1978 Ford F-100: Dreamy Dropped Hot Rod with Big Block Power

Custom 1978 Ford F-100 is flawlessly restored and ready to pile up car show trophies.

The rising cost of classic muscle cars and the availability of classic pickups has made hot rod trucks a popular option for Ford fans who are building an old-school show vehicle on a budget. While acquiring an old pickup will cost less than a classic Mustang or Thunderbird, transforming a truck from 1970s into a show vehicle requires a great deal of effort and knowledge.

Fortunately, while looking through the Ford products destined for the auction block at the upcoming Mecum Kissimmee event in January, we came across this 1978 F-100 restomod pickup. This truck is finished and ready to roll to any classic car show, looking good enough from top to bottom to draw a big crowd.

Dreamy Exterior

While the outside of this 1978 Ford F-100 hasn’t been heavily modified from the stock look, the little changes make a big difference. The black-painted pockets in the grille and headlight bezels combined with the black-painted center section of the hood and the black tonneau cover give the truck a very sporty look. At first glance, this truck might look like it is egg shell white and dark red, but if you look closely, you will see faux wood grain in that red section of the body. That is an awesome, classic touch.

This F-100 still has the proper bumpers with the brightest chrome imaginable with lots more clean chrome everywhere else on the truck. The exterior is finished off by a big set of modern wheels that has a classic look that fits the theme of this old Ford nicely.

Murdered-Out Cockpit

While the exterior of this 1978 F-100 maintains its stock form, the cabin has been completely transformed. There is a modern steering column with a sporty three-spoke steering wheel, a set of modern bucket seats in black suede with red trim, a Dakota Digital dash and a console that carries a late model performance shifter.

This classic Ford also sports a modern sound system and some accessory gauges, with everything from the carpeting to the dash to the headliner being finished in black.

Big Block Power

The big story with this gorgeous 1978 Ford F-100 is the big block V8 tucked under the hood. This truck is powered by a 428-cubic inch Cobra Jet engine that has been massaged to deliver 500 horsepower. There is no modification list, but in the picture, we can see headers, an MSD ignition box, aluminum pulleys, and aluminum intake manifold and fuel lines running to what is likely some variety of four-barrel carburetor.

That big V8 sends the power to the rear wheels by means of a three-speed automatic transmission with a high-stall torque convertor, likely working together to make this classic F-100 one quick classic pickup.

In the world of restomod pickups that maintain the classic look and classic power, it doesn’t get much better than this 1978 Ford F-100.

Photos: Mecum

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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