VOODOO CHILD | Shelby-Powered Ford Bumpside Pickup

Marty Veltrop’s 

Words by John Mata Jr.
Photos by Solomon Lunger

As an owner of an automotive restoration and customization shop, as well as a lifelong auto enthusiast, there aren’t many vehicles out there that Marty Veltrop can’t make a whole lot cooler. Marty owns and operates Osage Classic Cars in Jefferson City, Missouri, where his team works on all kinds of custom rides, but one model in particular that has eluded him over the years is a clean fifth-gen Ford F100 Bumpside. 

The story begins when a nearby salvage supplier, 74 Auto in Sikeston, Missouri, listed a 1970 F100 specimen for sale that instantly caught Marty’s eye. This Ford pickup had all of its original parts, including a 302 V-8 engine and a three-on-the-tree shifter, which is cool and all, but Marty had other plans for it. While he did like the Ford truck’s original appeal, he wanted to make it stand out somehow; he wasn’t sure how until he saw a sign that nudged his inspiration into the right direction.

He Saw The Sign

74 Auto—the same shop that sold Marty his Ford truck—had a pallet-run 2017 Ford Shelby GT350 Voodoo available not too long after its purchase. The “sign” he saw was technically the “For Sale” sign for this highly desirable Ford Performance engine, but a sign no less. While he was contemplating a 3.5L EcoBoost swap or something along those lines, the Shelby mill was just too exciting and different to pass up. Marty seized the rare opportunity, put his truck’s new engine in the corner and began working the truck’s chassis system.

74 Auto—the same shop that sold Marty his Ford truck—had a pallet-run 2017 Ford Shelby GT350 Voodoo available not too long after its purchase.

Marty figured the original frame was still good enough to run with, but to really spice it up, he brought in a Crown Vic front-end clip kit from Gateway Performance Suspension, as well as a Gateway rear 3-link setup and adjustable coilovers for each corner. Marty, along with good friend Chris Bryant, tackled a good chunk of the work in his home garage. After the guys plucked that tired 302 out and installed the front suspension components, they got to figuring out what had to be done to squeeze that Voodoo power plant between the rails. The job wasn’t all too complicated, and Marty was luckily able to get his hands on the matching Shelby GT350 6-speed transmission as well—score! Good times were certainly ahead of the guys after finishing up the wiring and doing the tuning that goes along with a full engine swap such as this.

For now, Crown Vic front brakes are doing the trick up front. The guys did put together a rear Wilwood disc-brake kit and gathered a Summit Racing master cylinder booster to complete the truck’s stopping system, which would become of utmost importance once the Shelby engine got warmed up. To give the F100 a sporty pro-touring appearance while also addressing the fitment issues to fit its lowered stance, Marty selected a set of 20-inch Coys C-44 wheels with the proper backspacing (6 inches up front and 4.5 in the rear) along with high-performance Michelin Pilot 4S tires for good measure. This combination of the lightweight 1-piece cast wheels and racing-capable rubber will give Marty’s Ford pickup the ability to nimbly blast around the track whenever he feels the urge to cut loose.

In With The Old, In With The New

Even though most of the components used for the build up to this point were on the “new” side, Marty began focusing on maintaining the naturally weathered appearance of his truck’s façade. To pull it off, all he had to do was ask his son, Zach, to clean up the existing Boxwood Green paint and prep it for matte clear coating to seal up all the years-old scuffs and scratches. This would allow the F100 to continue telling its own history without having to worry about any of the spots of surface rust getting worse as time goes by. OE replacement light housings, door handles and emblems were brought in to simply clean up the truck’s overall appearance quickly and effectively.

While this F100 might not jump out at you upon first glance, the more you look at it, the better it gets.

Next, Marty was looking to upgrade the confines of the cab without overshadowing anything that had already been previously done to the truck. A major inclusion, however, was the set of 2018 Ford F150 leather seats that have 10-way power functions for the ultimate in comfort. There’s something to be said about recovering a truck’s original bench seat for a nostalgic look and feel, but there’s also no competing with the ability of the electric lumbar adjustment and climate-controlled settings of these luxury buckets. For an added plush touch in the cabin, a TMI Products dash pad was incorporated, as was a set of Dakota Digital HDX Series gauges and custom center console with those all-too-convenient drink holders. Most importantly, a Vintage Air A/C system was also hooked up to provide cool cruising temps all year round.

A Real Show-Off

While this F100 might not jump out at you upon first glance, the more you look at it, the better it gets. The natural patina was kept by design and the stance is not only fashionable, but the components used to bring it down are also ultra-responsive and ready to party. The cabin is obviously comfy enough to take on even the longest of road trips, but the best part for Marty is lifting up the hood and witnessing the 5.2L Voodoo in all its glory. In a world of LS and Coyote engines, it’s refreshing to see something new yet still built for battle.

In a world of LS and Coyote engines, it’s refreshing to see something new yet still built for battle.

This F100 has already seen a fair share of big shows, including an appearance at SEMA 2021, but it continues to pop up at local and larger-scale regional events as well. Of course, Marty’s truck receives a lot of praise and attention wherever it goes, and as far as we know, he plans to keep it just the way it is for the foreseeable future. There’s really no point in changing up something that is already this good.

TECH SPECS

OWNER

Marty Veltrop / Osage Classic Cars
1970 Ford F100
Jefferson City, MO

Engine/Transmission 

• Shop: Owner and Chris Bryant
• 2017 Shelby GT350 Voodoo 5.2L V-8
• Custom motor mounts
• Special tuning
• 2017 Shelby GT350 6-speed transmission
• MGW short throw shifter
• Gateway Classic Performance Ford 9-inch rear end

Suspension 

• Shop: Osage Classic Cars, Jefferson City, MO
• Original 1970 Ford chassis
• Crown Vic swap clip swap including rack and pinion
• Gateway Performance Suspension adjustable coilovers and rear 3-link setup
• 1970 Mustang fuel tank

Wheels, Tires & Brakes 

• 20×8.5 and 20×10 Coys C-44 wheels
• Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires
• Factory Crown Vic front brakes, Wilwood rear kit
• Summit Racing master cylinder and booster

Body & Paint 

• Shop: Osage Classic Cars
• Boxwood green paint with matte   clear by Zach Veltrop, Jefferson
  City, MO
• Spray-in bedliner
• Factory bumpers and OEM replacement taillights, door handles, emblems, etc.

Interior 

• 2018 Ford F150 10-way power leather seats installed by Jack Lake, Jefferson City, MO
• TMI dash pad
• Hand-built center console
• Dakota Digital HDX Series gauges
• American Auto Wire wiring
• Vintage Air A/C