SEMA just gave its 2026 Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year award to a 1977 Ford F-100 built by Kincer Chassis, a shop just outside Knoxville in Louisville, Tennessee.
From the curb, it looks like a nicely done dentside Ranger XLT. Two-door, short bed, dark blue paint, chrome bumper, the original fender badge still on the side. SEMA called it a sleeper, and that’s the right word. The interesting part is underneath: an all-wheel-drive chassis Kincer designed for classic Ford trucks, with a supercharged Coyote and a 10-speed automatic that the company developed with Ford Racing Parts.
I wrote about Kincer’s Bronco chassis and 2WD-to-4WD conversion kits back in 2023. This F-100 is a different kind of project for them, and it’s the one SEMA’s judges picked out of the show.
A familiar truck, on purpose
The 1973–1979 F-Series trucks are the ones a lot of us still just call dentsides, after that crease down the side. This one is a 1977 F-100 Ranger XLT. SEMA described it as a barn find that Kincer and the team turned into the first truck on the new chassis.
They kept the body looking like an F-100. Thomas has said the control arms, front differential, and powertrain are all Ford-based, but not from one vehicle. The goal was a stance and track width that didn’t need wide fenders or other body changes. Looking at the truck in the photos, that’s what you see: stock lines, no flared sheet metal, and a stance that sits right.
SEMA presented the award to Thomas Kincer of Kincer Chassis. The truck itself is owned by John Jinnings, who SEMA identified as the vehicle owner and who Motorious had already named earlier this year as one of the first commissioned customers on the platform.
What’s actually new: the Muscle Series chassis
The award is for engineering, and the chassis is the story.
Kincer calls it the Muscle Series: a complete all-wheel-drive chassis package for classic Ford F-Series trucks from 1961 to 1996. SEMA’s write-up is a little more specific, saying the chassis was designed to fit 1961 to 1996 two-door, short-bed Fords. That’s a distinction worth confirming with the shop before anyone assumes it also drops under a long bed or a crew cab.
Kincer says the team started by 3D-scanning every generation of Ford truck from 1961 to 1996 and building those scans in CAD, then used OEM data from the SEMA Garage Tech Transfer program to design one base chassis that could support each of those generations. On the truck, that platform uses an independent front suspension and a four-link rear, plus a suite of chassis-specific controls.
The hardware SEMA lists is modern even if the body isn’t:
- A Ford control pack for the engine and transmission
- An all-wheel-drive transfer case and wheel-speed sensors
- An electronic steering rack
- TracTive shocks that are fully integrated electronically, adjustable from an in-cab controller, and described as automatically adjusting damping every six milliseconds
Kincer has been building replacement chassis for early Broncos for years, and they already make 2WD-to-4WD conversion kits for 1965–1979 F-Series trucks. Those kits take a two-wheel-drive truck and give it four-wheel drive. The Muscle Series is a different product: a purpose-built all-wheel-drive chassis, designed as a complete system rather than a conversion of the original frame.
That’s also how the company talks about it. On the Muscle Series page, Thomas says, “We wanted to engineer a truck that could actually put power to the ground.” In SEMA’s interview, he put it more bluntly: “This is a vehicle that you could pull up at a red light, and a Corvette just doesn’t have a chance.” I don’t have instrumented test numbers to put behind that, and I’m not going to pretend I do. What I can say is the design brief is traction and control, not just a big horsepower figure in a rear-drive restomod.
Ford Racing power in a yet-unreleased crate package
The truck was developed in collaboration with Ford and Ford Racing Parts. The powertrain is a Whipple-supercharged Gen 4 5.0L Coyote paired with a 10R100 10-speed automatic.
Kincer’s own site lists that combination at 810 horsepower. Ford’s SEMA show-floor roundup said Kincer describes the Coyote-and-Whipple-and-10R100 package as a combination that has never been commercially available. SEMA, writing after the show, still called it a “yet-unreleased crate package.” I have not independently confirmed horsepower or torque on a dyno, and I have not confirmed that the crate engine is for sale to the public as of this writing.
If you’ve been thinking about a Coyote or other crate-engine swap in an old Ford truck, you already know the usual problem: it’s one thing to make the power, and another to get it through an old rear-drive chassis without drama. Kincer’s pitch with the Muscle Series is that the chassis, the all-wheel-drive system, the suspension, and the powertrain were designed around each other instead of being adapted after the fact.
