Feature
Photography BY THE AUTHOR
t’s the one that got away. You know the one. The ride that brought you miles of smiles and genuine good times over the years. The one that was somehow lost to life’s ups and downs and the daily grind. The one vehicle you never should have sold, given away, or drove to its demise. It’s also the one you need back in your life—and in the worst of ways.
Needless to say, Rob ponied up the cash and grabbed that Blue Oval for his very own. The truck was in reasonably good shape for its age, though it needed a few repairs to make it roadworthy. He quickly worked on the engine and brakes and then took the freshened-up Ford to the street. “I drove it around for a year or two and then decided I wanted to make it a more dependable ride, one that I could keep with me for the next 25 years.”
So, with that idea tucked in the back of his cranium, Rob moved forward with his dream rebuild of the F-100. One major hurdle to clear was the fact that Rob already had two projects taking up all the space in his garage. He realized the logical thing to do was to look for a dependable shop to help transform his mild-mannered truck into a full-out street bruiser and farm-fresh cruiser.
Denlinger took in all of Rob’s ideas and came up with a game plan to deliver a truck that hit on all his bullet points. That would include placing the truck on a brand-new, modern chassis, which would help this F-100 handle the curves like it was built on ’rails. The interior would be freshened up, and of course the Ford would receive some major mechanical upgrades and some bling at all four corners. Game on!
Once the suspension was set, the next step was to order up the “motorvation” of this here ride. A Gen 3 Coyote pushing out a stellar 460 hp was purchased from Ford Performance. It was paired with a TREMEC TKX five-speed package sourced from Hanlon Motorsports. That potent powertrain up front feeds the horsies to a Strange Engineering heavy-duty 9-inch Truetrac posi out back, which is stuffed with 3.90 gears. Spent gases are sent rearward by a set of headers from Ultimate Headers and then channeled through a pair of Borla Pro XS mufflers by way of a custom 2-1/2-inch stainless exhaust built by Steel Town themselves.
Other add-ons include a massive aluminum radiator with dual electric fans from Fat Fender Garage and a set of new “smoked” glass, which encases the cockpit. For some bling at the corners, Rob chose Billet Specialties Bonneville Gs. They are 20×8 out front and 20×10 in the rear wrapped in Yokohama Parada sport truck tires, 245/45/20 and 275/45/20 respectively.
Denlinger also shared his opinion on this restomodded, farm-bred ride. “Everyone in the shop was excited to turn this old truck into a modern, pro-touring machine. Everything about this truck is brand new and modern under the hood and underneath. It’s definitely a surprise to people when they see the truck for the first time. The patina throws them for a loop. It’s a full build under the old skin.”
Thanks go out from Rob to the ones who helped along the way.” I want to thank my buddy Pete Bosler who suggested the Coyote swap. I big thank you goes out to [Denlinger], Vince, and all the guys down at Steel Town Garage for a first-class experience and an awesome build. The truck turned out better than I dreamt it. It’s a work of art, and a real head-turner, too.”
