We all have certain things that for some reason we can never seem to part ways with. Whether it be a bicycle, a baseball glove, or that old pair of ridiculous red leather cowboy boots that even you've grown to regret owning-yet still refuse to get rid of! For some unexplainable reason we always seem to find ourselves attached to these items no matter how inconvenient, or useless, they may appear to the naked eye. This bond is commonly mistaken for sentimental value, but in reality it is much more than that. For most of us these items serve as timeless reminders for what was, or what could have been, and continue to play crucial roles in who we are today.
This unexplainable bond is a concept that Roger Grizzle, of Ft. Worth, Texas, is very familiar with. When Roger was just a child his father purchased a brand new 1965 Ford F-100 longbed. Following multiple family vacations in the Ford he quickly developed an obsession with the truck that has only grown over the years. After the passing of his father the truck was handed down the ranks of the Grizzle family to his older brother. Shortly after that the truck was tragically passed to Roger with the loss of his older brother. Following these catastrophic events Rogers's obsession with the truck immediately blossomed into infatuation. He decided to transform the classic Ford from its original state, into the way he had always envisioned it in his mind.
The first stage in the transformation was the frame. Roger wanted to build a truck that was both aggressive and elegant in appearance. Knowing that a lot of horsepower was on the way, he needed to arm the chassis. He began by installing a Strange 9-inch rearend with a spool and 4:56 gears. To help the 15x14 Weld Alumastars with Hoosier rubber hook up he setup the chassis up with ladder bars and AVO coilovers. Up front Roger installed a set of '77 F-100 spindles with DJM 3-inch dropped I-beams. Braking at all four corners comes in the form of Aerospace Components disc brakes. With the frame now resting at the right height it was time to determine what would power the F-100. Since Roger always envisioned his Ford having more bite than bark, he elected to go with a monster 468 Chevy big-block with 13 to 1 compression Wiseco pistons. To get as much as possible out of the motor a set of ZL-1 aluminum heads and a Chet Herbert camshaft was installed. Next he slapped on a Dart intake manifold with a Holley 1050 Dominator carburetor. Other steroid injections include a Pete Jackson gear drive and Hooker Super Comp headers. The combo of parts resulted in a lethal 750 horsepower wrecking machine. With an engine pumping out such a substantial amount of power a stout tranny was in order. A beefy Turbo 400 transmission with a transbrake was called up to duty. Bringing the tranny to another level is a Hughes converter with a 5500 stall speed and Moroso heat sink trans cooler.
After the chassis was complete Roger focused his attention to the body. To help the engine compartment breathe louvers were punched throughout the hood. The engine compartment was then cleaned up and the firewall was smoothed. Although what lies beneath the hood is anything but normal, Roger wanted to have the outside display a more traditional Blue Oval look. He elected to have Ron Gales of Panelbeaters, Halton City, Texas, spray the Ford with a two tone scheme of PPG Caribbean Turquoise and Oxford White.