An East Tennessee shop gets a national nod
Kincer Chassis is at 3707 Louisville Road in Louisville, Tennessee, just outside Knoxville. Thomas and Emily Kincer built the business from a 1,200-square-foot garage starting in 2010; the company now says it has more than 16,000 square feet of research, design, and manufacturing space. In 2018 they split chassis manufacturing from assembly and restoration work and branded the chassis side as Kincer Chassis.
On this truck, Thomas has been clear that it was a team project. He credits Product Development Engineer Austin Armstrong and Operations Manager Scott Tolliver with taking the idea and the barn-find F-100 and turning it into a product they could take to market. Emily Kincer is part of the team SEMA credited too.
“It’s OE-based on some components, but where it really shines is the engineering that Austin and the guys did to bring this chassis to life,” Thomas told SEMA. After the award, he sounded like someone who hadn’t planned a victory speech: “I’m still pinching myself. I’m grateful. I’m lost for words. Tons of people put effort into this at the shop. I’m really thankful that other people can see what our vision was with this, too.”
The Muscle Series didn’t appear for the first time in Las Vegas. Kincer debuted it in May 2026 at the Grand National F-100 Show in Pigeon Forge, which is about as hometown a launch as you can get for an East Tennessee truck shop.
A limited run, if this is the kind of truck you’re building
Kincer is limiting 2026 production to 10 Muscle Series chassis, built to order. As of November 11, 2026, the company’s Muscle Series page said 5 of those 10 reservations were still open. That number can change, so check kincerchassis.com/muscle or call the shop before you take it as gospel. I don’t have a published price to share.
This is not a weekend bolt-on, and it’s not the same thing as restoring a beginner-friendly F-100 with original bones. It’s a full chassis platform for someone who wants a 1961–1996 F-Series to have modern all-wheel-drive traction under a body that still looks like the truck they started with.
For me, the satisfying part is simpler than the spec sheet. A shop down the road, run by people who have been quietly building serious Ford chassis for a long time, took a modest-looking ’77 F-100 to the SEMA Show and came home with the engineering award. If you want to see the truck or talk about a build, the place to start is Kincer Chassis in Louisville, Tennessee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What award did the Kincer Chassis ’77 F-100 win?
SEMA’s 2026 Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year award. SEMA presents it to a feature vehicle at the SEMA Show that the organization says demonstrates exceptional engineering. The award was presented to Thomas Kincer of Kincer Chassis.
Who owns the truck?
SEMA’s photo caption identifies John Jinnings as the vehicle owner. Motorious, writing when the chassis debuted in May 2026, also described a commissioned build for Jinnings. The award went to Thomas Kincer and the Kincer Chassis team as the builder.
What is the Muscle Series?
Kincer Chassis’s all-wheel-drive chassis package for classic Ford F-Series trucks. The company says it was engineered for 1961–1996 trucks and designed around Ford Racing’s supercharged Gen 4 5.0L Coyote and a 10R100 transmission. SEMA says the chassis was designed to fit 1961–1996 two-door, short-bed Fords.
How much power does the truck make?
Kincer lists 810 horsepower for the Muscle Series powertrain on its website. SEMA and Ford have not published a horsepower or torque figure for this truck in the coverage I reviewed. I have not seen a published dyno sheet for this specific F-100.
Is the engine available to buy?
Not clearly, as of November 11, 2026. SEMA still described it as a yet-unreleased crate package. Ford’s show coverage said Kincer describes the combination as one that has never been commercially available. Check with Kincer or Ford Racing Parts for the latest on availability.
How is this different from Kincer’s 2WD-to-4WD conversion kits?
The conversion kits are for 1965–1979 F-Series trucks and turn a two-wheel-drive truck into a four-wheel-drive. The Muscle Series is a complete, purpose-built all-wheel-drive chassis for a wider 1961–1996 range, with the suspension, steering, and powertrain designed as one system.
Where is Kincer Chassis located?
3707 Louisville Road, Louisville, TN 37777, near Knoxville. Phone: (865) 297-3478. Website: kincerchassis.com.
How many Muscle Series chassis is Kincer building?
Kincer says 2026 production is limited to 10 builds, to order. On November 11, 2026, the company said 5 of 10 reservations remained. That number can change, so check with Kincer for the current count.
