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Words: Tommy Parry
Randy has a storied history with this ‘66 F100. His father purchased the truck in 1965. It’s been in the family for forty years, and after it was handed down to him, he immediately began dreaming of a worthy powerplant in the bay. After owning a 1967 Mercury Comet "R" Code with a 427 Side Oiler Dual Quad, he knew he had to have one in this truck.
Acceleration was the focal point of his fantasies, 600 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque being the ideal figures, so he needed a few goodies for the added thrust. Populating the long list of add-ons were custom wheels, a 427 Side Oiler, a stroker kit, CNC'd Edelbrock Heads, Custom Quick fuel carbs, a Factory Ford Tunnel Wedge Dual Quad intake manifold and a custom oil pan made for road racing. For a little glitz, he added a set of chromed Mercury valve covers. With a Gear Vendors overdrive in place, he’d be able to make good use of the power on hand.
Before he could install the new motor and accompanying powertrain, Randy had to tear down the truck and remove its six-cylinder, pull the body, then sandblast and powercoat the frame. Quickly, the aging F100 was beginning to look less like a relic and more like a Pro Tourer with staggering potential.
Thankfully, the truck had spent its life in arid Arizona and had no rust. Though the box floor only had a few dents, he decided to replace it with the floor from a 2008 Super Duty. It was one of the last items Randy would add for some time. Unfortunately, having kids in school, moving from Washington to Arizona, dealing with other projects and health issues put the F100 on the back burner for a while.
Fast forward six years, and Randy was well underway with a gleaming coat of Calypso Coral. Additionally, he began addressing the rest of the truck, with Baer providing a set of custom six-pistons; he’d have all the braking power needed to decelerate this ~3,700-pound behemoth. Underneath this massive truck he placed 18” Schott wheels - 8” wide in front, and 10” in the rear.
Then came a few modifications to the rear end. A nodular 31-spline center, along with 4340 chromoly axles, adorn the 9" rear with a Yukon Gear Posi Unit and 3.50 gears. That ought to handle an estimated 600 horsepower without a complaint.
To ensure his neighbors get a full sense of the power his Side Oiler possesses, Randy devised his own step headers and mated them to a 304 stainless exhaust. Along with the sonorous exhaust note, he also outfitted with motor with a set of FiTech dual EFI setup.
Randy still has a bit to accomplish with this ambitious build, which you can follow here. The first objective on his to-do list is turning the engine over. He’ll also need to tune the EFI to make the most power possible. When those two are checked off, he’ll be a staple at the local autocross, as well as an occasional visitor to car shows in the Phoenix area.
Not one to limit himself to the usual show and shines, he also holds some pretty lofty goals, including attaining the 482ci FE MPG record along with an 11-second timeslip. Randy might’ve seen some serious challenges throughout this remarkable project, but it seems you just can’t keep some people down.
