5TSHDZZ – Jerry Wood’s ’72 F100 Bumpside
Jerry Wood spent seven years building this smooth ’72 F100 pickup, “5TSHDZZ”. Starting with a driver-quality truck with body damage in a couple of places, Jerry and his collaborators produced one standout custom hauler.
One challenge faced by ’60s and ’70s Ford pickup builders has been the lack of dedicated custom parts. While the supply and variety have improved, Jerry cites frame and suspension parts being in short supply several years ago. “The hardest part was the frame, as nobody was making anything for the F100 when I started,” Jerry said.
Jerry solved the problem by building the frame himself, working in his home garage. The custom chassis features Mustang II-style front suspension and custom four-link rear suspension built around a 9-inch rearend. Wilwood brakes handle the stopping chores and an air suspension system controls the ride height. The Showwheels billet wheels measure 20×8.5-inches in the front and 22×12 in the rear and are wrapped by Nitto 420s.
Power comes from a 427c.i. small-block Ford from Smeding Performance in Boerne, Texas. A Quick Fuel carburetor sits between Hamburger valve covers and exhaust exits through Hooker headers and a Summit Racing exhaust system. The engine is mated to an automatic overdrive transmission.
Jerry did all of the metal work on the truck, including the hand-formed rolled rear pan. Jerry also removed original emblems, side markers, and other exterior trim pieces and emblems. The windshield stainless trim was also eliminated. Once Jerry had the body where he wanted it, he turned Jim McKenzie and Todd Morrissey at Fastlane Relics in Pleasanton to apply the PPG Nardo Grey paint. “I want to thank Jim and Todd at Fastlane Relics for doing an amazing job on the body and paint,” Jerry said.
Interior work was done by Joaquin Oceguera at The Shop in Tracy. Ferrari leather was applied to the custom-built seats and Mercedes-style carpet covers the floor. Stewart Warner Classic Gauges fit in the stock dash, which also houses the air-conditioning outlets. A leather-wrapped Grant steering wheel sits atop the tilt steering column. Racing-style seat belts keep driver and passenger safe. Glass work was done by Tony Gomes of Acme Auto Interiors.
While Jerry did much of the work himself on 5TSHDZZ, he’s generous with his praise for the various collaborators who contributed to the project. That includes American Performance, a shop that did a lot of fine tuning on the truck. The end result is a smooth, cool, and potent F100, a truck that’s definitely worthy of contending for the Goodguys 2020/2021 LMC Truck of the Year Late title.
Photos by Steven Bunker
