SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1545032
REINCARNATED This Pre-Runner’s Third Rebuild Is Best By Dan Sanchez Photos by Evan Walsh What started out as a Toyota Tundra with a full roll cage and off-road racing shocks, ended up as this 1974 Ford F100 pre-runner that is built to the same dimensions and capabilities of a SCORE Trophy Truck. The last time we showcased Eric Conner’s pre-runner, it was in its second reincarnated state from the Tundra, to a black 1974 F100. “The first time I built the truck as a Tundra pre-runner, it was 10 years ago, and I ended up rolling it over at the Holley LS Fest in Las Vegas,” says Conner. “I then took the truck over to my friend Morgan Clark, who helped me put on the F100 cab, but soon after, I rolled it again. This time it was a slow roll, and it just caved in the cab. I found another ‘74 Ford cab that was for sale and I bought it for $500. We made it so the cab would slip on over the roll cage, and it only took about a week to finish it.” The newest incarnation of the F-100 is blue and white with Conner’s suspension business logo painted on the side like a delivery truck. He started SoCal Suspension after learning fabrication and began customizing cars and hot-rods for customers. After getting involved in the off-road scene, he wanted to build a pre-runner and this F100 is what has become of his passion for off-road vehicles. The only thing cooler than a pre-runner truck is one with a vintage body on it. Conner has always liked vintage vehicles, and after going to Glamis as a kid and living in El Cajon, CA most of his life, he turned his attention from import tuner and custom cars to off-road pre-runners. The truck may have changed in the exterior, but the LSX 454 V8 and Super 80 4L80 automatic remains as a potent power plant that makes 875 horsepower. Built by Moruzzi Engines, the power is transferred to a Camburg Trophy Truck four-inch housing. A set of 40-inch tires mounted on KMC 17-inch wheels, spin and grab the dirt so the F100 can accelerate quickly and land softly after catching lots of air. Helping in that, is a full Trophy Truck style suspension system consisting of Fox 4.0 front, and 4.5 rear bypass shocks and Fox 3.0 coil-overs attached to a Center Mount front and four-link rear. This provides 24” of wheel travel in front and 30” at the rear. “When we built this newest version of the truck, it was done to Trophy Truck racing specs,” said Conner. “This means 40 percent of the truck’s weight is towards the front and 60 percent is at the rear. It also has an 80-gallon fuel cell to help keep the truck properly balanced.” Conner’s love for pre-runners and Trophy Trucks came from a young age when he raced 2WD Trophy Trucks stateside. “When my son was 13, he started racing with me as a co-driver and as he has gotten older, he began racing in a Camburg 1450 Ford Ranger.” The allure of racing in SCORE has always been on Conner’s mind, and he hopes to take this truck and enter it into an upcoming race in the Heavy Metal class. To get experience, he has been volunteering to pit for Cameron Steele for about a year. In the meantime, the truck gets lots of attention at shows and Terra Crew outings. “People like the truck and the fenders,” says Conner. “We created the molds for the fenders and hood, then gave them to FiberwerX to create them out of fiberglass.” The truck looks great with the custom molded fenders that retains the F100 appearance but with the wide flares that allows the wheels and tires a full range of motion. The white and blue faded paint maintains the classic appearance of the truck. Inside the cab a set of PRP seats and harnesses keep Conner and two additional passengers comfortably and securely seated. A digital instrument cluster provides the engine information, while an SPod switch panel controls the operation of the Baja Designs Lights all around the truck. Other sponsors who have provided products for the truck include Camburg, Fox Shocks, and Pro Eagle jacks. While the truck looks and performs great, Conner is contemplating re-painting or wrapping it to look different before this year’s show season in the fall. Whatever he decides, the truck will still continue to inspire other off-road enthusiasts on getting into off-road and creating something unique to their tastes and capabilities. SJ