Truck Of The Week: Chris Varner’s 6.0L Swapped ’51 Ford F1 Pickup

Ever since we started doing a truck of the week, some of the wildest trucks out there have shown their face. Last week’s truck was an old body style Ford with a Cummins diesel inside. This week’s, however, kept the brands together. Check out one of the wildest ’51 model Ford trucks you will ever see. Introducing, Goldrush.

“We have been into building trucks for quite a few years now. We did a lot of builds for the SEMA Show out in Las Vegas for TIS Wheels,” Varner said. “We’ve typically done 1 to 2 vehicles a year for shows, but we don’t have anything pending for future shows as some of the ones we have been planning have been canceled for the 2022 season.”

Goldrush

As you can see, this truck is immaculate. From top to bottom, this truck has been upgraded. While it is appealing on the exterior and interior, what brings us here, and what makes this so special, is what is tucked under the hood. Let me guess, a Cummins? No. A Stage 2 6.0-liter V8 Power Stroke engine was squeezed into Goldrush.

It is rare to see a 6.0-liter swapped into anything, but Varner made up his mind and ran with it. This Stage 2 engine features a ton of goodies including a Kill Devil Diesel camshaft, 6.4-liter pushrods, lifters, retainers, AFE stainless manifolds, and up-pipes, and Varnbilt Motorsports custom valve covers. Plumbing and extras for the coolant, transmission fluid, and boost are taken care of by Mishimoto‘s aluminum radiator, intercooler, transmission cooler, thermostat, electric fans, and degas bottle.

Speaking of boost, Varner’s 6.0-liter features a Non-VGT S363 turbocharger from Borg Warner, Rudy’s Performance intake manifold, and a set of 190cc injectors from Warren Diesel Service. Lined with AN fittings, Goldrush uses a polished fuel cell and a FASS fuel system to keep the injectors fed.

Making much more than factory power, Varner needed a transmission that he could trust. With these monster truck wheels and tires, a tough trans was imminent. Goldrush is backed by a 5R110 transmission with an aftermarket 2200 stall converter and a billet input shaft. Then power is transferred through an SCS billet 12.66 transfer case with cut gears and Drivelines Plus Offroad driveshafts.

Black And Gold Everywhere

I bet you’re wondering how they managed to get this truck that high, right? This is a custom-built Varbnilt Motorsports sheet metal chassis/cradle design. Varner used King Custom 3.0 coilovers with 14-inches of travel with finned reservoirs. For axles, a Dana 60 with hydraulic steering was used in the front and a Sterling 10.5-inch rear with Ballistic Fab covers was used. The truck has been layered with prismatic Powdercoat in either Golden Sands, Gloss Black, or Wrinkle Black color.
As expected, the original body from 1951 was used. It was all coated with PPG Hot Rod Black by Overtime Restorations, custom gold trim throughout the entire build, and a set of Rigid Industries 7-inch headlights were used. With the doors open, we move into the interior. TIS Wheels custom-machined steering wheels, a Baremetal Bombers Cowhide Bomber seat, Memphis Audio subwoofers, black carpet, and a few other add-ons.
When the rubber meets the road, you have a set of 42-inch by 16.50-inch Fury tires wrapping a set of 30-inch by 16-inch TIS Forged Monoblock wheels. Goldrush uses six-piston brakes with 14-inch rotors from Wildwood to stop. Other extras include Hornblaster Conductor special train horns and BAMF LED rock lights.
For more information about Goldrush, check out Chris Varner’s Instagram here! What do you think about this week’s Truck of the Week? Let us know in the comments below.

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About the author

Artie Maupin

Artie Maupin is from Southeast Missouri and has an extreme passion for anything diesel. He loves drag racing of all kinds, as well as sled pulling competitions.
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