So now this farmer turned “hot rod truck builder” was ready to find a good starting point for his new project build. He soon discovered what he was looking for on a ranch not too far from his home. Out on a wheat field on the extensive property sat a sunbaked and long dormant 1966 F-100 Styleside. For Brett it was the right truck at the right price, which made the start of this project an easy one from the get-go. With one fell swoop the Ford was headed back to Brett’s farm, ready for its complete recreation into one fit and feisty F-100.

From the beginning Brett realized that this barn-based build was going to be from the ground up, with no shortcuts taken at all. “Having never done anything this in-depth before, I soon had a “holy crap” moment when I realized what I had just gotten myself into,” says Brett. Though he suffered through a spell of hesitation at the start, once he tore the truck down, he knew he was in it for the long haul. “I was now committed ’till completion. I’ve read plenty of stories of how guys start projects and never finish them; that wasn’t going to happen here,” says Brett.

Once down to its bones Brett headed right for the body, which he soon found was nearly rust free. “My plan was never to drastically change the looks of the truck…maybe just clean it up a little on the outside. I wanted it to always look like a 1966 Ford,” says Brett. He “cleaned-up” the truck by shaving the drip rails and the filler neck, filling the cowl, and then filling-in the gaps in the bed seams. “That last modification in-itself carried the body lines from front to rear. I had several people say that particular change was really stunning. Tom Moser at Apple Valley Customs handled all that body work. He did an incredible job,” says Brett. The body was finished off with a custom two-tone paint job by local painter Mike Sharp of nearby Wenatchee, Washington. He laid down a color scheme of Ford Wimbledon White and Dodge Copperhead Orange Pearl in a base/clear coat presentation and did it to perfection.

While the body was getting its onceover, Brett moved on to the chassis. The frame was stripped bare, blasted and then boxed for some extra rigidity where needed. He chucked the twin I-beam up front and, in its place, installed a Fatman Fabrications Mustang II frontend, complete with rack and pinion steering and front sway bar. Out back, a Fatman Fab four-link was spliced in, using a John’s Industries narrowed 9-inch rear to get the power to the pavement. QA1 coilovers grace both the front and rear of this ride, and Brett chose a set of Heidts 2-inch drop spindles up front to get the rake he wanted. For supreme stopping power, he chose a quartet of 11-inch Wilwood brakes at the corners. Wheels are American Torq-Thrust, 20×8 in the front, and a set of 20×10’s out back. They are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport tires; 235/35/ZR20 and 315/35/ZR20 respectively. Due to the width of the rear skins, Brett ended up tubbing the rear wells to hold the massive rubber without rubbing.

When it came to the “motorvation” of this here truck, Brett did not skimp one bit. He called up a Craft Performance Engines out of Arkadelphia, Arkansas and ordered up their 363-inch small-block Ford crate engine, and then topped it off with an MSD electronic fuel injection set-up. All said and done, this combo pushes upward of 465 horsepower at the rear wheels. To get it through the gears, Brett chose the simplicity of a column shifted Ford AOD transmission. Sanderson headers get rid of the spent gasses and feed a custom stainless exhaust system. To keep it all cool, an aluminum Ron Davis high capacity radiator does it with style.

Brett continued on with the truck build in his 30×35 shop located at his orchard, where good friends Greg Turner and Larry Fulbright not only pitched in when help was needed, but also helped minimize the build-up of Coors Lite in the fridge. Good friend Steve Delp helped out as well, assisting with the installation of the new Painless wiring harness. Brett’s the first one to admit that once in build mode, the work was completed at a brisk pace. “I don’t have any real high-end tools; just some basic hand tools, an engine lift and a good welder,” says Brett. He reused basically all the original parts on this build, rarely deviating from the original pieces. “The bumpers, grilles, and hardware are mostly all restored originals. I wanted to keep it looking like a properly built 1966 for sure,” says Brett.

The interior was the final step in this process, and once again Brett didn’t bat an eye at doing it the proper way. “I sourced a bench seat out of a 1959 Ford pickup and sent the truck over to Judge Interiors in Ellensburg, Washington. There the truck was treated to a new headliner, door panels and a fresh leather skin for the seat. During the body work phase of the build Tom Moser removed the glove box from the dashboard which cleaned up and simplified the overall look of the dash. Continuing with the look, Brett decided to keep all the original gauges, having them restored by Williamson’s Instruments. For climate control, a Vintage Air system keeps this ride cool on the hottest Washington summer days. To keep this ride pointed in the right direction, a Con2R wheel spins on a color-matched Flaming River tilt column.

Once completed, Brett had time to reflect on the build. “I was fortunate to have the ability to create it and was complimented on the quality of the build quite often. That said, it really was an accomplishment of all that worked on it, and not just myself,” says Brett. The truck went on to garner some high praise from not only the local car clubs, but also from a guy that Brett looked up to. Dave Poirier, a well-known and experienced Tri-Five builder in the area, had a chance to give the truck a once-over. “If this was your first build (and it was), I can’t wait to see the next,” said an impressed Dave. From there the truck hit the streets and participated in a lot of workouts on the winding roads in and around Brett’s hometown.

After a few years of enjoyment Brett knew it was time to move on. “I just really enjoyed building it, and wanted to start on the next project,” says Brett. The car was then offered up on an online auction site where it caught the eye of a particular South Texas truck lovin’ car and hot rod collector. Enter James Buckalew.

James is always on the lookout for cool new rides and has had several of his vehicles published in top-notch magazines over the years. “I always liked the mid-60’s F-100’s and this truck just hit the spot with me. Once I saw the pickup online, I knew I had to have it,” says James. So, without much of an afterthought he tried to contact Brett to make an offer on the truck. It wasn’t that easy James found out. “I was out trout fishing in Montana and couldn’t be reached right away. Two days later we connected on the phone. He said he wanted to come out and see it, and I obliged,” says Brett.

“I went out there thinking it just wasn’t going to be good enough for me… I figured I’d just get on a plane and get out of town for a few days. However, when I saw it in person, I couldn’t believe how meticulous the work was. It was damn near perfect,” says James. From there the twosome hashed out a deal. After some quick negotiations, the F-100 was going to have a new home in Texas.

Once in James’ garage, he gave it the once over. “I only made a few changes; I had Austin Speed Shop in Austin, Texas put on the current front wheels and a new set of modern headlights. I then sent it out to Wired Customs Audio and Lighting in Spring, Texas to install an onboard compressor, a back-up camera and of course a badass stereo for some tunes,” says James. Now the truck sits among some high-end rides in the Buckalew garage. “Everybody needs a truck in his life; and I’ve got one of the nicest F-100’s you will see. It’s just that nice, “says James. We believe you Mr. Buckalew; we believe you.