SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/631836
Exterior And Appearance An inventor by trade, you've probably seen Yeiser on QVC or the Home Shopping Network promoting many of his inventions. So with that level of thinking and attention to detail, the F-2000 is not just a combination of parts bolted onto a '69 F-100 chassis. To that extent, Yeiser began his project by first wanting to keep the integrity of the vehicle's overall design and style. It's still recognizable as an F-100 pickup but with highly modified body components that provide room for greater wheel travel and a fire-breathing engine. With the help of Dan Ellis at Prototype Concepts in Orange, California, the F-2000's hood and bumpers were designed in the same way new vehicles are, using clay and ultimately creating a form that achieved the goal of style and function. The fiberglass hood was one of the pieces created that maintains the body lines of the vehicle, but features recessed heat-extraction vents and seamlessly blends into the wide fender flares on the side of the truck. It was important to Ellis and Yeiser that the truck maintains its identity, so a factory grille was modified to incorporate it into the front while the side pieces maintain the body spear that extends across the length of the vehicle. This included the rear fenders and side panels which completely match the vehicle's body contours. Once all the fiberglass pieces were designed, molded and set in place, they were painted crystal gray metallic by Rully Paint & Body in El Cajon, California. With a tube-style front bumper and Hella lights attached to the front and an upper lightbar over the roof, the F-2000 keeps its Class-8 heritage, while making you wonder what it's got underneath it all. Chassis And Suspension The base of the F-2000's chassis remains much as it did when it raced in Class-8 during the late '70's. According to Yeiser, the truck earned a second place finish during the SCORE San Felipe 250 back around 1979. The original chrome-moly roll cage still ties the front and rear sections of the chassis together, but a newly fabricated twin I-Beam front suspension and a set of heavy-duty spindles were built for the truck by Kurt Schutenhelm, and Glen Stratif from San Diego, California. Along with the front suspension, a new 4-link trailing arm rear suspension was also created for the F-2000, which gives the truck a total of 31-inches of front wheel travel, and 28-inches of travel at the rear. With plenty of room within the new fenders of the truck, Yeiser was able to add a set of 35-inch diameter BFGoodrich tires mounted on a set of Walker Evans 17-inch wheels. Controlled by a set of three-inch Sway-Away coil- over bypass shocks, and a set WITH THE BODY PANELS OFF THE F-2000, IT LOOKS REMARKABLY SIMILAR TO A MODERN TROPHY TRUCK. 060 SCORE JOURNAL