OSCAR THE BUMP
We Add a Bump Side to the Fleet
We Add a Bump Side to the Fleet
ISolomon knew what he wanted from his next build—a driver-quality truck that handles and drives well but without the need to worry about scratching paint or being scared to take it on long road trips. He needed a solid shell since that’s about the only thing that he will be keeping original. Finding a 1967-72 F-100 Shortbed Bump Side with good patina but no rot is not a walk in the park. He was searching for months on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and all types of classifieds with very little luck. Every time he would find a truck he was interested in, it sold before he could go look at it.
IT IS A STORY AS OLD AS time: Boy plays with truck, boy needs truck, boy finds truck, boy buys truck. Solomon Lunger, the tech editor for us here at F-100 Builder’s Guide, has always had a love for classic Ford trucks ever since an early age. It started when he was a little kid playing in his grandfather’s used car lot. Over the years, he became a huge fan of the unibody and has since moved into all generations of F-100s. This time around, Solomon wanted a little more room and liked the shape of the 1967-72 Bump Sides.
Like a lot of us these days, Solomon, who has an Instagram page called @ TheFordEra, spends a little bit of time each day on Instagram. He came across a page called @Rabid_ MuscleCars, and saw that this guy goes hunting for these classic Ford trucks and finds nice barn and
field-fresh trucks. He sent over a message and began talking with Gabriel from Rabid Muscle Cars. At the time, Gabriel didn’t have any trucks for sale that met Solomon’s criteria, but he would join in on the search for the perfect Bump Side project.
Within a few weeks, Solomon got a message from Gabriel saying that he thinks he found the winning ticket. It was a 1972 F-100 Shortbed in killer two-tone green, a one-owner truck that has been sitting in a field in Georgia collecting dust. Gabriel sent over some photos and details. Without hesitation, Solomon agreed, and they quickly struck a deal. Solomon and his brother Mordchai headed north from Miami to Athens, Georgia, where Gabriel has his shop, Rabid Muscle Cars. Solomon said that most of the trip he and his brother were trying to come up with a good project name. Once they saw the truck, they thought it looked rough and tough with a little bit of attitude, just like a certain childhood star. So, the name Oscar the Bump seemed just right.
The road trip was a success and it was game time. Solomon had a vision for the truck and quickly started to put it on paper. With the help of Ben from Hermance Design, he created a beautiful rendering to help bring
the vision to life. Knowing that he wanted to keep the patina, there wasn’t much to add to the body of the truck. One thing he discovered, however, was the bed floor was a little rotten. Not wasting any time, he replaced the bed floor using Evolutionary Rides complete stamped sheetmetal bed floor (see page 104 for the full story).
The plans are as follows:
Get the stance correct, ditching the factory Twin I-Beam front suspension and going with a more modern route using the new QA1 bolt-in suspension system front and back.
Power the truck with a 5.0 Coyote from a wrecked Mustang controlled with a Holley EFI System.
Put power to the ground with some American Racing Wheels.
On the inside (where Solomon thinks he will spend the majority of his time), go with the TMI Products “Interior in a Box,” with its new automotive-grade plaid materials.
Round off the interior with a Con2r steering wheel, Dakota Digital gauges, Lokar shifter, Retrosound MFG head unit and JL Audio components it is sure to be one bad Bump Side.
Now that Solomon is starting to work on the truck, we will be bringing you tech installs and updates in each upcoming issue. In the meantime, stay up to date on the project by following Solomon on Instagram @TheFordEra where he will be posting some sneak peeks and spoilers as we continue to follow along with the build. Stay tuned!
Once they saw the truck, they thought it looked rough and tough with a little bit of attitude, just like a certain childhood star. So, the name Oscar the Bump seemed just right.