Reviving Classics: KC and Luke Mathieu’s Road to SEMA 2022

KC and Luke Mathieu’s Unforgettable Journey

I got a call back in October 2022 from KC Mathieu of KC’s Paint Shop asking me what my plans were for SEMA. I told him I was going to fly in, and he offered me the chance to come out to Texas a couple of days before they headed to SEMA and record the journey for my YouTube channel, Ford Era. At the time, I was also the editor of F-100 Builder’s Guide magazine, so I figured this would make a fun article. Here we are, a couple of years later, and finally getting this story published.

I flew into Fort Worth, Texas, two days before KC told me we were supposed to drive to Vegas for SEMA. What I didn’t know until I got to his shop was that the trucks were nowhere near finished or ready to be driven to Vegas. And so began the longest three days ever—a 100% serious SEMA crunch.

To give a bit of backstory, KC and the team built not one, but two trucks for SEMA 2022: a 1948 Ford F-1 for himself and a 1976 Ford F-100 for his 15-year-old son, Luke. The story behind these builds is one of the best.

KC is an avid Ford truck lover. I was first drawn to Bumpsides after seeing his on Fast N’ Loud back in the day. His son Luke turned 15 and accompanied KC to the Grand National F-100 Show in May 2022. While KC was stuck at the booth, Luke asked if I could show him around. He didn’t know anyone there and was hanging out with me as I walked around the show, looking at all the trucks and seeing how awesome the classic Ford truck culture is. That weekend, Luke got bit by the F-100 bug. Up until then, he didn’t show much interest in trucks—he was more into drifting. He told his father KC on the way back home from Tennessee to Texas that he realized he liked shortbed Dentsides.

Luke missed going on the epic road trip to and from SEMA in 2016 when KC built the 1949 Ford F-1 and the 1953 Chevy 3100. This lingered in his mind. KC’s buddy Aaron Kaufman had an old Dentside he wanted to sell, so they called Aaron, went to look at the truck, and a deal was made. The truck had a Crown Vic front suspension and a flip rear. The idea was for a father-son project so Luke could learn how to build a truck and get more into the hot rod side of the shop since he was working at the auto and lube center. KC also wanted Luke to have his own SEMA experience, similar to the one he and his buddies had back in 2016.

This simple father-son build escalated quickly. KC decided to rebuild one of his favorite trucks ever—the 1949 Ford F-1, which he built in 2016 but regretted selling. He found a 1948 F-1 body through his buddy Cody Cutfourth, along with a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis. Being the painter extraordinaire he is, KC works closely with BASF Refinish, and was offered its SEMA spots. With two trucks and a plan to build a truck with his boy, they set out to road trip them to Vegas.

For Luke’s truck, they initially considered the Crown Vic front suspension but then opted for the new bolt-on Ridetech front and rear suspension made for that exact truck. KC knew what every young boy wants—a powerful V8 with a manual transmission. So Luke’s truck got a Gen 2 stock 5.0 Coyote backed by an American Powertrain Tremec manual transmission, with Wilwood brakes and billet Budnik wheels. They decided to add a satin clear coat over the incredible patina for an even sheen while completely repainting the interior in the original Hot Ginger color. Other updates included a full rewire, Dakota Digital RTX gauges, a full JL Audio sound system, and a Restomod Air HVAC system. PG Upholstery handled the interior.

For KC’s 1948 F-1, he had a vision of a low, fast, and menacing truck with a monotone color palette for a sleek look. The truck has a Roadster Shop chassis, a massive Whipple supercharged 5.2L Aluminator backed by an American Powertrain Tremec Magnum 6-speed transmission. The interior, done by PG, includes Dakota Digital gauges, a custom-made steering wheel, a hidden JL Audio stereo, and Restomod Air HVAC.

As the SEMA crunch approached, I flew into Fort Worth, expecting a smooth ride to Vegas. Instead, I found myself in the middle of a frantic build. KC’s friends, many from his high school days, showed up to lend a hand. It was incredible to see how they supported him, not just wanting to see him succeed but also being right by his side to make it happen.

The last three days were a blur of buttoning up the trucks. Luke’s truck was nearly complete and just needed final assembly. Cody from StangHi Performance handled the tuning. KC meticulously painted or cerakoted every part, nut, and bolt, ensuring everything was perfect despite the rush.

Another crucial part of the story is KC’s Supercab, which was planned to be the chase truck following behind with a trailer and tools. The old 460 big block wasn’t going to cut it, so it got a Ford Performance 7.3L Godzilla and a 10r140 swapped into it, topped off with a Harrop supercharger. Cody from StangHi tried his best to dial it all in but  the decision was made to not  drive the Supercab. Instead, the 1948 F1 was towed to Vegas. KC was too exhausted to drive after basically not sleeping for four days.

We hooked KC’s RV camper to the trailer, loaded the 1948 F-1, and set off for Vegas. Luke drove Larky by himself, and we drove non-stop, arriving in Las Vegas without any issues. Luke was a trooper, driving all night long. Watching KC, Luke, and everyone involved see months of hard work unveiled on the main stage at SEMA was surreal.

KC and Luke enjoyed a stress-free road trip back to Texas after SEMA 2022, but unfortunately, I couldn’t join them. If you want to watch all of this unfold, I made a full YouTube video. Just search “Ford Era” on YouTube. This isn’t the end of the story, though—there’s another article in this issue detailing the rest of our journey. (Add page number here)

Stay tuned for more updates from the world of classic Ford trucks and the amazing builds from KC’s Paint Shop.

Photo Credit: SOLOMON LUNGER