Fabulous F-100 ’64 Ford Pickup
No matter how you spin it, everyone wants to be the cool kid on the block. For Dustin McLeod, he wanted nothing more than to achieve this with his love for anything on four wheels. Like most others in this situation, he realized that it was going to take some time. He knew the best way to get him to his goal would be to go with a shop to build a classic truck for him to make the process quicker.
The Concept
Looking to make steps to complete his vision, Dustin stopped by Scot Rods Garage in Fort Worth, TX and spoke with Scot McMillan whose name may be familiar as he helped build vehicles on T.V. shows “Fast N’ Loud” and “Misfit Garage.” With plenty of experience in customizing, Scot had plenty of ideas for Dustin’s project. The two figured out a plan to make a truck that could not only turn heads but also handle like it’s on rails.
Making a Deal
The next big step to move the project forward was to find a vehicle to make it all happen. Dustin had noticed a ’64 Ford F-100 that had been sitting in a field during his daily commute and knew that the time had come for him to inquire about it. With a newly heightened desire to create a head turner, he decided to track down the owner of the F-100 and was then able to strike a deal within a few hours.
The Foundation
Dustin didn’t want a truck that anyone else could build and with a lack of parts for this particular truck, pretty much everything had to be custom fit. With that being said, the truck was stripped down to the bare frame rails for a more modern suspension to be attached. Up front is and independent front suspension front a ’10 Ford Crown Victoria, which has disc brakes and modern steering. In the rear is a Ford 8.8 rearend with F-150 brakes, all held in place with a custom four-link. For the ultimate in handling, Ridetech adjustable coil-overs were installed at each corner.
New Power
Anyone that knows these trucks would easily recognize that the components under the hood are from a different make. The crew at Scot Rods Garage decided to go with a 5.3L GM LS engine for the sake of how easy it is to drop one of these units in and enjoy the reliable power. It also has a bunch of goodies like a Holley 750cfm carburetor, Edelbrock performer intake manifold, Bullet Cam and Gibson headers to help this engine pump out more horses. Behind it is a toughened up 4L60E transmission that is ready to take some abuse from the 460hp engine.
The Shine
One the outside, things stayed relatively simple as the rear bumper was replaced by a roll pan. The body was smoothed out and then painted in DuPont’s version of Quartz Smoke by Corrbett Tucker and Jon Bridges at Creative Paint Worx. Extra brightwork came from pieces like the taillight lenses and grille that were sourced from LMC Truck. Finishing off the look of the exterior is a set of 19x8 and 20x10 SVE Series 3 wheels that are covered in 245/35ZR19 and 275/35ZR20 Nitto NT05 treads. Not only do the tires fit the truck perfectly, but they also provide maximum performance for those looking to compete on a track.
Inner Beauty
Rounding out the build is the interior, which has a combination old and new pieces. Keith Kirt Upholstery took care of the majority of the work, which includes new padding and leather on the bench seat. The door panels also came to life with some additional restyling and red carpet ties it all together. Up front is a Billet Specialties steering wheel for improved looks and a Restomod Air AC system keep the interior temperature down during the hot Texas summer.
Getting Behind the Wheel
Though Scot has been known to help turn around vehicles on “reality T.V. shows,” it takes a lot longer to finish a vehicle like this. In order to get the perfect touches on this truck, it took the team six months to complete and that’s fairly quick to get these kind of high-quality results. Dustin was so anxious to get behind the wheel of this truck that the paint was barely dry when he picked it up. Afterwards, he was quick to get it on an autocross track while avoiding cones. While crushing times on the truck, he was also able to be the coolest guy in this super clean ride!
