He purchased his 1979 Ford F100 truck from a guy who lives in the Kempton Park area of Joburg
Owner: Daneel Swart. Builders name: Wynand vd Westhuizen – Classic Restoration
As a youngster, Daneel’s dream was to own a big truck with a big engine. His father taught him from a young age that he should never stop dreaming. At the beginning of this year, he started looking around for an old Ford Truck in good condition. He struggled to find a vehicle and eventually decided to look for something he could add his personal touch to and build it for his needs and suit his vision.
Photos by Jan van der Walt
He purchased this truck from a guy who lives in the Kempton Park area of Joburg. This is quite an interesting story. The truck could be driven. However, it did not have the proper paperwork. Daneel decided to try his luck and started the drive from Kempton Park to Pretoria East but after 5km decided to stop and call a tow truck as the F100 is quite a head-turner and was drawing a lot of attention.
The original plan for the build was to change minor things such as brakes, wiring, clean up of the original 4.9 straight 6 engine, minor bodywork, and new upholstery and tyres. The body was in a good condition with only a few dents, scratches and cracks. The only place that had some rust was underneath the truck and on the tailgate.
It was sent to Wynand at Sandblasting Boys to be sandblasted under the load bin including the chassis. The bodywork, all done in-house by Classic Restorations, took a total of 2 weeks to complete. Luckily, due to the body being fairly good, they did not have to import any additional panels. This is often the case with regard to projects like this one.
With the bodywork in motion, it was time to start on the rest of the truck. The chassis was still in good condition and only needed new front and rear shocks. The brake booster and brake lines were also replaced. The truck still had the original straight-six with the column shift. Daneel already had a 351 Cleveland 4V.
However, it was in need of some TLC. Classic Restorations installed a 4V Edelbrock Intake and Holley 4-barrel 650 CFM Carb with a Chrome dress-up kit. They made contact with Rocket 88 for an AOD Gearbox. To finish everything off, a 63mm X pipe exhaust system, fabricated by PTEC Exhaust Centre, was installed.
When it came to painting choice, Daneel woke up one morning and decided that red and white would make this truck stand out in a crowd. He had numerous combinations in mind, but the red and white just seemed to be the idea that stuck. He chose Carvello bright red and Frost white. The outside lines of the paintwork follow on into the cab and engine bay. The paint was supplied by Auto Paints, Centurion. The paintwork was done in-house by Classic Restorations.
The entire interior was upgraded and reupholstered to match the original specifications of the vehicle. The carpets, roof lining, dash, bench set and door panels were removed and cleaned, repaired and then placed back into the vehicle. Classic Restorations installed a custom centre consul with a B&M Quick Silver shifter.
When it came to wheel choice, Daneel went with a set of GT Wheels covered in BF Goodrich Radials 275/60/15R all around. Like all builds, there were what felt like a million little things that had to be sorted out. An original Louisville chrome inner grille was imported. A fuel tank was installed in the back of the chassis and the front and rear bumpers were sent to be re-chromed.
Daneel would like to thank Wynand and his team at Classic Restorations. He expressed that it was an amazing experience doing business with them. Their attention to detail was spot on and they always go the extra mile for their clients. The regular communication between Wynand and Daneel made him feel as if he was there every day to witness build progress.
