From Farm Truck to King of the Hammers: Sam Collins’ Wild Ultra4 Build

Sam Collins represents everything that makes the Ultra4 scene special - a guy who learned to weld from his old man and turned that knowledge into something absolutely wild. His 1949 Ford F8 Ultra4 rig isn’t just another race car, it’s a masterpiece that perfectly captures the spirit of King of the Hammers racing.

Collins didn’t start with much. He picked up an old farm truck - a genuine F8 semi from back in the day - that was pretty much destroyed. Most people would have walked away, but Collins saw potential where others saw scrap metal. He salvaged the cab and hood, then got to work building something that would make heads turn in the pits at Hammertown.

The heart of this beast is a Ford Coyote crate motor, the same dual overhead cam setup you’d find in a modern Mustang. While most Ultra4 builders are stuffing massive V8s into their chassis, Collins went a different route with his 302. Sure, it’s smaller than what the competition runs, but it’s modern, reliable, and keeps the Ford DNA intact. The trade-off was worth it - no constant wrenching, just pure driving.

Building around that wide Coyote motor presented some serious challenges. The engine’s dimensions meant Collins had to make compromises with the suspension geometry and accessibility, all while working within the tight confines of that vintage cab.This took some problem-solving.

The suspension setup is where things get serious. Collins built the chassis around 2" 0.120" wall tubing, then hung Spidertrax Pro housings with 10" Gearworks drop-ins at each corner. FOX coilovers handle the damping duties, giving the rig the articulation it needs for the gnarly rock sections and the high-speed stability required for desert running. Those 40"x17" Nitto Trail Grapplers provide the traction to put all that engineering to work.

The racing itself is where all that fabrication work pays off. King of the Hammers isn’t just about having the fastest rig or the most articulation - it’s about having a machine that can handle the complete package. Collins’ F8 might not be the quickest through the desert or the most capable in the rocks, but it strikes that perfect balance that makes Ultra4 racing so compelling.