Coyote Beautiful: 5.0-Swapped F100 is an Autocross Champ
The only thing that hasn’t been touched on this wicked 1967 Ford F100 is the paint.
When Derek Brown found his 1967 Ford F100, it had lived a charmed life on a farm in Fresno, California. Bought from the original owner, there was a scant 70k on the clock, and the factory 428 FT V8 engine and three-on-the-tree transmission were intact. Thanks to having spent its life in the Golden State, there was no rust to contend with, and he drove it for three years before embarking on this ambitious build, which was recently profiled by our friends over at AutotopiaLA.
Inspiration came from seeing a similar rig tearing up an autocross course in Del Mar — which meant this project was going to be a ground-up affair. Like member Mjroberts1985, who’s doing a heart transplant on his 1983 Flare Side, Brown went with a 5.0-liter Coyote engine for motivation.
Sourced from a Mustang Boss 302, the mill now sits seven inches back from the engine’s original location, and means this bad Blue Oval now has about 400 horsepower at the rear wheel.
But since this truck was designed to carve corners, loads of custom chassis work has be done too. And as you can see in the video, it was was performed to such a high standard that it’s a shame you can’t see through the sheet metal.
A blank chassis from Fat Man Fabrications provided the foundation for a beefy three-link rear, and one of Fat Man’s front suspension set ups was modified to increase camber and improve grip. With 55% at the front and 45% at the rear, the incredible weight distribution is testament to just how dialed this chassis is.
One fun bit of trivia? According to retired Ford engineer Paul Giltinan, those figures actually match the original Model T’s, and while it’s not quite a perfect balance, it’s going to make for impressively neutral handling in this prized pickup.
The balancing act is no academic exercise either, as Brown has taken first place at two different Good Guys autocross events. He’d be able to claim at third — but got sidelined thanks to failed power steering pump.
As befitting a racing machine, the interior is strictly business. From the pic, you can see the three-speed is long gone, and it’s been replaced by a venerable Tremec T56. We’ll have to take Brown’s word for it that the vintage racing buckets are comfortable, as that’s a relative term. And while we’re generally all for keeping gauges stock in old trucks, we have to admit the Autometer units look pretty slick mounted behind the detachable Sparco tiller.
Obviously, there’s been loads of work done under the skin, but there were no corners cut on the exterior either.
The grille and all the trim has been rubbed down with steel wool to give it an understated satin finish, and it doesn’t hurt that the stance is perfect. We think the gold 18×11-inch Forgeline wheels really pop against the black body, and since they’re wrapped with sticky 315 series tires at each corner, there’s grip for days.
It’s subtle, but one nod to the truck’s performance capabilities can be found in the trick carbon fiber headlight surrounds. While they certainly shave some weight off the scale, the effect is so good, we’d rock them even if they were heavier than stock. Apparently, there’s a carbon fiber hood available from the same outfit, but we’re glad Brown stuck with factory one, as it keeps the look clean and classic.
There are so many awesome things about this build, it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole and start Googling every go-fast bit mentioned in the video.
But one of the things we thought was really cool is the fact that the paint is original. According to Brown, since he’s owned the truck, he hasn’t done a thing to the finish, other than giving it a good buffing. It hasn’t even had a new clear coat done! Given how fierce the California sun can be, we’re frankly amazed at how well it’s held up over the last five decades!
So enjoy the video, and if you’re curious about what it would take to get a modern drivetrain into your classic Ford, head into the forum. There are loads of discussions about how to get the job done!
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