The game plan was to return the truck to factory condition with a few modern conveniences. Chris completely disassembled it and began painting the frame and rearend. For more stopping power, he swapped out the stock front drums to '73-78-model discs after finding a pair in a local junkyard. Aside from that, the only deviation from stock Chris made to the chassis was the addition of 15-inch Cragars.
Although the motor looks stock at first glance, Chris actually wanted to go with something a little more powerful. He purchased and rebuilt a '94 Mustang GT motor, and borrowed components from the original 302 to maintain a factory appearance. He switched it over to the original carbbed intake and repainted the valve covers, oil pan, timing chain cover, and air cleaner from the previous motor. The original C4 was also rebuilt and added to the rolling chassis.
As a paint shop supervisor (and having grown up in the business), Chris didn't cut any corners on bodywork. He spent many a night blocking, sanding, and repainting the truck in the original Ragu Red. That paintwork also included carrying the body color over to the inner fenders (a departure from stock) to make the truck look that much cleaner. All side chrome, bumpers, and weather stripping were replaced, courtesy of parts purchased through LMC. It took approximately a year and a half to locate another grille to replace the beat-up original, as repops for this particular style are unavailable.
The interior was restored to factory condition, with two exceptions: adding a CD player and painting the steering wheel to match the color of the truck. To say that the finished product is a part of the family would be an understatement. "I wish my father and grandfather were here to see it," Chris says. "They'd be proud of it." Today, Chris' two children are as enamored of their dad's F-100 as he was of the ones owned by his father and grandfather. It's safe to say that same F-100 bloodline is now going into its fourth generation. Who knows, maybe you'll eventually see an article on the F-100s Chris' little ones end up building.