Modern cars are great. They’re often quicker, better to drive, and easier to live with. At the same time, they sometimes miss the classic styling and charm of older cars. Some brands are using retro styling to capture customers as they realize the nostalgia is strong.
On the other end of the spectrum, some folks are doing what automakers won’t. They’re putting real classic bodies on modern chassis. That’s what’s happened here as this classic Ford F-100 Ranger is actually a 2002 Ford F-150 Lightning.
Built by the folks at the V8 Speed Shop in Red Bud, Illinois, this pickup is a labor of love. Here’s a deeper dive into the result of countless hours of work that started with one simple idea. The original owner just wanted his truck to be a little more modern and now, it’s one of a kind.
According to Kevin Oeste of V8 Speed Shop, a customer just wanted to modify his F-100. The customer hoped to add components that would make his pickup handle and perform like a modern truck. Initially, the shop suggested dropping a late-model engine along with fuel injection into the Ford. The team could then add some modern suspension components and disc brakes.
As the customer and shop went back and forth the former had an idea. Why not simply put the body of his F-100 onto the chassis and driveline of something newer? In fact, the customer went as far as to research the situation and then to buy a lightly damaged 2002 F-150 Lightning. He shipped both trucks to Red Bud and work began. The owner even named the project Thunder’s Truck.
The first step was determining the condition of each pickup. The 2002 had no major mechanical issues. The engine ran fine, the gearbox worked, and save for a transmission leak there were no problems that needed immediate attention. The F-100 just needed to look good and thankfully it did. It came with all of its original trim pieces and no damage beyond little dents or paint chips.
Once each truck had its body removed from the frame the shop couldn’t resist just seeing how the F-100 would fit on the F-150 frame without modification. “It was surprisingly close, this is definitely not a bolt-in, but it really wasn’t that far off,” says Oeste. The front cab mounts were off slightly and the rear of the cab on the 1969 truck wasn’t wide enough to fit over the chassis of the 2002.
While the track width of the two trucks is almost identical, the wheelbase isn’t. To that end, the team moved the front wheels forward a little and then had to move the rear wheels another five inches forward. They also had to come up with a clever way to keep the height of the bed and cab identical. While the F-100 had a flat chassis, the F-150 didn’t so the team cut the underside of the bed so that it would sit flush with the cab on the taller chassis.
It turns out that fitting the bed required a lot more fabrication than originally expected. Moving the wheels forward meant taking the leaf spring shackle, the shock mounts, and fuel tank and relocating them to fit. The team also cut channels in the bracing of the bed to ensure it would fit flat and snug while lining up so it wouldn’t sacrifice the utility of the bed.
At this stage, the big key was getting the wiring to work. For that, the shop used a Diablo Sport tuner along with the factory Ford engine management and a Dakota Digital ECU for some of the creature comforts. Of course, wiring all of that up correctly and then finding a space for the associated gauges and controls wasn’t simple. Vintage Air doesn’t make a kit for the cab of an F-100 so additional fabrication was required there, too.
Ultimately, it all came together and the team started adding the finishing touches to the F-100. That included a bunch of new interior upholstery along with lighting bolts on the seatbacks as an ode to this truck’s true nature.
V8 Speed Shop also made sure that it was true to its own name. Before delivery, it took the pickup to a dyno for additional tuning. Rather than simply make the already impressive 370ish horsepower it did from the factory, it now makes just shy of 400 horsepower. On top of that, everything else works as it should. This truck has classic gauges but modern air conditioning. The ABS works, the bed is still functional, and it’ll rip a smokey burnout whenever necessary. That’s not too bad for what looks like a classic 1969 Ford F-100.
This old Ford is actually an old Ford underneath!
They did a nice job. I’d prefer the original chassis and drivetrain though.
“That’s not too bad for what looks like a classic 1969 Ford F-100.”
And that is just the problem I take with these increasingly popular body swaps. Would I rather drive a 1969 F100 or a 2002 F150 that is dressed up as a 1969 F100? I would choose the latter if I hated literally everything about a 1969 F100 except the styling. But I guess I don’t understand what you are doing around classic cars if you hate 99% of what makes a classic, you know, classic.
I drove old cars for a lot of reasons, particularly the old drivetrain and suspension and handling and chassis. Not despite the drivetrain and suspension and handling and chassis.
My dad has an International C series like this. Want to say it’s a 66 on a Silverado frame from the late 80’s. 6.0 LS, runs everything thru GM computers into all the International touch points. On bags and maybe Mustang II suspension. Honestly, that thing kinda blows to drive. That upright tractor position was not meant for 400 whp. Thing will have you sliding around like bowling alley.
They kept the original dashboard and instrument panel. Thank you!
I’ve so many of these body-swaps where the either the new truck’s interior is straight up retained, or it’s a hodge-podge of new and old bits with no clear thinking evident.
Very cool! I want one.
Very cool. I’d spend the extra cash to get that door hung better though.
Yeah, that is pretty glaring. Very distracting from what otherwise seems to be a great build.
A friend of my dads bought an f150 brand new in 1965. He then went and also purchased a 427 engine. The truck looks completely stock aside from the 427 badges on the side of the hood. It’s just one of those situations of “if you know then you know”. It’s solid black with red interior. Over the years he’s only put about 50k miles on it.
My dad’s in the process of putting a ’76 extended cab body on a ~98-ish powerstroke 4×4 frame. He shortened the frame to make it work, and is now sorting out the wiring to keep things looking vintage. I hope to inherit it though I suspect he will sell it before I get the chance.
All these posts about old cars converted to EVs really tempt me into trying the same thing with my 70’s Corolla. There are no parts for it anymore, it’s dog slow, it’s not that efficient, it’s smelly and noisy and I don’t drive it for more than a few miles a couple of times a month so range is not an issue. I’d be fine with 150hp.
I want to do it the “simple” way by simply dropping the body on an EV chassis, but I just can’t find anything with a similar wheelbase.
Check out SuperfastMatt on Youtube where he put a Tesla drivetrain into a 1950 Jaguar.
A totaled Tesla would be amazing, but I’d wrap myself around the first tree the moment I finish the project. Can’t trust myself with that much power and instant torque. Something out of a Chevy B(V)olt, a BMW i3 or a newer Nissan Leaf would be ideal.
There’s a wheelbase database for body swaps but only the Chevy Spark EV is close to my Toyota’s dimensions (and who knows about track width): https://www.body-swaps.com/
That’s a cool site! I wish there was something like that for engine and transmission dimensions.
Best use of a jellybean truck I’ve ever seen.
I was all excited to read about someone doing a body swap onto one of those electric trucks. That would be neat.
This is quite impressive on its own, but I want to see a shrinkafied lectric.
The best thing about this is that it is normal ride height, I’d probably put steel wheels on it though
The problem is with all these 4 door pickups, screwing around with that possibility,
Puting an electric crate motor in it would probably be easier. Wheel base of an electric Lightning is no where near this.
Normal ride height? That is 4-5″ lower than the F100 was stock. Never seen somebody call a slammed car “normal ride height”.
Looks about like the 1973 I used to have. The wheel hubs line up with the lower edge of the body just like stock and look like all the pictures of stock 2wd half ton The wheel size is too big and those aren’t truck tires. So thats kind visually confusing
Hell yeah brother.