During the '40s and '50s, domestic manufacturers were busy designing fat, round-fendered pickups. But once the '60s rolled around, the previous two decades of bubbly shapes with their fat fenders, hoods, and cabs became memories. Detroit designers erased their sketch pads and began submitting shapes and designs for the new era. In 1960, Ford released an all new design of its F-100 models; the shapes were slimmed down, chiseled, and squared, giving trucks a whole new flavor and attitude.
It seems for the past 40-plus years, these boxy haulers have been dormant, not drawing interest from custom truck enthusiasts.
But while attending Pat Ford's 26th annual Ford F-100 Supernationals at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville, Tennessee, we noticed this cool, vibrant red, '61 F-100 highlighted with traditional hot rod-styled yellow flames whisping from its leading edge.
Owner Bob Chapman from Fort Smith, Arkansas, has been involved in building many custom rods during his 40 years in the hobby. He and his wife, JoAnn, purchased their '61 off a local lot in 1984. This one-owner truck was previously used only for hunting and fishing. It was bone-stock with an inline-six and three-on-the-tree. After a few years, Bob retired it from its everyday chores and went to work customizing it until it was finally completed just a few weeks before its debut at the F-100 Supernationals.
The completely modified, frame-off restoration started with the truck's foundation, frame, and suspension. Bob delivered it to the shop of his longtime buddy Dusty Cox in Pocola, Oklahoma. The front suspension received a pair of TCI 2-inch drop spindles, Mustang II coil springs, and nitrogen-filled KYB shocks, allowing the nose to be altered a negative 10 inches. Drum brakes provide ample stopping power of the rotating mass-Boyd Coddington polished billet aluminum 17x8-inch spools, wrapped in Goodyear 255/45R17 grippers. The rear suspension was given its aggressive, lowered stance by C-notching the framerails and flipping the rearend housing atop the rear leaf springs. Again, nitrogen-filled KYB shocks dampen the bumps and dips, with drum brakes responsible for decelerating the power end. A pair of polished billet aluminum Boyd Coddington 20x9-1/2 wheels were capped with a pair of Goodyear 295/40R20 chubbys outfitted on the rear. The truck's overall stance favors a slight forward rake of about 1 inch.
After extracting the factory inline-six powerplant and three-speed manual transmission, Bob located a '91 302ci small-block. The engine was disassembled, cleaned, machined, blueprinted, internally balanced, and reassembled by James Scott, from Lavaca, Arkansas. The power is transmitted by an '86 AOD transmission that received an attitude adjustment with the installation of a B&M Shift Improver Kit. A shortened driveshaft by Universal Joint Specialties linked the potent torque and power to a Ford 9-inch rearend, stuffed with a set of Richmond 3.50:1 gears. A set of Flowtech, ceramic-coated, full-length headers create exhaust that flows into a pair of Walker 2-1/2-inch-diameter muffs producing a deep, throaty rumble. This powerplant produces a frisky 325 hp.