Unibody Union’s 1961 F-100 Project Duo

Solomon Lunger and Simi Mindick make up the Unibody Union duo. The childhood friends launched a brand together in 2017 to advocate for their favorite generation of truck, the Ford unibody F-100. 

From 1961-63, Ford engineered the fourth generation of its F series pickup to use a unibody design. The cab and bed are fused rather than being two distinct body parts. The result is a unique truck that allowed the company to cut manufacturing costs during rough market times. The Ford unibody historically has been unpopular among classic and truck enthusiasts, but the tide has turned as C-10 popularity has skyrocketed, making them scarce. Classic truck enthusiasts have since turned to Ford counterparts.

Together, the pair of Ford fanatics own eight unibody trucks. They modify, build and drive these eight trucks while documenting and sharing the process through social media. Additionally, the pair curate social media content focused on unibody builds from around the globe, helping to popularize a generation of truck that they feel particularly passionate about.

The passion began for Solomon when he was just 17 years old. At the time, he came across a ’61 F-100 in the back of a buddy’s shop. The long-bed had spent its life as a Texaco truck in central Indiana. Solomon fell in love with the unique body style and purchased the truck on the spot. Since then he hasn’t looked back. He started Unibody Union in 2017 to share his enthusiasm with the rest of the automotive community, and Simi jumped on board shortly thereafter.

The two have a handful of F-100 projects that they constantly modify as content for their social media channels. Currently, they are working on a pair of ’61s known as Ol’ Red and Project Black Sheep.

Project Ol’ Red

Ol’ Red is a ’61 Custom Cab F-100. It’s a true survivor, having only belonged to two owners, one of which is Solomon. He purchased the F-100 from the original owner in 2015 and loaded the ’61 onto a trailer in the California desert to journey across country back to Miami. Originally, plans for the ’61 included a slammed stance and all of the accompanying cuts that would be required. But when Solomon got Ol’ Red back to Florida, he just couldn’t bring himself to chop up the classic. With only 58,000 original miles on the clock, he opted to leave it in original condition and transform it into a stellar daily driver.

The process was simple enough but has required patience and diligence along the way. First up was preserving the handsome patina with a light layer of clear matte top coat. I95 Motorsports expertly applied the finish. The ’61’s preserved paint job is a two-tone scheme of red and off-white, a radical retro design.

The truck is motivated by its original 292 Y-block V-8 motor, paired with a four-speed standard transmission. Simi and Solomon performed a full tune-up to the Y-block as soon as they got their hands on it. With the truck looking and running its best, Solomon wanted Ol’ Red to feel its best as well. For this, he again turned to the team at I95 Motorsports. Together they rebuilt the bench seat with custom upholstery. Solomon continues to restore his red ’61, and slowly but surely the survivor is beginning to resemble its former glory.

Project Black Sheep

Project Black Sheep is a veritable Frankenstein of Ford Motor Company designs. The ’61 unibody has been grafted to the chassis of a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. As fate would have it, the family of sedans known as “panthers” match exceedingly well with fourth generation F series trucks. The wheelbase allows for a relatively painless chassis swap, despite the 40-plus-year difference in design. Simi recruited I95 Motorsports to assist with the heavy lifting and fabrication. The crew worked together to complete the swap in just 21 days, documenting the entire process on Unibody Union’s YouTube channel.

The process was straightforward enough, but more than its fair share of modifications was necessary. The first step was to strip the Mercury completely. All that remained, in the end, were the frame rails, firewall, drivetrain and suspension. The F-100 too was stripped of its suspension, and the front clip was removed. The frame rails were cut out, and the entire body was lifted from them. The team cleaned up the truck’s unibody, allowing for a bit more clearance. They began the delicate dance of measuring and cutting, fitting the F-100 snugly around the Marquis’ bones. They cut and removed the floor pan, firewall and a large section of the truck’s bed floor. The core support was cut to allow for the Mercury’s cooling bits to be pushed back in the bay. The remaining portions of the two firewalls were frenched together. The bed floor was lined up and custom body mounts were fabricated. After the body mounts were in place, they were welded to the Mercury cross members. Finally, the Merc’s frame rails were pie-cut in the rear and welded back in place to tuck beneath the bed.

The Unibody Union continues to modify Project Black Sheep along with their assortment of F series projects. For the time being it bears a majority of OEM Mercury parts. Along with the Grand Marquis chassis, the F-100 gained independent front suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and a Ford 4.6L V-8. The single-cam motor is mated to a Ford 4R70W four-speed and OD transmission. The 4.6L/four-speed powertrain is a tried-and-true combination. It’s notable for its durability in Police Interceptor applications. Needless to say, Black Sheep can handle all of the clutch-drop burnouts Simi and Solomon can throw at it. The Mercury was an extremely clean car, having belonged to a friend’s grandmother. The original miles, as well as a host of other information, are displayed in perfect clarity thanks to Dakota Digital VHX gauges in the F-100’s dash.

It’s safe to say that Project Black Sheep is rare; the ’61 is one of few models to be endowed with the big back window. Big-back-window models accounted for very few of the total F-100s produced. In 1961, these special models’ rear glass stretched from edge to edge of the cab, curving slightly with body line. Black Sheep strikes an extremely mean style with gritty black patina, steel wheels and a dramatically lowered stance, creating a classic rat-rod aesthetic. It’s become a fan favorite. Documenting the build on YouTube gives a chance for Unibody Union followers to connect with the project first hand.

As the F-100 continues to gain popularity in the truck community, unibody models persist in their uniqueness. Unibody Union and the boys behind the brand are helping to build a special love for the Ford trucks. As their passion and skills develop, they are passing them along to followers from multiple generations. The growing excitement about F-100 unibodies elevates the entire Ford truck community. The aftermarket is already beginning to expand its support. Follow along with Unibody Union on Instagram @unibodyunion as they continue to promote these fantastic Ford trucks.

Special Thanks From the Owners: “I95 Motorsports, Precision Replacement Parts, Dakota Digital and Unibody Union followers and supporters.”

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TECH SPECS

Ol’ Red
1961 Ford Custom Cab F-100

Solomon Lugner
Miami, FL
Unibody Union

ENGINE 

• All original
• 292 Y-block V-8, four-speed manual

Chassis & Suspension

• All original
• Drum brakes

Wheels & Tires

• All original

Body & Paint 

• Clearcoat over original white and red patina

Interior & Accessories 

• Custom-upholstered bench seat

TECH SPECS

Project Black Sheep
1961 Ford F-100 (big back window)

Simi Mindick
Miami, FL
Unibody Union

ENGINE 

• Mercury OEM
• 4.6L SOHC V-8
• Four-speed automatic with OD

Chassis & Suspension

• 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis chassis swap
• OEM Mercury suspension

Wheels & Tires

• Mercury OEM

Body & Paint 

• Original black patina

Interior & Accessories 

• Mercury OEM

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