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Home of the “red rocket”

When I was 16 I went searching for my very first truck. My first search found a 76’ bronco, a rig I realy wanted. The only problem was it was rusty, and had a very ball-less 302. The next week I had scoured the local classifieds and found an 89’ f-150. Not exactualy the truck I wanted, but the price was fair. So I went and drove it, my frist impression was not good, a low riding plain red grampa truck with running boards. Its only claim to fame was the quad shocks up front. The body was good, with a dent in the rear fender, and a cracked windshield. The owner said it leaked oil from the rear main, seal and would be expensive to fix, so he was selling it cheap. At first I wasn’t wild about it being a four speed, but then again they are bullet proof. And at least it had a 302.

After I got it home, I discorverd a plug wire off, (instantly more power) and the oil leak was realy only a bad valve cover gasket (saved big$$). The next day I yanked the running boards off, and slaped on some bald 31” big baja’s for a less grandapa look. The next spring I added a cat back (strait pipes, gutted cat, still quite). June of 00’ I changed the big baja’s for a 31” super things. July 00’ I added 2” taller coils to the front to level it out. After running my first mud run with it in Ely, mn I realized I needed better tires. After saving 2 weeks pay, I finaly ordered some nice, new 34x9.50 super swampers. Also at this same time, I junked the factory 8.8 for a much stronger ford 9” rearend. When august finally rolled around I was ready for the Embarrass fair mud run. The truck ran great and I was beat out of first place in stock class by 1/100^th orf a second.

When winter finally rolled around I installed a mini spool in the rear for extra traction (every said I was crazy) & took off the swampers in favor of 30” bfg’s. It was long winter waiting for spring to come racing, however over the winter my motor too a turn for the worse and developed a miss. I began a search for new mill, and found an 89’ Lincoln mark VII, with a 5.0 H.O. and easy 225 hp swap I thought. But the front end was easily fixed (hit a deer), and I decide to just drive it instead of striping it. So the search continued. Midway though June of 01’ I located an 80,xxx mile 351 windsor in a 77’ cougar, I paid 275 for it along with the; oil pan; 4v intake; and holley carb (junk!!) off an 86’ econoline. I picked the motor up on Friday, and Saturday I got the truck ready for the cook (14 miles away) mud run. I set off down the road, with my 70’ fj-40 in tow. Half way there I let off down a hill, and blew a ring, white smoke everywhere!! By the time I got there I was down 4 quarts of oil. (7 miles to the gallon of oil isn’t that bad, is it??) So I unloaded the Toyota, drove it to town, got more oil, raced them, 5^th with truck, 8th with Toyota.

The very next day I pulled the motor out, and it still sits in garage never tore it down. To read about the engine build up click the link.