1979 Ford F100 – Eliazar O.
Ford, It’s a Family Thing
We have always been a Ford family, we call our trucks “Foringas” Out of the rolling hills region in Queretaro (MX). My grandfather used to haul hay in a red 1968 F350 with the stake bed, my other grandfather still hauls livestock in his trusty 1979 F100, it’s the Mexican edition with the big trucker steering wheel, no power steering pump, no brake booster, no A/C, definitely fun to drive. When I was going to be born, my father had to rush my mother to the hospital in his deep green 1979 F100 with the 302 engine, straight pipes, roll bar with the KC lights and all. Usually it’s a 30 minute drive from our tiny town to the city hospital, he made that drive in 15 minutes. All of my uncles have F100s as well, which are basically work horses that have been at it since I can remember.
About five years ago I started looking for a project F100, preferably a 1979 shortbed, with the iconic grill and square headlight. I came to realize that any decent 1979 F100 short bed was worth its weight in gold or simply not for sale. Until finally at a chicken farm in central Mexico I found my diamond in the rough. It was a beat up F100 1979, used to be a cherry red, most of the clear coat was gone, but the inline-6 engine was still running strong. I started pouring money into my project and slowly but surely it started to shape into a two-tone Sam Walton F150 inspired truck. There were more than a few setbacks and unexpected problems that came up, but after a full body restoration, plenty of LMC Truck orders, new upholstery, new wiring, and engine rebuild it was ready to go. I had the guidance of my Dad through the whole project, of course.
I still remember the first day that I drove it out of the body shop after waiting for months. I drove it for a few miles and then I lost my front left wheel and almost caused a huge accident. Someone had only finger-tightened the lug nuts for that specific wheel, long story short the front fender was damaged and it had to go right back into the body shop. My dad and I enjoy just cruising in the dusty streets of our little town in Mexico and now even my one year old son enjoys pretending to drive my truck; however, at first my wife absolutely hated that truck, that’s why I nicknamed the truck “La Odiosa” which means the hated one in Spanish. She hated the truck because it was basically a hole in my wallet and all I did was look at pictures of old trucks in my cell phone, instead of pictures of her. Now that the project is pretty much finished she thinks the truck is kind of cool and even likes taking rides with me on the truck. Just dont tell her how much I truly spent on my project!
