Under the hood is a detailed...
Under the hood is a detailed 406 equipped with a Crane solid lifter cam and a pair of Holley 450-cfm four-barrels. Yogi's supplied the headers and the rocker covers are vintage no names.
Perry Knight has been a Ford fan for a long time and has owned a string of cars with Blue Oval nameplates on them, so when he decided to build a truck an F-100 was the obvious choice. But in this case it took three trucks to make one.
Starting with a '61 Flareside out of a junkyard, Perry called on Russ Cowart's Restorations by Russ, deep in the heart of Ford country in Dawsonville, Georgia, to do the construction. The frame was boxed from the front cab mounts forward, and from the back of the cab to the rear crossmember. The suspension was upgraded with a Fatman independent front suspension and a Ford 9-inch rear on four bars out back, and coilovers all the way around. Stopping power is generated at all four corners by Wilwood disc brakes.
It's hard to believe that...
It's hard to believe that Perry Knight's '61 Ford F-100 came out of a junkyard, but thanks to Russ Cowart at Restorations by Russ, the 1/2-ton hauls home more than its share of trophies. The stock grille and bumpers, chrome trim, nameplates, and handles were removed before the beautiful black cherry finish was applied.
As Perry wanted his truck to haul in the performance sense of the word, Billy Johnson was commissioned to build the legendary 406 found under the hood. Sticking with the old-school performance powertrain of thought rather than opt for the usual automatic transmission, a Top Loader four-speed from a '69 Mercury backs up the big-block.
Although it's impossible to tell now, the truck's cab was as rough as a cob. To make it perfect, parts from two others were required-one donated its cowl section while the other gave up its cab corners. Then a new floor from LMC was added. Russ smoothed the firewall and cleaned off the door handles. With the exterior surface perfect it was covered in black cherry basecoat/clearcoat from Matrix Systems in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The once beat up bed on the...
The once beat up bed on the junkyard refugee now has a custom mahogany floor with polished stainless steel strips.
With the outside looking good, the same attention to detail had to be paid to the interior. Inside the cab, the stitchwork of Kenny Stevens of Buford, Georgia, can be found. A combination of leather and ostrich was used to cover the Pro Car seats, custom door panels and headliner. Power windows were installed and a Vintage Air heat and cool unit controls the temperature.
Since completion, Perry's truck has collected some prestigious trophies including a number of Best in Shows-in fact, in 19 shows he's come home with an equal number of awards-at this rate he may have to build another truck just to haul them all.
Perry's truck rolls on Foose...
Perry's truck rolls on Foose wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich G-Force rubber-up front are 18s with 245/40 tires, in back are 20s with 265/35s. Bringing up the rear are classic Ford taillights and a tucked in stock bumper.
An electronically activated...
An electronically activated flip-up panel provides access to the custom stainless steel gas tank.
Inside is more of Restorations...
Inside is more of Restorations by Russ handiwork in the form of a center console and smooth dash. Seats are Pro Car from Yogi's and the windows are now power operated. Glass is smoke tinted and upholstery is sandalwood leather.
Billet Specialties serpentine...
Billet Specialties serpentine system spins the water pump and accessories including a Powermaster alternator, the power steering pump for the rack-and-pinion, and the Vintage Air A/C compressor.
A far cry from the stock utilitarian...
A far cry from the stock utilitarian dashboard, Perry now looks at the Classic Instruments, mounted in a custom Wabbit's wood dash, through a Billet Specialties banjo steering wheel.