Watch an old-school Ford F-150 rocket down the quarter-mile like it’s no big deal.
This week’s “Truckin’ Fast Wednesday” video features what appears to be an F-150 Stepside pickup taking on two different Chevrolet muscle cars. Based on the exterior design cues, it looks like a 1977 model – which was offered with a variety of V8 engines including a 351, a 400 and a 460 cubic inch mill.
While each of those engines made the F-Series the most powerful trucks on sale in the late 1970s, it doesn’t take an expert to know that none of those engines would’ve have gotten it anywhere close to the 11-second range. In fact, those stock engines might be hard pressed to get a sixth-generation F-Series pickup into the 15s, but this engine obviously isn’t anywhere near stock.
We would guess that very few drivetrain components came from the Ford factory. This classic F-150 leaves the starting line with the front wheels in the air, as the big racing slick tires put all the V8 power to the ground.
Although the big Ford gets out in a hurry, it looks as though the Chevelle may have caught it on the big end. However, with a quarter-mile time of 11.78, this old school Ford still turns an impressive quarter-mile time.
"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.
