Lindsey Fisher
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December 23, 2024
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Features
Don’t worry, we’re drooling too!
There’s really no better way to describe this truck than “WOW!” Fully custom from grille to tailgate, this 1961 Ford is precisely the type of vehicle you’d see on the floor of some of the industry’s greatest shows. In fact, in the last couple of months since its debut, that’s exactly what this truck has been doing—appearing in some of the most notable car shows in the country, including the Grand National Roadster Show and the Chicago World of Wheels.
Built by 81-year-old retired crane operator John Lamb of Seneca, Illinois, with the help of his son Jeff and a few other very talented folks over a 15-year period, this 1961 Ford pickup is the epitome of classic styling, modern performance, and a plethora of custom components all combined into one build. But you don’t have to take our word for it—just take a peek at the spec list for a quick insight into just how custom this Ford really is!
John has always loved unibody trucks ever since his dad owned one back in the day. Having seen this very truck at a local car show (in more of a factory form, mind you), John approached the owner asking that he be notified and given the chance to purchase it if the gentleman ever decided to sell. A few years later, he was given that chance and brought the truck home to start the ultimate build.
Though the unibody of the truck remains intact, it has been completely restyled, incorporating modern Ford Lightning attributes in addition to classic styling cues. Up front, the truck’s original hood was reworked to feature a center hood skin shaped from scratch and pie cut left and right corners. The factory grille was maintained but bolstered by secondary grille pieces for a wrap-around effect. Custom airfoil tube grille bars and lower flange complete the truck’s face, along with Speedway Motors headlights sunken into the front grille.
Out back, the factory bed was replaced with new metal, featuring a kickup over the axle and suspension. The tailgate was smoothed and fitted with a wing detail, the drip rails were removed,and a radiused bead detail was incorporated into the body lines. Other unique features include modified fenders and custom wheel wells on all four corners, a custom roll pan with a Frenched license plate featuring a formed radius on the lower edge, and modified and narrowed factory bumpers. All of this greatness is topped off with Mercedes Mountain Gray Metallic paint, accented by Porsche Carbon Steel Gray Metallic with matte clear on both the grille and all four wheels. All of the body and paint work on the truck was done by The Refinery by Adam Krause of Manteno, Illinois.
Inside, the truck is just as uniquely styled, featuring Maserati Rame-colored European leather upholstery over a reworked and re-foamed factory bench seat frame, matching custom door panels, a suede headliner with an accenting plaid insert, which matches the insert behind the seat, and charcoal German square weave carpeting. Just like the body of the truck, the dash’s metal has been reworked and smoothed, incorporating a custom gauge cluster insert and body color-matched Classic Instruments Velocity gauges.
Giving classic vibes with modern luxuries are components like an Ididit tilt steering column, Billet Specialties Vintec steering wheel, and Vintage Air air conditioning. And check out that amazingly organized wiring hub hidden behind access panels behind the seat!
All of this was designed and executed by Schober’s Custom Hot Rod Interiors of Newark, Illinois.
John’s unique style continues through to the engine of the truck. Inspired by a local builder who was using Triton engines to power his builds, John started looking for one for his own build, but with even bigger plans in mind. He eventually found one that would fit the bill and salvaged it from a commercial vehicle that had been in a fire. Once acquired, the 2003 Ford Triton V10 went off for the full rebuild treatment, compliments of Jasiek Motor Rebuilding of Oglesby, Illinois .
An impressive cast iron powerhouse in its own right, the Triton was just the base of John’s plans for his ‘61 . This bad boy has been fully blueprinted and balanced, as well as sleeved, stroked, and bored .020 over, giving it a displacement of 420ci. It has also been outfitted with twin 55mm Work turbochargers!
The V-10 was fully massaged and equipped with some of the finest components the industry has to offer, including Manley Performance forged connecting rods and pistons, aluminum heads with spark wire inserts and ARP head bolts, a Powermaster alternator tied to two OPTIMA batteries, and Granatelli Motor Sports ignition coil and plug wires. Custom components on the Triton include aluminum valve covers, a fully fabricated intake manifold with plenum grafted into the original aluminum intake, modified aftermarket headers, and a custom 2 ½-inch stainless steel exhaust system with custom mufflers, all designed and fabricated by Brian Limberg, owner of Tin Man’s Garage of Sycamore, Illinois.
Twin SPAL 14-inch fans and an AFCO Racing crossflow radiator help keep the Triton cool, while a custom No Limit Engineering 16-gallon aluminum fuel tank feeds the V10 by way of Kinsler Fuel Injection fuel rails and a Mopar Hellcat fuel pump. Keeping the powerhouse in check is a Haltech engine management system.
All said and done, the Triton boasts 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque!
Behind the fully massaged V-10 you’ll find a 2003 Ford 4-speed AODE transmission built by TransPro, which is fitted with a triple disc torque converter featuring a 2,800rpm stall, with an AFCO Racing cooler in line. The AODE pushes the Triton’s 450 horses to the rear wheels through a Tin Man’s Garage-fabricated Ford 9-inch rear end, complete with a Detroit locker and 3.91 gears, spinning Strange Engineering 31-spline axles.
The shoes selected for this incredible build are Michelin 245/45ZR18 and 295/45ZR20 tires in the front and rear respectively, wrapped around 18×8-inch front and 20×10-inch rear Billet Specialties Vintec Dish wheels. Stopping power for the truck comes in the form of 13-inch front and 12-inch rear Wilwood disc brakes, fed by a Wilwood tandem 7/8-inch bore master cylinder.
While the engine and drivetrain for this truck are quite impressive, so too is the metalwork that surrounds the V-10 beast and AODE transmission. This includes everything from a custom firewall, transmission tunnel and floor boards, to custom panels fully encasing the Triton and camouflaging all of the engine’s custom plumbing and wiring also done by Tin Man’s Garage. Other notable components include a faux intake tube on one of the turbos for symmetry, and air intakes for the turbos routed directly through rectangular filters in the core support leading to custom tubes welded into the frame.
Underneath the truck, you’ll find a plethora of superior suspension and chassis components,fit for a build of this caliber, including a custom X-frame engineered and fabricated by Jeff Lamb, a Fatman Fabrications Mustang II front suspension system, No Limit Engineering Fatbar parallel 4-link rear suspension, Atomic Fabrication front and rear shocks, as well as rear coilover springs. Other notable components include custom control arms, adjustable spring hats, and a custom fabricated panhard bar, all built by Tin Man’s Garage. Topping it off, is MAVAL Industries rack and pinion steering and a Fatman Fabrications steering stabilizer.
Truly one of a kind, John’s ‘61 Ford is purely a work of art, from the styling cues to the performance components. We can’t wait to see just how many trophies and accolades this freshly-built truck brings home this show season!
Owner
John Lamb
Chassis & Suspension
Wheels & Tires
Engine & Drivetrain
Body & Paint
Interior & Stereo
Department
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