Words: Ellen Richardson Photos courtesy of Casey Snobl
Ever since its introduction in 1948, the Ford F-Series of light and medium-duty trucks have been some of the most popular and sought-after pickup trucks in the U.S. While this series of trucks has continued to change and morph into some of the largest and most beastly on the road today, we prefer looking back at where the best-selling truck got its start.
We recently spent a little time with a former Chevy turned Ford truck lover to find out how he turned a classic Ford truck into a fun and wild hot rod. Naval mechanic Casey Snobl grew up with a love for working on classic hot rods, thanks to his muscle car lovin’ uncle.
“While I grew up on a farm and found my love for work vehicles like tractors and trucks, which my dad and I would tinker with from time to time, it was my uncle Jerry who really expanded my love for working on hot rods,” said Snobl.
Although Uncle Jerry found his love for hot rods while spending much of his free time sand drag racing in California, Snobl preferred working alongside his favorite uncle on as many hot rod and muscle car projects as he could.
“After I joined the Navy, out of high school, I was stationed in California, which is where I would spend as many off weekends as possible working with my uncle on various muscle and hot rod projects,” said Snobl.
When orders took him back to the East Coast, Snobl’s uncle, the man who brought a young man’s passion into sight, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Following his passing, Snobl knew he had to find the perfect rebuild project to honor the man who took the time to teach him how to do more than take something that is broken and fix it.
“In 2012, I was lucky enough to stumble on a ’65 Ford F-100 that was wasting away in my neighbor’s garage, and I fell in love,” said Snobl.
After paying a nominal amount for what was primarily rolling a chassis, Snobl spent the next few years paying homage to a piece of Ford history.
“The funny thing is, I grew up a Chevy fan, but when I saw this truck I knew that it was just something I had to restore,” said Snobl.
Along with pulling out the core support and replacing some of the old sheet metal with his own hand-fabricated sheet metal, Snobl also gave the historic F100 some real power by inserting a Ford Mustang 302 Engine and a manual five-speed transmission. This soon needed to be tweaked with Snobl’s tender loving care and a few high-power additions, including an Edelbrock performer intake with a 650 double pumper, GT40 aluminum heads and e303 Cam Specs, which now give this F-100 its powerful 329 HP as well as 336 lb.-ft. torque performance.
Snobl also added a three-inch drop suspension kit, lowered the rear four inches and added pieces from other popular Ford and GM performers and even a Toyota crossmember to turn this popular F-Series hot rod into something truly unique.
Snobl also replaced the original seating with seats from a 1998 Chrysler Sebring “because I wanted the built-in shoulder harness” and even customized armrests, designed by the restorer himself.
“I even had to cut and weld the 17-inch steering wheel into a 15-inch and built a custom shifter to go along with,” said Snobl.
Snobl has also added a little powder coating to both the inside and outside of the vehicle and added Ashwood bed to the truck that he calls a “work in progress.”
While this truck is a tribute to his dear friend and late uncle, the next best thing about this restoration project is passing the torch.
“While my little girl likes girlie things, she also loves to help me work in the garage,” said Snobl. “She is a great help and is actually learning really fast despite have smaller hands. I am sure that someday she is going to enjoy projects like this herself.”
As Snobl continues to restore his favorite daily driver, we are asking you to share your hot rod story with us right here on Rodders Row. Send in pictures of your car or truck and tell us all about it at [email protected] today!
