DYNAMIC UNIBODY DUO

Father-Son Restos Build Memories

- WENDY WILSON

FATHERS TEACH A LOT TO their sons—when to throw a punch, how to hold their liquor, what to look for in used cars, when to change the oil in the ol’ truck—and sometimes, without even trying, they pass down the stuff that really matters.

A Tradition Rises

Our story begins with Jerry Bryant, the father in this dynamic unibody duo. He lives in Antelope, California, a cozy suburb of Sacramento’s Sierra Nevada foothills, and works as an acoustical ceiling installer. More than 30 years ago, he found himself coveting a friend’s 1963 F-100 Unibody with a big wraparound back window, and he had to have one for himself.

“I really liked the look of it,” Jerry shared. “So, I found one and got to work on it.”

And work on it he did.

This Unibody’s powerplant is a 1971 Ford V-8 built by Parrish Engines of Sacramento. The 351 Windsor features hypereutectic pistons with a 9:1 compression ratio, an Edelbrock RPM camshaft and intake manifold, Holley Street Avenger carburetor, Hedman Headers exiting through a Flowmaster 2.5-inch exhaust. With a nod to L&L Transmission of Sacramento, the truck’s transmission is a 1979 Ford c6 with a B&M Shifter. Its custom torque converter is a TCI Saturday Night Special with a stall speed of 2500.

The driveshaft, brakes and master cylinder come from a 1979 F-100, and the rear axles via an F-100 9-inch. Other drivetrain mods include Dutchman 31 spline axles.