2019 Lincoln Navigator | The Crown Jewel of Central Florida 

The Crown Jewel of Central Florida, A 2019 Lincoln Navigator

The chances of seeing another Navigator built quite like this one are slim to none (we’re betting on none). That’s not a statement of arrogance but rather one of sheer honesty, really. Cutting up a modern luxury SUV sounds like a cool thing to do, but there are a lot of delicate intricacies that could turn the project sour with quickness.

David Shulman, a jeweler from Lake Mary, Florida, is never afraid to take on a challenge, and he did know his desire to ‘bag and body drop a newish Navi would be tricky, but boy, was there a lot of variables that could’ve left him with nothing but a useless, high-dollar scrap pile.

Now, why would someone take a chance on a project with the odds of disaster looming so closer overhead? Well, that is a story best to be heard directly from the horse’s mouth.

“I decided to build this truck after Ford Motor Co. had rejected my SEMA $1 project bid for 2019,” David admits. “I had submitted a rendering and proposal for a Ford Expedition but was informed that my plan was ‘not in the direction they were going for,’ or something along those lines.”

Cutting up a modern luxury SUV sounds like a cool thing to do, but there are a lot of delicate intricacies that could turn the project sour with the quickness.   

With Ford’s rejection fresh on his mind, David packed up his family to shop some local dealerships for a preowned Expedition that he could still do something with.

The dealership that David ending up pulling into was a Lincoln lot, and he immediately felt the urge to buy something that day might be too strong to fight off.

“I was crawling up and down and underneath a Navigator with my cell phone in hand and Jake McKiddie at Phat Phabz on the other end,” David says. “After going back and forth for a while, Jake flat out asked me how serious I was about starting a complicated build, and I told him that I would buy one that day if he thought he could finish the project for SEMA.”

In a matter of seconds, the challenge was accepted. With time officially ticking down, the Navigator was swiftly dropped off to Phat Phabz HQ in Choctaw, Oklahoma. Since the plan was to go as low as possible, Jake and partner in crime Kyle Dimetroff both agreed that a full front-to-back custom frame was in order. Nobody makes kits for trucks like these, so a scratch-built chassis was really the only way to go. While a job of this nature isn’t exactly impossible, as fabrication work is what these guys specialize in. It’s the factory-equipped on-board electrical system that posed the biggest threat to their success. Luckily, Jake and Kyle know what they’re doing, and weren’t scared to swan dive into the project.

With the new chassis complete and all the components all in place, the time to bolt on a set of fresh wheels was the next step to figuring out some clearance issues. The rear 26×12 MTW wheels didn’t pose any problem, but the front 26×9 units caused the first big bump in the road. The back of the headlights was obstructing the wheels from taking up the required space they needed, so the light housings had to be removed, and the backsides were cut back to nearly nothing.

“The HID ballasts also had to be removed and mounted separately, and new backings for the housings had to be made and resealed,” David adds. “Luckily, Max, Kenny and the crew at Xineering really dug into the electrical system and figured out how to modify the headlight controls while also manufacturing bypass modules for the factory computers to simulate the shocks and ride height adjustments to keep everything else working as it should.”

The next major phase of the project was to create a custom interior space worthy of a true full-custom luxury vehicle. To accomplish this mission, David turned to a longtime friend, Eric Cryan at Advanced Audio Concepts in Pompano, Beach, Florida, to get the job done.

I wanted to tie in my business to the build somehow, as I regularly attend cars and coffee meet-ups and small upscale events showing my jewelry inventory and advertising my buying/selling ventures, so I wanted the truck to reflect this.   

“Eric and I have known each other for 20-plus years,” David says. “He did the stereo on my first real big build, so naturally, when I knew I wanted something really nice, he’d be the man to call.”

Eric orchestrated a complete audio package featuring Focal speakers and subs, Mosconi amps, as well as a Nav-TV Zen unit for full integration with the factory stereo system. To house the four subs and two amps in style, Eric built a custom down firing, sealed enclosure that sports plexiglass panes and custom lighting for sake of visual appeal. On top of all that, lots of aluminum and real wood veneer details were peppered throughout the cab to tie everything together.

The real kicker in the cab is the hidden, motorized jewelry tray that houses two Rolex watches, six valuable coins and a silver $100 bill. Yeah, it’s a pretty baller display, but is a representation of what David does for a living as a jeweler.

“I wanted to tie in my business to the build somehow, as I regularly attend cars and coffee meet-ups and small upscale events showing my jewelry inventory and advertising my buying/selling ventures, so I wanted the truck to reflect this,” he says. “Oh, and the fiber optic starlight headliner was the icing on the cake for the interior. It really gave us that Rolls Royce treatment, in my opinion.”

In the end, was all the work and worry worth it? David thinks so. The Navi was completed in time for SEMA ’19, and has since been shown at LST ’20 and ’21, as well as Battle in ‘Bama and the Mini-Nats event. The road to glory wasn’t all freshly paved and smooth, but the talented team of fabricators involved made it all happen.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” David says. “You better have an iron stomach and know people who understand these new computer systems before taking a build like this on.”

With 37 on-board computers to deal with, the guys had their work cut out for them, that’s for sure.

“I’d like to thank my wife and kids for tolerating me during this whole thing,” David says. “Big thanks to Jake and Kyle at Phat Phabz for always taking care of business, Eric Cryan for his creativity and attention to fit and finish, the whole Xineering crew, Martin and Jose at MTW, and a longtime Acrophobia buddy, Mark Brown at Parks Lincoln for helping us with the diagnostics, computer access, and general knowledge and understanding for this vehicle. Another important mention is Casey Carruthers of Transport Ran Under My Protection for taking this thing to shows and shops for me whenever necessary. It really has been a team effort and couldn’t have been possible without each and every person who had a hand in this.”

TRUCK SPECS

Owner 

David Shulman – Check Out A Video Interview Here!

2019 Lincoln Navigator L
Lake Mary, FL
Acrophobia 

Engine

• 2019 Lincoln V-6 450hp
• Twin turbo
• Custom exhaust system
• Magnaflow muffler
• New driveshaft by Phat Phabz

Chassis 

• Shop: Jake McKiddie and Kyle Dimetroff @ Phat Phabz, Choctaw, OK
• Full-custom frame front to back
• One-off A-arm fronts
• Rear straight axle with 4-link and watts link
• Tapered sleeve ‘bags over the axle
• Custom stabilizer by Phat Phabz
• Powdercoat finish
• Accuair e-Level w/ ride height sensors & Endo tank
• Wilwood 6-piston calipers & 16-inch rotors
• Fuel tank by Soulless Innovations

Wheels & Tires 

• 26×9 and 26×12 MTW Chelon 6 wheels

Body & Paint 

• Shop: Phat Phabz and Ultimate Auto, Orlando, FL
• Custom Rose Gold painted trim pieces, moldings and roof rack
• Headlights gutted, rewired and trimmed by Retro Customz, Lake Worth, FL
• New bypass modules and wiring by Xineering, Chulupto, FL

Interior 

• Shop: Eric Cryan @ Advanced Audio Concepts, Pompano Beach, FL
• Focal Kevlar component speakers, Mosconi amplifiers
• Full-custom rear enclosure w/ four Focal 10-inch subs and plexi windows
• Custom wood and billed machined inserts throughout cab
• Motorized hidden jewelry tray featuring gold and silver coins, bars and two Rolex watches
• Fiber optic starlight headliner