To the average Joe, Tim Adams' '72 F-350 may just look like a clean resto-job that's been made a little nicer with a couple of mods here and there. But that Joe really wouldn't know jack about how manyhours Tim has put into this completely custom Ford that started out life as a single cab on his grandfather's ranch. And even though Ford had an extended cab truck in 1972, that's not what Tim's grandfather bought, and keeping a certain truck in the family is worth the extra investment of time and money.
Tim did almost all the work himself, from the '97 Power Stroke engine install to all the custom bodywork. The only thing not owner-done was the beautiful coat of green thrown onto the body after everything was completed.
We would've sworn this was a show truck since it was so clean, but Tim has been using it every day for mild wheeling and hauling supplies to build his dream home in Hayden Lake, Idaho, for the last year and a half. Tim stated it best: "Hey, it's a truck. I built it to use it, because that's what it's meant for."
Tim used a donor cab's metal...
Tim used a donor cab's metal to fabricate his custom extended-cab truck that had been inherited from his grandfather as a single cab. The front and rear cloth seats and belts were yanked from a '97 F-350, along with the five-speed shifter and steering column, to complement the '97 instrument cluster. A Sony Xplod head unit gives him a little sound to cruise to, and even the A/C was hooked up on the Power Stroke to cool down this hot truck.
This is what's gonna get you...
This is what's gonna get you Ford diehards really excited: one of the most bitchin' fullsize Ford body styles ever made with a '97 7.3L Power Stroke diesel shoehorned under the hood. And done so cleanly, it looks like it came from the factory that way. Tim got the best of both worlds: a classic truck, with new-school diesel reliability and power.
Tim used an F-600 bumper on...
Tim used an F-600 bumper on the front of his F-350 after chopping 16 inches out of the middle. He also built a flip-down winch and fairlead cover onto the bumper that holds the front license plate to keep everything legal. Under that bumper sits a front Dana 60 with 35-spline axles and a Trac-Lok differential attached to Super Duty leaf springs that give about 6 inches of lift over the 36-inch Swampers. To help fit the Swampers, Tim radiused the corners of the front fenders.
The PTO hydraulic lines were installed to power the future tilt-bed that Tim will soon modify, and run far enough away from the 5-inch exhaust to keep them cool. Behind the driveshaft is a custom-built fuel tank that Tim designed and fabbed himself, like everything else on this truck. Just out of sight is the rear Dana 60 packed with 4.10 gears, a Detroit Locker, and adorned with disc brakes to give improved stopping power. As in the front, Tim used Super Duty leaf springs and dual KYB shocks to give him the desired height and ride he wanted.