Flashback Friday: 1960 F-100 Wins Best Indoor Ford at NRSA
Finally, a restomod that didn't install a Chevy engine and stayed with a Blue Oval produced powerplant!
"All Ford" 1960 F-100
It goes without saying that we here at FTE prefer our classic Ford vehicles to have Ford power under the hoods. In fact, nothing gets us hotter under the collar than seeing a beautiful vintage Ford truck only to discover that it has a small block Chevy in the bay. It's both lazy and sacrilegious, after all. So when Hot Rod decided to recognize this 1960 F-100 they spotted at the 48th Annual Street Rod Nationals for keeping it in the family, we thought it would be prudent to recognize them for doing so.
Howlin' Coyote
The main reason this car scored a feature, of course, is what's under the hood. And that's an aluminum block Coyote 5.0 liter V8, which comes as a crate motor with lots of goodies already in place. Those include forged steel connecting rods and crank, cross-bolted main bearing caps, hyper-eutectic aluminum pistons, and aluminum cylinder heads. Compression checks in at a stout 11.0:1. To the crate motor, owner Jeff Perkins added Sanderson headers and a 3" exhaust, as well as a sweet looking eight stack Borla semi-cross-ram injection system.
But Wait, There's More!
Obviously, this 1960 F-100 is about more than just the engine. Jeff has been a truck fan his entire life, and he wanted to build something truly memorable. So he teamed up with his longtime friend and owner of Legens Hot Rod Shop, Steve Legens. It took quite a bit of searching to find a suitable candidate for the build, but eventually, they stumbled upon this partially restored Ford.
Comfy Confines
The inside of this classic truck is equally simple yet beautiful. The team decided not to replace the stock dash, instead opting to simply install a set of Classic Instruments dials in it. They even kept the original steering wheel, but cut it down to a more reasonable 15 inches and attached it to a Flaming River column. A Vintage Air setup keeps the cab cool, and the distressed pecan-toned leather seat both looks great and comfy at the same time.
Solid Foundation
Legens immediately began working on the truck. The original frame was in excellent condition, so they simply boxed it for strength. A Currie 9-inch with 3.90 gears went in out in the back, hung by a RideTech 4-link. Up at the front, Legens installed a Kugel Komponents IFS to make this old girl handle like a modern sports car. Four-piston Wilwood Forged Dynalite Pro-Series brakes went on all four corners and measure in at a stout 11.75". The wheels are Schott Mod 5 EXL 20x8.5s, with Pirelli Scorpion Verde P245/45xR20 tires wrapped around them.
On the outside, you'll find a host of tasteful but stunning modifications. Legens fabbed up the narrowed and tucked bumpers, hood vents, and trim. Everything was then gapped to perfection and painted in PPG Cardinal Red.
For help keeping your truck in great shape, check out the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com