Right-Drive F-100 Hits the Track in Australia: Truckin’ Fast Wednesday

Classic Ford F-100 uses big block power to run a 13-second quarter mile pass.

The Ford F-Series has been the bestselling truck and vehicle in the United States for four decades, and for many moons, all of these pickups have been built in North America. However, if you go back to the 1990s and earlier, there were F-Series pickups built for other markets in those markets, sometimes with their own engines.

This week’s Truckin’ Fast Wednesday video comes to us from Australia via the YouTube channel of Simon Worthington-Eyre, where a right-hand-drive 1976 F-100 is tearing down the drag strip at Adelaide International Raceway. We don’t know for sure, but the odds are good that this F-Series is one of those that was built outside of North America, even though it is powered by an American V8.

Aussie F-100

Sadly, there are few details on the 1976 Ford F-100 in the video, but we know that it is powered by a 460-cubic inch big block V8. The 460 was an option in the United States, but it was not offered in Australia, with that market only offering a trio of straight-six engines along with a pair of small block V8s, measuring 302 and 351 cubic inches. Those V8s were actually produced using assembly line tooling from the old Cleveland line in the United States, so the V8s and the most popular straight-six were all locally produced.

On the other hand, the 460 was not offered in Australia in the F-100, so this engine was either imported or it was pulled out of some other vehicle in the local market. In any case, we know that a half-ton truck with a stock big block from the 1970s would not be this quick, so this 460-cubic inch mill is surely modified as well.

Battling the Falcon

In the video above, the big block-powered F-100 is taking on an Australian Ford Falcon, which is a rear-drive sedan with V8 power, sometimes sharing an engine with the mighty Mustang. Basically, the Falcon is to Aussie Ford fans what the Mustang is to Americans, so it is one of their top performance models.

After both vehicles inch up to the starting line and the green lights drop, the old F-100 gets a great launch, jumping out to a healthy early lead. The Falcon gets a very slow start, but as the two head down the track, it is clear that the sedan is catching in a hurry.

Even with the slow start, the Falcon does get to the finish line first, but the half-ton pickup puts up an impressive fight. We can see that the sedan runs a 12.31 and the truck is right on its bumper, but we cannot see the big board for the F-100. It sounds like the announcer states that the pickup ran in the 13s and with it being so close to the Falcon at 12.31, it was likely a low-13-second pass for the big old F-Series.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!

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.

Facebook   Twitter