1968 Ford F100 Ranger – Mitch B.

Fresh Lease On Life

Gary of Holmesville, Ohio has a talent for turning discarded classics into head-turning, award-winning cruisers. As a hobbyist restorer he and his twin brother Larry have been saving project cars and trucks from the scrapheap for decades. This 1968 F-100 Ranger is a prime example of his bodywork skill and drivetrain savvy. A family friend found this ’68 out on an Appalachia farm with rust in the typical spots, a few axe punctures in the cowling and roof (from the previous owner’s feisty ex), and a motor that needed a substantial overhaul, Gary and his wife Gayle laid out a build plan, and with the ease of LMC, started ordering parts. The truck spent a long winter in Gary’s garage. With some ingenious methods to bend back and fix the axe punctures and countless hours of sanding, painting, clear coating and polishing, it emerged with a fresh lease on life. Gary rebuilt the motor and tuned it to idle fine and run smoothly. When summer rolled around Gary and his good pal Racin’ John Mason loaded up the pickup for a 1,900 mile cross country trek to the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah for 2017 Speed Week in September. The odometer rolled over 99999 and reset at 00000 somewhere in Colorado, fitting for the fresh motor and rebuild. Gary and John rolled the truck out on the flats for a few days of salt racing and sunshine. Gary’s son and his wife live in Midway, Utah. The old truck can be seen roaming the mountains of Utah, with frequent trips to Moab, UT and Jackson, WY in nice weather.
Thanks to LMC for helping us keep this beauty on the road.[lmc_story_gallery]