Daniel Bezanson’s 1979 Cruisin’ Machine

Hunting down trucks to shoot for our covers and feature stories requires a lot of leg work. Luckily, we receive submissions from our readers all the time, which is a treat because we pull a lot of amazing content from our inbox. We like using submitted truck photos in our readers’ rides section, but every now and then we are greeted with material that we can do something more with. These types of stories sit somewhere between an extended readers’ rides entry and a full feature, and when we have access to them, are accompanied by in-progress build photos to truly make them unique.

We have a great example to share with you this month in the form of a killer 1979 Ford F-100 owned and built by Daniel Bezanson of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. This region has proven itself to be an area rich in precious metal, and Daniel’s project only proves there are gems to be discovered there.

Daniel is an automotive technician by trade, and he always has his eyes open for potential project vehicles for sale around town. Old trucks are his drugs of choice, and he recently happened upon a 1979 Ford Dentside that he couldn’t say no to. Daniel’s plan for the F-100 was simple—he wanted a soulful classic pickup to cruise around in. This truck had plenty of soul as it was still largely in original condition, which Daniel was excited to embrace. Of course, he wanted to put his own spin on it to satisfy his own personal standards.

Daniel’s truck was a factory long bed model when he found it. While the extra cargo space did come in handy, hauling stuff around really wasn’t what he had in mind. Daniel wanted a sporty, more compact cruiser so he shortened the bed and frame a full 10 inches to get the short box profile he was itching to see. He was kind enough to share a few photos from the transformation, which was very well done. Daniel wanted his pickup to sit low and handle like a dream so he opted for QA1 coilovers along with a rear 4-link to allow for more aggressive driving sessions.

To further help in that department, Daniel yanked the tired original engine and planted a much newer, more exciting 2017 Ford Coyote 5.0 in its place. To make the swap fit and function just right, a Ford Performance control pack was utilized to take the guesswork out of the installation. Daniel fabricated his own custom motor mounts and modified certain OEM parts to adapt to the Coyote’s presence. Once Daniel was able to get the new engine to sit right where he wanted, he was then able to add some finishing touches like the Stainless Works exhaust system, as well as a 2023 Tremec TKX transmission to adequately harness the Coyote’s power output.

The F-100 was successfully equipped with enough horsepower to break Canadian speed limits with ease, but Daniel had to figure out what to do about its stopping ability before getting too wild. To bring the truck to a controlled halt, he incorporated Wilwood front and rear disc brakes, and finished off the upgraded chassis with a set of 20-inch Ridler 610 wheels and Firestone Firehawk rubber to enhance performance abilities on the street and track.

Since Daniel’s goal for his classic cruiser was to maintain its soul, he left the exterior mostly in stock condition. The original bronze paint has been buffed and shined to regain a glowing luster. Holley Retrobright LED headlights are really the only other aftermarket accessory added to the F-100’s façade, and honestly that’s all the truck needed. The interior still maintains a genuine late 70’s aesthetic, although it has been reimagined with a 1991 Lariat leather bench seat, Dakota Digital gauges, a Billet Specialties steering wheel, and a RetroSound head unit.

Daniel wrapped up his project in just under 3 years and has invested nearly $80k (Canadian) by his calculations. That’s not bad considering he has driven his Dentside across the border to many top classic truck destinations including Dino’s Git Down, Goodguys Scottsdale, and Holley’s Ford Fest where it was a featured vehicle in the Tremec showcase. It’s been a wild ride the last few years, but Daniel wouldn’t change a thing about the progress he has made with his outstanding F-100 so far.

TRUCK Specs

Owner

Daniel Bezanson
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
1979 Ford F-100

Chassis & Suspension

Shop: BBD Mechanical, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
2017 Ford Coyote 5.0L
Ford Performance control pack
Custom engine mounts
OEM parts modified to fit
Upgraded oil pump gear and crank sprocket
Stainless Works custom exhaust kit
2023 Tremec TKX transmission
Custom crossmember and driveshaft by Xtreme Driveline, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
American Powertrain ‘White Lightning’ shifter
McLeod RST clutch

Wheels & Tires

Factory frame shortened 10 inches and X-braced
QA1 front and rear springs and shocks
Custom A-arm front suspension using C10 knuckles
4-link rear suspension and coilovers
Fox Body rack and pinion steering
Overkill Customs fuel tank
1979 Ford 9-inch rear

Wheels, Tires & Brakes

20-inch Ridler ‘610’ wheels
275/25/R20 front and 285/40R20 rear Firestone Firehawk tires
Wilwood disc brakes, master cylinder, and electronic parking brake caliper

Body & Paint

Original Ford bronze paint
Bed shortened 10 inches
Holley Retrobright LED headlights
OEM bumpers

Interior & Stereo

1991 Ford Lariat bench seat
Brown vinyl upholstery
Dakota Digital RTX gauges
Billet Specialties steering wheel
RetroSound stereo
Hot rod flat black paint by Federal County Customs