Manual transmission and a 360-cubic inch V8 make this F-150 a unique tire-slayer.
This week’s Tire Smokin’ Tuesday video comes to us from the luckysebes13 YouTube channel and it features a 1976 Ford F-150 kicking some ass in a burnout competition. We don’t know if this sixth generation pickup wins this contest, but it certainly puts on a show for the crowd.
360 FE Power
In the world of Ford trucks, the 360 “FE” V8 isn’t one of the more popular engines, even though it was available from 1968 through 1976. In the early years, this engine offered 215 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque, but starting in 1972, the 5.9-liter mill was re-rated at 196 horsepower and 327 lb-ft of torque under the then-new SAE power measurement methods. The 360 was replaced in the Ford truck lineup in 1977 by the 351M and 400 variants of the 335 series engine architecture.
In the event of this particular 1976 Ford F-150, the power of the 360-cubic inch FE V8 is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission.
Incredible Smoke Show
In most cases, the vehicles that dominate burnout competitions have big power and automatic transmissions, but this Ford F-150 has a manual transmission. This makes the long-lasting burnout more difficult, as the driver has to lift a bit to get through the gears with the clutch – all without letting the engine speed drop low enough to stop the tires from spinning. On the other hand, the driver of a similar truck with an automatic transmission can just stay wide open as the transmission goes from gear to gear.
The video begins with the driver bringing the engine speed up and dumping the clutch, getting the rear tires spinning without the F-150 moving very far in the burnout box. About 20 seconds into the video, the smoke is thick enough to hide the truck, but when the wind shifts, the camera and the near-side crowd are cloaked in smoke.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
