Introducing the Best of Both Worlds

Building a classic truck these days offers a heck of a lot more options than ever before. Long gone are the days when your wildest dreams were too far out of reach for one reason or other. Today you can have it all—the looks of an old patina-clad pickup with the reliability of a late-model truck rolled up into one all-encompassing package. You may have seen examples of this nature before but perhaps not to the caliber of this 1971/2022 Ford F-350 specimen built by Jack’d Up Trucks of Upton, Wyoming. Founders and operators Jack Elberson and Dan Hart have made it their mission to scout the country for decaying crew cabs and revitalize them with complete modern chassis systems (that are still dealership serviceable) to create a truck that is truly an object of desire.

This project isn’t Jack and Dan’s first rodeo with rolling out this whole “old + new” concept. They have successfully pulled it off several times already but are only getting better and faster at pulling it off. This build has earned itself the name Patina Pete for obvious reasons. The two spotted this old Bumpside Super Cab rotting away under the Burns, Wyoming sky, which gave it the perfectly worn surface seen today. Acquiring the truck did require lots of patience and persistence, but once the guys finally had it loaded up on a trailer, they wasted no time preparing for another impressive transformation process.

Now it might sound easy enough to bolt on a vintage truck body onto a much newer chassis but there’s a lot more to it than it may first sound. Jack and Dan spent three months or so solely positioning factory Ford body mounts and getting everything to fit as snugly to the frame as possible. Since the guys prefer to keep the chassis they swap in unaltered factory condition, that means that the attached stock engine and drivetrain come along for the ride. In the case of Patina Pete, it received the donor 7.3L Godzilla engine along with the 10-speed 10R140 transmission that was already connected to it. With nearly everything present being OEM, there was no guesswork or unforeseen issues to worry about. It’s crazy to see the modern high-performance factory V8 under the hood in its entirety, but this is what’s to be expected from anything rolling out of the Jack’d Up garage.

The horns in front of the 2022 F-350 extended cab short bed frame were shortened to properly fit the 1971 cab and bed combo. Since adjusting the ride height upwards just a tad bit wouldn’t break the factory warranty, the frame was fitted with One Up Offroad front springs as well as Fox 2.5 performance Elite front and rear shocks. To capitalize on the much more responsive suspension setup, a set of 20-inch Fittipaldi Off Road wheels with 38-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Boss rubber were added to this heavily updated classic Ford pickup.

Continuing the wave of contemporary modifications, the interior space received new Dakota Digital gauges, a RestoMod climate control system, a freshly upholstered TMI front bench seat, a matching rear folding OEM 1971 Super Cab seat, and a recovered headliner, dash pad, and visors done up special by Roy Keith Classics in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The steering wheel is come from the 2022 F-350, but Jack and Dan are working on a way to maintain a classic wheel without losing the modern controls. No doubt, we will see that roll out sooner than later—perhaps with their next completed build.

TRUCK Specs

Owner

Jack’d Up Trucks
Upton, WY
1971/2022 Ford F-350

Engine & Drivetrain

2022 Ford Godzilla 7.3L
Gibson 3.5-inch exhaust
2022 Ford 10R140 transmission
Clocking ring on transfer case

Chassis & Suspension

Shop: Jack’d Up Trucks, Upton, WY
2022 Ford F-350 extended cab short bed frame
Shortened frame horns in front
148-inch wheelbase
One Up Offroad front lift springs
2022 F-350 OEM rear springs
Fox 2.5 Performance Elite shocks
Custom fitted 2022 OEM body mounts
Drop drivetrain crossmember
Dual Fox stabilizers
Dana Super 60 front axle
Dana M275 rear axle

Wheels, Tires & Brakes

20-inch Fittipaldi FT107 wheels
38×15.50R20LT Mickey Thompson Baja Boss tires
Wilwood 6-piston disc brakes
Braided steel brake lines

Body & Paint

Ford Boxwood Green paint and patina
1971 Ford F-250 grille and bumpers
Quake LED Classic Tech 7-inch headlights
Spray-in undercoat in rear wheel wells

Interior & Stereo

Shop: Roy Keith Classics, Hot Springs, SD
Front TMI folding bench seat, rear 1971 Super Cab OEM seating
Rear seats, headliner, dash pad, visors covered in faux distressed saddle leather
Dakota Digital HDX gauges
2022 F-350 steering wheel
RestoMod A/C
Vintage Alpine 7165 AM/FM cassette head unit
Custom gauge bezel to integrate OEM control screen
Custom lower dash bezel with integrated venting