eople love talking about their classic trucks at car shows, gas stations, the grocery story … you name it. Oftentimes, if you enquire about them, you can end up in a conversation longer than you’d expect. Then there are individuals who have a truck that is really special but they’d rather just answer a compliment from an admirer with a simple “thanks.” Dan Youngblood is one such individual. Even though Dan has the equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he’d rather keep things … low key.
Dan did a good amount of homework on aftermarket frames and knew he wanted to run an Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) GT Sport chassis under the Ford. Upon further investigation he discovered a shop that is the authority on AME chassis, so he reached out to MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration in Eugene, Oregon. After a simple phone call with the team at MetalWorks, Dan had a painted, assembled, and powered chassis on order. The powerplant in the powered chassis came in the format of a GM Performance 495hp LS3 crate engine backed by a 4L70E transmission. Dan has been a longtime Chevy guy and had the most confidence in the LS platform due to his personal experience with them in the past.
MetalWorks then tackled the assembly process with a long list of great creature comfort components, including a new wiring harness, Dakota Digital RTX gauges, Vintage Air A/C, and a bench seat by TMI. Forgeline three-piece OE1 wheels pay homage to the factory steel rims and keep the truck looking simple but sharp. The larger wheel-and-tire combination also puts a lot more rubber in contact with the road for when it’s needed. Fresh bed wood and trim really make the bed pop, and a chrome grille adds a bit of bling to the front end. Overall, the truck presents itself as pretty stock in appearance but with a lowered stance. Many people compliment the truck, assuming it’s basically a stocker, and Dan likes it that way. In reality, the combination of healthy horsepower and the AME GT Sport chassis allow the 65-year-old truck to outperform the vast majority of cars on the road today. If you see the bright red Ford out cruising the coastal highways, Dan will likely be in the slow lane taking it easy, but when he slams on the loud pedal … the wolf will step out of its sheep’s clothing.