BODY & INTERIOR
While Buzynski crafted the rear half of the first frame, McLaren metal workers concentrated on the extensive body-related alterations to not one but two sets of FR100 cabs, fenders, and beds. The basic concept was to maintain period aesthetics while incorporating functional changes to support a modern high-performance mission. Dennis Carpenter Ford Reproductions supplied key pieces of sheet metal to replace areas that were either dinged by fender-benders during the donor trucks' long life on the road or riddled by corrosion.

The art of this procedure was to preserve the look and feel of the original truck. Even though every major panel except the hood and doors is extensively altered, the finished piece reflects the harmony of shape and style instilled by Ford designers half a century ago. In other words, the mind's eye should see a 1953 Ford F-100, not a radically altered truck.

What isn't apparent, at least initially, are the weeks of painstaking labor required to prep this vintage tin for modern life in the high-speed lane. For example, all four fenders looked like a patchwork quilt of original and spliced-in fabricated pieces of sheet metal before welds were ground, joints were smoothed, and the panel surfaces were perfected. Practically every inch of the cab was pounded, welded, or reshaped in some way. The list of mods was extensive and included:

* Extending the cab six inches at the B-pillars.
* Re-crowning the original roof panel and incorporate the necessary sheet metal fillers to accommodate the extended cab.
* Modifying new Dennis Carpenter Ford Reproductions running boards to suit the longer cab and to eliminate a gap that originally existed between the cab and the running boards.
* Deleting original fuel filler neck in favor of a 22-gallon fuel cell located behind the rear axle and beneath the bed's floor.
* Filling all seams and smooth all surfaces.
* Repairing rust and crash damage.
* Building brake ducts.

Alterations to the truck's bed area were relatively straightforward by comparison:
* Shorten sides six inches to maintain overall stock vehicle length with longer cab.
* Fabricate a rear pan below the tailgate to provide a neatly finished appearance at the rear of the truck.
* Stamp "FR100" logo in tailgate (consistent with past Ford Racing project vehicle nomenclature).
* Fill all stake pockets for a cleaner appearance.
* Fabricate hand-crafted round-edged tubs (sheet metal housings) for wide rear tires.
* Install new hardwood floor panels secured in place by stainless-steel longitudinal runners.

While touring various vintage Ford pickup truck gatherings, Buzynski noted that custom builders often stumbled when it came to accommodating tailgate latches and the straps that hold the gate horizontal in the open position. After seeing all manner of cupboard latches, padlocks, and even bungee cords, he knew there had to be a cleaner, better way. After pondering ways to fulfill that requirement in an attractive and convenient manner, he devised a clever arrangement that serves two purposes. A 5.25-inch-long machined-aluminum lever mounted at the rear end of each box side panel is contoured and painted to finish off that corner of the truck in a tidy fashion. Twisting each of those levers slides hidden pins to unlatch the tailgate. Hinged flat-stock straps that support the gate in a horizontal (open) position nest out of sight in the closed position. This bit of ingenuity is typical of the attention to detail exercised throughout F100's construction by Buzynski and his resourceful craftsmen. Other body-related hardware -- including door hinges, handles, latches, locks, and mirrors -- are all stock 1953 Ford parts.

In order to facilitate an improved driving position and additional legroom for a wider variety of drivers, the McLaren crew extended the cab's length by six inches in the B-pillar area. In the cockpit, the additional length provides room for the use of Ranger bucket seats and the custom roll cage that serves a host of needs. Its primary function is to provide driver and passenger protection in the event of a collision or a rollover on the racetrack. Additionally, the cage serves as a secure mounting point for the steering column, brake/clutch pedal assembly, air-conditioning system, and powertrain electronic hardware. The cage also ties structural members ahead of the firewall with stiffening elements running from the rear of the cab to the rear axle area of the truck's tubular space frame.

Other modifications included shifting the dash panel three inches rearward, and then blended into the door panels for an integrated appearance. New door and floor panels were also fabricated from sheet metal.

Aluminum sheet metal carefully shaped to serve as a mounting surface for interior trim was sent out to a local trim shop noted for its work on Detroit Autorama show cars. Then the modern amenities began to appear. The driver literally gets in touch with the vehicle via a Ford Racing Mustang steering wheel mounted on a 2001 Mustang tilt column. Street-rod-style pedal arms suspended from the Kugel Komponents 90-degree Swing Pedal Brake Assembly are fitted with Bullitt Mustang pedal pads. Ford Ranger bucket seats were reupholstered in the artful combination of leather and tweed that gives this high-performance hauler a cozy lining. Ford Racing Masterpiece Gauges display critical vehicle functions, and an overhead console provides a home for the Harman/Becker TrafficPro II. To control the interior climate, the McLaren crew added a Vintage Air Ford F-100 Gen-II Sure-Fit air-conditioning system.

As soon as the heavy massage of all interior and exterior sheet metal panels had been completed, the parts were moved to the paint department for the next phase of processing. Custom-blended DuPont color coats wouldn't be applied until the truck had been primered, fully assembled, performance-tested, and then disassembled again for final paint.

POWERTRAIN
After the chassis and the cab received their initial coats of primer, they were bolted back together as the first step of a preliminary assembly process. Standard Mustang Cobra powertrain mounts -- one at each side of the block, a third under the Tremec 6-speed transmission's tail housing -- support the 5.0L Cammer Crate Engine one inch to the right and parallel to the truck's centerline. (The slight offset helps balance the weight of the driver while providing ample clearance for the steering shaft. The differential's pinion shaft is offset a half inch to the right of center so the driveshaft runs at a small angle.) The Tremec transmission is bone stock except for the addition of a custom Ford Racing short-throw shifter and a Hurst lever. A stock Lincoln LS hydraulic clutch cylinder controls a prototype Ford Racing/Centerforce pressure plate and Centerforce clutch disc.

