Famous Trucks: Chris Vaughn's 1989 Ford F-150 from Walking Tall

The Film: Walking Tall

2004's Walking Tall is a remake of the 1973 film of the same title. Though the contemporary version alters some details, such as the characters' names, backstories, and some locations, the core theme of vigilante justice remains. 

The film follows Dwayne Johnson's Chris Vaughn, who returns to small-town life in Kitsap County, Washington, after being discharged from the military. After a bid for sheriff, Vaughn finds the area overrun by crime and makes it his mission to clean up the town with old-school, vigilante-style justice.

Buford the Bull: The Inspiration Behind Walking Tall

The original film and, thus, the 2004 remake draw inspiration from the real life of wrestler-turned-sheriff Buford Pusser, also known by his stage name "Buford the Bull." The former wrestler gained notoriety for his one-man-army approach to law enforcement, as he single-handedly worked to rid McNairy County, Tennessee, of two local gangs—the Dixie Mafia and the State Line Mob. 

Pusser survived multiple assassination attempts, including one that resulted in the death of his wife, Pauline Mullins. After contracting with Bing Crosby Productions to secure film rights to his life story earlier in the day, Pusser passed away from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle collision on August 21, 1974.

The Truck: 1989 Ford F-150

In the 2004 remake, Vaughn patrols the streets in arguably one of the coolest sheriff's cruisers—a lifted 1989 Ford F-150 single cab. With stickered doors and an emergency light bolted to the roof, the truck makes an immediate statement to potential criminals in the area. 

Don't expect a warning or a slap on the wrist—instead, prepare yourself for Vaughn's old-school, muscle and brawn-backed approach to law enforcement.

Build Your Own Walking Tall Tribute Truck

If you've ever considered building a tribute to Chris Vaughn's rugged F-150, you're in luck. Read on for a comprehensive build guide to the rugged sheriff's rig. 

Platform

First, we'll need a platform to build on. Fortunately, brick-nose Ford F-150s are relatively plentiful, as Ford produced many during its 1987–1991 production run. 

The particular truck from the film is a regular cab, short bed, four-wheel-drive configuration—a 1989 model year to be exact. However, all F-150s from 1987–1991 are essentially identical, so any eighth-gen F-150 should suffice.

Body

The screen-used F-150's body is relatively unmodified, featuring all factory body panels and bumpers. However, everything appears to have a custom paint job—from the black-painted factory bumpers and grille to the dark green color used on the cab, fenders, hood, and bed.

Suspension

While the screen-used truck's suspension mods are more difficult to assess, our best guess is either a 2.5-inch leveling kit or a 4-inch suspension lift. In these instances, bigger is better, so we'd recommend the latter option. Products like the Superlift 4" Standard Lift Kit perfectly balance lift height and ride quality.

Wheels and Tires

Chris Vaughn's truck sports the timeless combo of American Racing Machined AR61 Outlaw I Wheels wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich Radial Mud-Terrain tires. While the wheels are still available, the tires have been discontinued. Rather than attempting to source a set of new-old-stock tires, consider settling for another classic mud-terrain tire, like the Toyo Open Country M/T.

Other Features

With these modifications complete, you'll only have a couple more steps to complete. Consider outfitting your tribute truck with custom Sheriff's decals for screen accuracy. However, it's important to note that local laws could result in a fine for impersonating a police officer. 

Aside from the Kitsap County graphics, consider outfitting your tribute truck with a roof-mounted emergency light bar, like the Wolo Infinity 3 48" LED Light Bar. Remember that blue and red lights are strictly designated for first responders regardless of how tempting these colors are. 

With the accessories on this list ordered, you'll be well on your way to cruising your local streets in a replica of Sheriff Chris Vaughn's 1989 Ford F-150 from Walking Tall. 

As always, we offer all the parts and know-how to piece together this build and countless others at RealTruck. For additional information, check out the rest of our articles on RealSource, and don't hesitate to contact the experts.