Beanstalk 2004 Ford F-150 FX4 supercab pickup

Now I just reviewed the Evigna Lincoln Mark LT pickup, a 1:24 scale truck that is limited and commands a high price on the secondary market.  One that was affordable back then but now is approaching the Lincoln's price tag on the secondary market is the larger 1:18 2004 Ford F-150 made by the Beanstalk group, and here this truck was offered in many variations that ranged from supercab to crew cab and even a muddy version, in several colors as long as it was the FX4 package.  The Beanstalk group was a short-lived company, but man the level of detailing that they did for Ford products in the early 2000's, including models for the James Bond film "Die Another Day", at the price point was incredible.  So was the heft of this F150, the heaviest truck in the lineup, and how ironically the Evigna Lincoln manages to follow its steps.

The F-series was spawned from the roots of the Ford Model TT truck in the beginning, finally becoming the F-series line in 1948.  Since the late 1970's the F-series has been America's #1 pickup truck in sales, and overall vehicle sales, year-by-year and shows no signs of stopping.  To fix the rounded look of the previous-generation that not many cared for the 11th generation went for a more squared look based on the 2002 Mighty F350 Tonka show truck.  Not only was the look better but also the interior was a revelation: trucks were known for their rugged and sparse interiors no matter what creature comforts are added in.  That changed when Ford adopted interior styling that looked like it came out of an Audi.  Since then trucks have adopted this new stylish interior layout.  The engine is the same as before, but now the 5.4 has a 3-valve layout per cylinder to produce 300 horsepower to a four-speed automatic transmission.  The major update was good enough to use in the next generation where Ford brought out more improvements and a more impressive engine lineup.

This yellow 1:18 scale F-150 has the supercab bodystyle with the flareside bed and FX4 package.  It looks pretty rugged even with the yellow paint thanks to the lower gray trim details.  The front has detailed headlights with round reflectors and round signal lights, black Ford grille, and lower bumper in gray with rectangular foglights and visible tow hooks.  The sides get large black mirrors, flush side windows, running boards, black stepsides with outer bed hooks, and FX4 on the rear fenders.  The 5-spoke wheels are nicely done and have BFGoodrich white-letter rubber tires.  The rear gets red taillights with middle reverse lamps, Ford logo on the tailgate, and a gray bumper with parking sensors and a blue Michigan license plate.  The tailgate opens up to a spacious bed even with the narrow stepside design.  The bed has a bedliner integrated and has enough room to fit a 1:43 scale vehicle.  The hood opens up to the detailed engine compartment where, just like the Lincoln Mark LT, all of the details consist of the fluid resovoirs, battery, air box housing, and front radiator.  The honeycomb grille pattern is detailed on a clear plastic cover, while the antenna mast on the right-side front fender has a chrome center.

Like the Mark LT pickup the chassis underneath has the same one-piece design with excellent detailing and the silver on the exhaust system.  The front has detailed lower control arms, detailed engine, transmission, transfer case, and exhaust pipes.  Strangely for an off-road package it lacks any skid plates up front.  At the rear is a detailed full-size spare tire and a rear axle with a neat trick:  This truck has a working suspension, and at the rear the leaf springs move with the coil springs.  That's not all: the outside rear shocks, designed for better stability than inner-frame mounted shocks, move with the rear leaf springs!  Opening the doors is much easier than the Mark LT thanks to smoother hinges and wider thanks to the rear-opening doors that give a much larger opening.  The door panels are nicely done and Beanstalk even took the time to black out the inner door rails.  Up front is a thick 4-spoke steering wheel with detailed gauges in their round pods, detailed center stack controls, and carbon fiber stickers that look tacky here (see the similar pattern here with this Beanstalk F-150 and the Evigna Mark LT?).  The center console has the detailed armrest, cupholders, and chrome shifter.

The seats are more rugged and have integrated seat belts, while the ribbed floormates are visible.  The rear seats are spacious and like the Mark LT fold up, but this time at a flush 90 degrees with plenty of room on the floor.  The headliner is also a separate piece and well detailed with a large sunroof.  So clearly there is a connection between a 1:18 scale Beanstalk Ford F-150 and the Evigna 1:24 Lincoln Mark LT pickup.  Sure both trucks are similar, so should the details, right?  True but it's not often to see two identical details on trucks made from different manufacturers.  Maybe Evigna contracted Beanstalk to make these Mark LT pickups?  Possible, but the company disappeared before the Mark LT was born, so who knows maybe the tools were copied?  Either way this Beanstalk F-150 is a beast and is well-detailed, plus slightly affordable at the cost of a larger truck.  Still you can't go wrong with the details of this truck!