The KBS 1948 Ford F1 is a restomod pickup built by Cool Hand Customs in Middleton, Wisconsin, for owner Marty Schutz, and protected and painted with nine KBS Coatings products. RustSeal seals the frame, KBS 2K DTM Build Primer and KBS MAXX in Relic Metallic Blue cover the body, and KBS MAXX Clear finishes it. Every product is listed below so you can get the same results.
Updated October 2026 by the KBS Coatings team. Build photos courtesy of Cool Hand Customs.
Every KBS Product on the 1948 Ford F1
These are the nine KBS products on the truck, listed from the frame up. Each card shows where it went on the F1 and links to the product page so you can pick your size and order.
RustSeal
On this truck: Frame and underside.
A 1K moisture-cured coating that stops rust and keeps it from coming back. It bonds over bare or lightly rusted metal.
Shop RustSeal →
KBS UnderCoat Rubberized
On this truck: Underside of the cab.
A rubberized, sound-deadening undercoating that protects wheel wells, frames and floor pans from rust and road salt.
Shop KBS UnderCoat Rubberized →
BlackTop
On this truck: All brackets, seat frames and hardware, in Satin.
A UV stable 1K urethane chassis paint in Gloss, Satin or Flat. No clear coat needed.
Shop BlackTop →
KBS Premium Body Filler
On this truck: Exterior bodywork.
A lightweight polyester filler for light filling and finishing. It sands without clogging the paper.
Shop KBS Premium Body Filler →
KBS 2K DTM Build Primer
On this truck: Entire exterior, under the KBS MAXX.
A 4:1 urethane high build primer for bare metal and body filler that sands wet or dry in 1 to 2 hours.
Shop KBS 2K DTM Build Primer →
KBS MAXX
On this truck: Relic Metallic Blue (Matte) on the exterior, most sheet metal, the wood bed frame and the interior. Hot Rod Black (Matte) on the rear roll pan and small parts.
A 2K polyurethane topcoat that goes direct to metal, stays UV stable, and brushes, rolls or sprays.
Shop KBS MAXX →
KBS MAXX Clear
On this truck: Gloss, over the exterior and select surfaces throughout.
A 2K UV resistant urethane clear coat for metal, wood and other surfaces.
Shop KBS MAXX Clear →
Fusion SEP
On this truck: All painted plastic surfaces.
KBS's self-etching primer. On this truck it is the bonding coat under the paint on every plastic part.
Shop Fusion SEP →
KBS Plastic Tank Sealer System
On this truck: Reservoir tank.
A three-step kit with KBS Klean, Fusion SEP and Gold Standard Tank Sealer that permanently seals hard plastic tanks.
Shop KBS Plastic Tank Sealer System →How the 1948 Ford F1 Was Built, Layer by Layer
Cool Hand Customs documented the build from bare frame to finished truck. Here is where each KBS product went, in the order it went on.
Where It Started
Owner Marty Schutz has fond memories of his uncle's pickup and worked toward this build for about 15 years, the last two with Cool Hand Customs. The truck now rides on a Fat Fender Garage chassis, and Cool Hand put more than 1,000 hours into channeling the cab and fabricating the hood, fenders, inner fenders, firewall, doors, dash, box, roll pan, tailgate and trim before any coating went on.
Frame and Underside: RustSeal
The frame and underside are coated in RustSeal. It seals the steel under a hard, non-porous coating so rust has nothing to start on.
Shop RustSeal →
Brackets, Seat Frames and Hardware: BlackTop
Every bracket, the seat frames and the hardware are BlackTop in Satin. BlackTop is a UV stable chassis paint, so these parts hold their black finish without a clear coat.
Shop BlackTop →
Bodywork: KBS Premium Body Filler
With the metal work done, the body was smoothed with KBS Premium Body Filler. It is lightweight and sands without clogging the paper.
Shop KBS Premium Body Filler →
Primer: KBS 2K DTM Build Primer
The entire exterior got KBS 2K DTM Build Primer under the color. It goes direct to metal and over body filler, builds fast and sands smooth for the topcoat.
