1954 Ford F100 - Kid Stuff

Though Lance Berry is a ripe old 17 now, it all started when he was 12. His interest in Ford F-100 trucks that is. Obviously, this is a bit before driving age, but that didn't stop his dad from picking him up a '54 F-100 a few months after Lance expressed his interest, so that he could start getting his feet wet. After working on the '54 for about a year and a half Lance decided it wasn't really the truck he wanted. So the search for another was started and a few months (and 100 miles away) the exact truck Lance did want was found.

It was a very rough '56 with some extra pieces, and all for $100! Though he grabbed it immediately, Lance didn't jump right into the project. At age 15 he was smart enough to let is sit behind the barn a few months while he planned and drew preliminary designs of what he wanted the finished truck to look like. In January of 1999 his older sister passed away, so he and his dad dove into the truck, more for the therapy than anything else.

The truck was taken apart and the frame was the first thing to get their attention. It was blasted clean, a late-model Volare clip was added, the frame was C-notched and boxed, the rear leafs were modified, the hangers re-built, and an 8-inch late-'70s Mustang rear was flipped on top of the springs.

To get the truck running, a '75 Lincoln gave up its 460 and C6 for the project. The motor was torn down and rebuilt using a Comp camshaft and lifters, an Offenhauser tunnel ram intake, two 500-cfm Edelbrock four-barrel carbs, Sanderson headers, a MSD 6200 module, a Ford Racing coil, and Taylor wires. To dress it up a bit Ford Racing valve covers, custom wire looms, a custom air box, and K&N filter were also added. Next, the C6 was installed with a B&M shift improver kit and then the whole thing was painted so it would coordinate with the future color of the truck. To finish off things down under, the driveshaft was shortened, the exhaust was installed using 2 1/2-inch pipes leading out to dual Flowmasters, and a custom 25-gallon gas tank, fabricated by his dad, was installed back between the rear frame rails.

Next came the body, and the start of some of the more ambitious work. First the cab was given a 4-inch chop, then the seams were filled, the cab corners replaced, the antenna frenched, and the vent opening filled. But wait, there is more. The hood received a 2 1/2-inch sectioning, the old bed was thrown out and a new one built using larger tubes and lower stake pockets, the tailgate was smoothed, and a Gibbon fiberglass rolled pan was installed. Some of the finishing touches include lowering the bottom of the back window frame 2 1/2 inches and raising the top 1 1/2 inches in order to keep the same size window, fitting flush door handles, and modifying the doors for onepiece glass. Lance then constructed a bed cover with 1-inch steel tubing along with marine plywood which was arched to contour to a '91 Honda wing with a third brake light. The whole truck was painted Bright Silver and Bahama Blue with red pinstriping, and on the tailgate Jeff Hisey painted the Ford motif and trucks which represent Lance's '56 and his dad's 54 F-100s and their joint venture in building the two trucks.

The inside was graced with Stewart Warner gauges, '97 Camaro seats, and gray carpet. The seats, headliner, and doors are all covered with gray tweed. Power windows, power locks, and keyless entry are all installed. And lastly a new stereo and speakers were added.

But the thing that is definitely noteworthy is that Lance wasn't just watching during all this. This was a project he was a part of. He made the design decisions, he learned to weld, he helped pay for parts, and he worked on it almost every day in his grandparents' barn for close to two years. And, now that its done he has gotten to drive it to several shows where he has won quite a few awards including a Top Ten, People's Choice, Best Ford, and Unique Design. All this would be a feather in anyone's cap, however, given the fact that Lance hasn't finished high school yet, we feel it's quite an accomplishment indeed.