Pleasant Cook is the ultimate combination of femininity and ruggedness, with her customs reflecting her admired duality. Known in the scene as “4×4 Barbie,” she’s amassed quite a following because of her appealing all-American looks and grandiose builds. The off-road maven was born and raised in Missouri, with all-things automotive introduced to her by her dad when she was still a little girl. We first met Pleasant back in Issue 18, when she showed off her Ford F-250 that embodied her personality, adorable girly touches and her penchant for picking badass mods. We learned of her UTV racing career and how the platinum Edition Ford was the perfect rig for hauling her UTVs.
Now the down-to-earth, girl-next-door has another Ford she’s proud to parade around – a 2017 F-250 Platinum she calls “Kandy.” Pleasant still has her previous Ford F-250 called “Karma”, but has given her newest baby her undivided attention. For the original build plan of Kandy, she wanted a show queen that was still driveable. But after a few mods that clearly were too flashy for the road, Kandy evolved into something to be adored and hauled. “I knew that it could be driveable, but legal? Probably not and that’s another story. I have my Duramax for a daily driver, so this Ford build turned into a strictly show rig.”
The Ford was chosen because of her desire to have something with a front solid axle instead of CV axles and the Ford went with her family’s tradition of choosing the Blue Oval over other brands. One look at the truck and you would think she planned it right from the start. But at the beginning, she confesses that she was going to go with a more Lowrider/rat rod-style, but in lifted form. “It was going to be black and pink, with pinstripes.” But the design options weren’t what she initially expected and decided on something that’s still recognizable, but different at the same time.
“I was inspired to do camo (printed and installed by Vivid Wraps) because of my leggings (typical girl answer, I know). My Duramax, in its prime, was actually digital camo. The pink is Kandy Pink, so it definitely just fit in with the whole theme.” The custom lift built by McIntosh Motorsports makes it tower over Pleasant as she has to climb in to get behind the driver’s seat. It needed to have a dominating stance to accommodate Interco Tires’ new big Bogger tire, which debuted at the 2018 SEMA Show. Kandy was one of a handful of other rigs that featured the new rubber at the annual event, which gave Pleasant extra incentive to really impress with her build. Inside the new tires are RBP wheels that add sparkle to her rig, while their custom “Kandy” grille gives it personality.
But her favorite touch is the widened axle, which she considers unique. “It really gives the Ford a great stance and works with all the other mods.” Another favorite touch is the relocated fuel tank in the bed, which gives the bottom of the truck a sleeker appearance that made people stop and think how the truck was still able to be driven. “With the tank in the bed, we took out the regular filler nozzle and put in a Kicker control in the gas tank that controls the outdoor speakers inside the swing cases (the stock head unit inside the cabin controls the regular audio system for the interior).
Because of her knowledge and experience (it was her sixth year at SEMA) in the industry, people know that Pleasant is a force to be reckoned with and her latest build didn’t disappoint when it was unveiled inside RBP’s booth. “The build could not have come out any more perfect in my opinion. From the wrap to the suspension, every detail was thought out.” According to her, it was a tough couple of months leading up to the show, trying to finish everything and get it right, but everyone involved was able to get it together to make sure it was done just in the nick of time. Now, the Ford will be used for marketing purposes for her many sponsors at different events across the nation. It’s also the current focal point of her popular IG account (@4x4_barbie). She’s definitely not slowing down any time soon and we can expect to see more fun builds from her in the future!
