1966 Ford F-100 – East Coaster of the Day
One of our favourite things about Darrell Sampson’s 1966 Ford F-100 pickup truck is the tool box in the back. It’s the look of love on his face as he tells us it was his Dad’s tool box from decades of working in the pulp and paper industry.
Another favourite feature may be the ‘Rusty Pecker’ decals that adorn Darrell’s truck.
The decals are a play on Thrush Exhaust’s woodpecker logo. Or is it Mr. Horsepower? Both logos feature an animated snarly woodpecker. The cigar-smoking Mr. Horsepower is the well-known logo for Clay Smith Cams, a camshaft manufacturer established in the 1930s in California. Clay Smith was hand-grinding camshafts to high-performance specifications. The industry noticed and racers became fans of his products. His high performance engines have set world speed records.
Instead of a cigar in the woodpecker’s mouth, Darrell’s logo, Mr. Rusty Pecker, created by Hansen Signs of Moncton, features a 50-calibre shell in its mouth. Sporty.
The 300 CI straight-six truck is probably pretty well-known in Upper Stewiacke where Darrell and the Rusty Pecker live.
The truck is originally from the U.S. but it sat in a container in Upper Musquodoboit for 18 years! Darrell bought the 1966 Ford because that’s the year he was born. He’s lowered the suspension, added a performance intake manifold, and had a four-barrel 450 CFM Holley carburetor built and installed.
Split headers feed into dual exhaust with Thrush exhaust tips.
Darrell’s truck is a well-used, well-loved shop truck and he’s had it for four years. He sure looks like he’s having a ton of fun with it.
