Bob Peterson’s love for cars goes back to his
very first, a ’55 Chevy two-door hardtop that
he bought in 1965. “It’s been non-stop ever
since,” he says.
When the time came to build a shop truck
for his business, CON2R, Bob reflected back to the summer
of ’64 when he took a trip to Alaska in his uncle’s then-new
F-100. Seems an old photograph was all it took to kick-start
those recollections and soon Bob saw the potential in the old
pickup’s basic body style. Shortly thereafter, Bob found a ’64
in Palm Springs, California, where it had been “retired” from
its starring role as a prop at a restaurant and was sitting in a
driveway getting badly sunburned.
It wasn’t long before the truck made the trek north to Beaverton,
Oregon, home of Bob and his wife Bonnie, along with
the crew at CON2R. They proceeded to tear into the old Ford,
but before long, things started getting out of control. The old
case of “well, as long as we’re doing this, we might as well do
that” kicked in and soon Bob, with the help of Mark Rennacker
and Gary Kintz, started the ball rolling on turning a simple,
reliable shop truck into a full-stop, show-quality vehicle.
Any good build starts with a solid foundation, and for
that the CON2R crew slid out the stock Ford frame, boxing
the ’rails, C-notching the rear kickup, and bobbing the frame
horns, front and rear in the process. Out back, the original
Ford 9-inch rear was retained, hung off a set of four-bars
with a Quickor sway bar to keep the back end planted and a
Panhard bar to keep it from wandering. Coilover shocks with
“helper” airbags smooth out the bumps and allow Bob to haul
heavier loads if the need arises, while 12-inch disc brakes provide
plenty of stopping power. A custom-fabricated steel gas tank keeps the rear tires sticking to the ground thanks to its 20-gallon capacity, relocated from inside the cab to under the
bed. Up front, the guys went with a Heidts Mustang II-style IFS
setup with power rack-and-pinion steering, coilover shocks,
and big 13-inch disc brakes actuated via a Classic Performance
Products master cylinder. Michelin tires, 235/50R17s
up front and 275/45R18s out back, were wrapped around
polished KMC Nova wheels to provide the rolling stock.
Of course, any good Ford worth its salt must be similarly
powered, right? For that end, Bob and the gang dropped in a
302 V-8 from a ’91 Lincoln, worked over by B&M Engine Service
in Portland, Oregon. It was then wrapped in chromed and polished
accessories, before being topped off with a Mass Flow EFI
system, providing the all-important reliability aspect that was at
the top of their original list of goals. A Cooling Components electric
fan ensures proper airflow through the stock Ford radiator at
all times while the Sanderson Mustang Shorty headers ensure
the hot air gets expelled out the custom 2½-inch exhaust via
Raptor turbo-style mufflers. A Lincoln AOD of similar vintage
gives Bob plenty of highway gear to keep the motor from winding
too high.
With the drivetrain complete, the guys then turned their attention
to the sheetmetal, where things started to get interesting. Jon Crew and Mark Rennacker began
by removing 2½ inches from the rear
of the cab and 3 inches up front, giving
it a nice mild chop. While working
on the roof, the crew also opted to
shave and fill the driprails before setting
their sights a little lower
where the cowl vents were also
filled. The hood was smoothed
out as well, with the center
peak lengthened and the front
air vents deleted for good
measure. The front fenders
were also shaved and the lower
corners coved to clear the
sectioned and narrowed front
bumper, which flanks a custom
fab’d roll pan. A new grille was
built using two originals with
the turn signals removed and
relocated in the headlights.
The headlights themselves were modified as well by trimming the rings ¾ inch and
modifying the cans to move the headlights back into the grille.