Shop KBS 2K DTM Build Primer →
Color: KBS MAXX Relic Metallic Blue
The exterior, most of the sheet metal, the wood bed frame and the interior are KBS MAXX in Relic Metallic Blue (Matte). The rear roll pan and small components are KBS MAXX Hot Rod Black (Matte). KBS MAXX is a 2K polyurethane mixed 3:1, and it can be brushed, rolled or sprayed.
Shop KBS MAXX →
Plastic Parts: Fusion SEP
Every painted plastic part on the truck got Fusion SEP first, so the color has something to grip.
Shop Fusion SEP →
Clear Coat: KBS MAXX Clear
Gloss KBS MAXX Clear went over the exterior and select surfaces throughout the truck. It is a 2K UV resistant urethane clear, and it is what turns the Matte Relic Metallic Blue into the shine you see in the photos.
Shop KBS MAXX Clear →
The Finished 1948 Ford F1
Tap any photo to open it full size.
1948 Ford F1 Build Specs
| Owner | Marty Schutz |
|---|---|
| Builder | Cool Hand Customs (EJ and Amy Fitzgerald), Middleton, Wisconsin |
| Paint | KBS MAXX Relic Metallic Blue (Matte) with KBS MAXX Hot Rod Black (Matte) accents, under Gloss KBS MAXX Clear, plus an airbrushed Coyote badge on the hood |
| Engine | Whipple supercharged Ford Performance 5.0L Coyote Aluminator V8 |
| Transmission | Ford 10R80 with paddle shifters |
| Rear axle | Strange Ultra Fab 9 inch, 3.70 gears |
| Chassis | Fat Fender Garage PBFab |
| Suspension | AccuAir air ride, Bluetooth controlled |
| Brakes | Wilwood discs at all four wheels |
| Wheels | Stark Forged INS9, 18 inch and 20 inch |
| Tires | Lexani Performance, 225/45ZR18 and 315/30ZR20 |
| Exhaust | 3 inch stainless with cutouts |
| Body | Channeled cab; fabricated hood, fenders, inner fenders, firewall, engine beauty covers, visor, doors, dash, box, roll pan, tailgate and trim |
| Bed | Quarter sawn oak tilt bed floor over a hidden "Brunk" cargo area |
| Interior | Hand fabricated steel door panels, center console and headliner upholstered in saddle and black by Cool Hand Customs; TMI seats; Apex Leather German basketweave carpet |
| Electronics | Bluetooth Dakota Digital gauges, Kenwood stereo with front and rear cameras, Restomod Air heat and A/C, power windows, American Autowire Highway 22+ wiring |
| Heat, sound and seals | Thermo-Tec heat and sound deadening, Steele Rubber weatherstripping |
Get the Same Finish on Your Project
You do not need to build a show truck to use what is on this one. Follow the same order Cool Hand Customs did:
- RustSeal on the frame and any steel that will not show.
- BlackTop on brackets, suspension parts and hardware.
- KBS Premium Body Filler for low spots, then KBS 2K DTM Build Primer over the body.
- Fusion SEP on any plastic you plan to paint.
- KBS MAXX in your color, then Gloss KBS MAXX Clear for the same shine. Or order your color in Gloss and skip the clear coat.
Not sure about the color? Order a free painted-out sample of Relic Metallic Blue or any KBS MAXX color.
Built by Cool Hand Customs
Cool Hand Customs is a 4,000 square foot shop in Middleton, Wisconsin, run by the husband and wife team of EJ and Amy Fitzgerald. It is just the two of them. On this truck they did the metal fabrication and the upholstery, using TMI material to match the TMI seats, and they designed and 3D printed the interior bezels, switches, console boxes and intake parts. All build photos on this page are courtesy of Cool Hand Customs and used with permission.
Frequently Asked Questions About the KBS 1948 Ford F1
Still have questions about the products on the 1948 Ford F1? Our technical team is ready to help.
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