, his mother said.
"I'm just overwhelmed that this is really happening for him," Shawn Lilly said.

The Basics

2006-02-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

History:
Justin was born in 1988 with Bronchial Pulmonary Displasia as a result of a premature twin birth. This caused the death of his brother as well as years in and out of hospitals and surgeries to help make his life better. In November 2004, while undergoing physical therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation, Cecilia who worked in the rehab clinic and was a Make-A-Wish volunteer, informed Justin's mom that he was medically eligible for a wish experience from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan.
Justin had been working on his 1951 Ford pickup truck for three years by this time and decided that he wanted his wish to be finishing the body work on his truck. Justin would not have been able to do most of the body work on his truck, due to the many chemicals that would be needed that may harm his lungs. Make-A-Wish cannot actually buy a new vehicle for someone, due to high costs, and since Justin already had his vehicle he didn't need a new one, so he decided that having the body work done would be best.
Cecilia was assigned as Justin's Make-A-Wish volunteer and came to the house in the early winter of 2005 to discuss his wish. After deciding on his wish, the Make-A-Wish Foundation began researching various options and leads to help fulfill his wish. Almost a year later, Cecilia had begun working with Alyssa who is now his wish granter. The good news arrived that Washtenaw Community College was on board to help make Justin's wish become a reality. Gary Sobbry, head of the auto department at Washtenaw Community College, contacted Justin and his family and informed them that they would be happy to assist with Justin's wish with one exception: they would not only do the body work, but, they wanted to fix his entire truck.

The Truck:
In 1975 Justin's Grandpa bought an old 1951 Ford Pickup truck. Justin's Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle Dave worked together to restore the truck and by 1978, they had it running and usable. In 1981 Justin's Dad took the woman who would later become his wife and Justin's mom to her Senior year Junior Senior Banquet. Later that year, in August , Justin's dad's family moved to California and the truck was parked in the backyard where it stayed from the time that they left, until Justin decided to fix it up around 2002. At that time, they pulled it out of the yard where it had sunk into the ground and took it to Justin's other Grandfather's house to put in the barn. From this time on Justin and his Grandpa spent a lot of time just trying to find ways to get parts off that couldn't be saved. For Christmas 2004, Justin received a new engine for his truck. It had been completely rebuilt and came from a model that was very close to his own. Now he had something to really work on. He and his grandpa spent many hours taking the old engine out and preparing it to put his new one in. Then he found out that they were going to do the body work on his truck so he got even busier working on his truck so that it would be ready when they were ready. But that's not an issue anymore!

The Next Step:
Justin's truck is going to be picked up and taken to Washtenaw Community College on Saturday, February 11. As of now the changes that will be made, will be to put in a 4.6 Liter Ford Cobra Supercharged engine with almost 400 horsepower with a 6 speed manual transmission. He will also be putting on Goodyear Super Car Tires, rear 12" and front 10". Also, he will maintain the old '51 body and appearance. He wants his truck to appear to be just a restored old Ford pickup.

Future Ideas:
Some features that are still possibilities but have not been decided on yet are: a GPS system, DVD Player, possible video game system, stereo, center console, bucket seats, coil over suspension, finishing the bed, shaved door handles, chopped roof and suede interior. He is still undecided about the interior and exterior colors.

Check for later postings to find updates on the progress of the restoration of this truck! It should be done around July 2006, and after that if it appears in shows, etc. those will be posted as well.