A standard Cobra radiator provides the necessary cooling capacity while also simplifying the plumbing between it and the crate engine. Fabricator Allen Peepshow made stainless-steel brake and fuel lines while supervisor Ray McCallum routed wires from the truck's switches, lights, and instruments to the new Ford Racing 4.6L-4V modular wiring harness. A standard multi-circuit plug located at the front corner of each side of the cab provides two convenient points where cab wiring can be disconnected from the chassis electrical system. An electric pump positioned near the differential circulates its lubricant through a nearby cooler. The battery is carried in an aluminum box attached to the space frame and positioned under the passenger seat. The engine's air filter and air meter assembly were positioned at the right-front corner of the engine compartment for two reasons: for handy access to cold air from behind the grille and to mate efficiently with standard Cobra intake air ducting.

The new 4.6L-4V modular wiring harness greatly eases connecting the myriad of sensors, emissions controls, and electrical devices associated with the engine to the rest of the vehicle. The complicated task of reengineering a harness intended for some unrelated application is eliminated, so getting the 5.0L Cammer Crate Engine running in its new home was a simple matter of routing cables, providing a secure mounting location for the electrical equipment, and plugging in connectors.

TESTING
Hunkered down and decked out in flat-gray primer for its shakedown tests at Grattan Raceway Park in Michigan, the truck embodying Ford Racing's latest brainstorms looked like a refugee from a circa-1960 hot rod shop. But the stirring sounds broadcast by a quartet of tail pipes and the moves it made at the track revealed it as a product of the new millennium. Blending a traditional appearance with state-of-the-art technology is no mean feat, but the FR100 pulls off the task convincingly.

Of course, there were a few teething problems, though nothing serious enough to make the first test day anything less than a total success. A rattle during acceleration sounded suspiciously like detonation. When it didn't disappear after the supply of fuel was purged and replaced with high-octane racing gas, the engineers in attendance shifted their concern elsewhere. One stock Mustang front wheel bearing -- heavily loaded by wide tires mounted on high-offset wheels -- had to be replaced after several laps at speed.

In every other respect, the FR100 passed its initiation test with flying colors. It demonstrated balanced grip, minimal body roll, no tendency to squat or dive, and fierce acceleration. The 7000 rpm engine crying out from under the softly rounded 1950s-era hood seemed a bit uncanny -- like John Glen piloting the space shuttle. But if double overhead cams and electronic fuel injection can operate happily here, they'll be just as comfortably at home under the hood of a vintage Mustang, street rod, or classic truck project.

Using only the middle three gears in its six-speed transmission, the FR100 easily pegged its 120-mph speedometer at the end of the straightaway. Without using all of the braking and cornering capability built into this truck, test driver Jay O'Connell circulated the 10-turn 2.0-mile road course at an average time only 2 mph slower than the 415-horsepower Mustang FR500’s average time around Grattan.. Fifty laps at speed were logged and, by the end of the day, Ford Racing personnel and the McLaren crew were satisfied that all the hard work had paid off. A complex collection of parts came together to prove convincingly that an old truck could be taught a few new tricks. No major repairs or re-engineering would be necessary to prepare the FR100 for November's SEMA exposition -- just several coats of custom-blended silver DuPont paint. Smiles were wide, the back slaps and high-fives were wholeheartedly enthusiastic. Buzynski was especially relieved.

At least until the crew returned to the shop and faced the work left to be done in the six weeks before a Reliable semi-tractor-trailer rig would back up to the loading dock in expectation of receiving one ready-to-show FR100 pickup and a sparkling display chassis to accompany it. Instead of popping champagne corks to celebrate success at Grattan, the dozen-plus McLaren workers warned their spouses they'd be late for supper until further notice.

Buzynski put nose to grindstone to tidy up sheet metal fit concerns between the front fenders, cab, and hood. Other crewmembers teamed up to finish various details for the second truck's frame. Truck number one was disassembled down to the last nut and bolt so that space-frame and body pieces could be sanded and painted for the final time. Cherry lumber milled to serve as an attractive bed floor was sanded and varnished for installation with polished stainless-steel retention strips.

An upgrade to tapered roller bearings for the front wheels rectified the overloading problem revealed during Grattan testing. Fortunately, that was the only noteworthy mechanical fix necessary -- the FR100 mule completed its shakedown exercise with straight A's.

All of a sudden, Dave Gdula and Jason Stanek's paint shop at McLaren was full of parts and pieces that needed sanding, filling, priming, painting, rubbing, buffing, and polishing. Their (and their colleagues’) schedules for the final six weeks consisted of 12-hour days with extra hours added at the crunch to make sure that the truck-and-a-half looked like a million bucks when they rolled onto the presentation stage at Las Vegas. Sikkens two-part urethane in a tasteful charcoal-silver tone coated all the chassis parts while a special Ford Racing Silver formulation by DuPont was selected for body panels. The second truck, scheduled for finishing after SEMA, will wear a drastically and dramatically different paint scheme, which won't be revealed until members of the press arrive for test drives at a California facility sometime in February 2003.

The last two months of this project were slightly frantic, but that's normal in show business. The final take-apart, finish, re-assemble, and polish process goes to show you that one of those nursery rhymes we took as gospel may not be true after all. When Ford Racing teams up with McLaren Performance Technologies on a project, you really can put a Humpty-Dumpty back together again. F/M Sources: Ford Racing