1971 Ford F-100 is A Rusty Hot Rod with LS Power

Classic Ford F-100 looks like hell, but it passed Pennsylvania inspection with a 6.0-liter GM engine.

While looking through the latest vehicles listed for sale in the LS1Tech Marketplace, we noticed a 1971 Ford F-100. Why would someone try to sell an ugly old Ford pickup on an LS1 website? Because like so many other Ford owners, this F-100 owner knew that the best way to add way to add reliable power is to swap in a GM LS engine. Packing a 6.0-liter truck engine, it makes perfect sense for this battered old Ford pickup to be looking for a home in this community.

The Introduction

When “lsxlowtech” posted his 1971 Ford F-100 for sale, he included a handful of pictures and some basic details on the hot rod pickup.

“1971,f100 6.0L,4L60E, engine has under 100k, truck shows 76K this is a Patina truck, dents, scratches, weathered paint. It is this way to look cool. We had no intention to restore it. The truck is 48 years old and is as such. It is real good condition where it counts. Some lights look to be broken and not working but LED’S are hidden and work. Truck passed PA inspection. Truck is fun to drive ad we use it everyday is nice. Lots of character. All tires are new and balanced, rear have the white wall painted on them to look old. Truck is strong and fun to drive. PSI tuned and harness. Has power steering.”

Oddly, the OP didn’t include any pictures of the front end, so we don’t know what he is talking about with reference to the broken lights, but we are guessing that they are up front. Fortunately, that is easy enough to fix.

Drive It or Finish It

We don’t know whether that 6.0-liter mill is an LQ4 or an LQ9, but either engine is considerably stronger and more reliable than any stock engine that could be ordered in a 1971 F-100. If the truck passed Pennsylvania inspection, it have to be mechanically sound inside and out, which also means that it passed a road test. We would guess that this truck is pretty quick, so you could buy it and drive it how it sits, or you could unleash some of its potential.

If you like the rat rod truck look, you could simply build up the LS V8 a bit and make it considerably faster without a whole lot of effort. This is a popular engine for swaps due to the broad availability and there is lots of aftermarket support that will take the power output through the roof.

If you don’t like the rat rod look, the body appears to be straight enough that a good body shop could clean it up and paint it, while a nicer set of wheels and some new chrome time would make this sleeper into a sweet show truck.

In any case, if you are looking for a classic Ford pickup with LS power, this marketplace listing might be exactly what you want to drive this summer.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com