We have to settle this right from the start. This is not your usual grandpa, long retired and grumpy, bugging grandchildren with stories of his youth. This is Sam and he is reliving his youth right now. He spends most of his life at the drag strip, pushing the limits of his Ford F-150. For his 79th birthday, his friends are preparing a… supercharging surprise!
Cleetus McFarland told the senior customer that he was going to trailer his truck to the event that he was going to attend over the weekend, Sick Summer 2024, which is his favorite racing event. Instead, he brought it to his shop to get it ready.
The Ford F-150 is powered by a Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine. Now, that Coyote is getting a Whipple supercharger with something special for Sam.
When he arrives and finds out about the supercharger, he can hardly believe it. They got him a polished supercharger, which, they say, cost as much as the truck. Sam's F-150 is the base version.
He is overwhelmed. Once the supercharger and the new exhaust are installed, the shop fills up with a growl, prompting Cleetus to say that it is the best sound they ever got. It's loud and naughty, and it's everything Sam needs to turn heads with his bone-stock truck. "Give me more, give me more!" the owner says.
Photo: Cleetus McFarland | YouTube
On the first test, Sam rides shotgun in his own truck. He rubs his hands, thinking what he will do on the drag strip during the weekend and so happy with the soundtrack that it comes with. He grins from ear to ear, he cheers and applauds as if it is a supercar he got.
In two-wheel-drive mode and, most likely, traction control off, the truck goes sideways. Cleetus and Sam switch places, and the owner of the bone-stock F-150 truck seems to be the happiest man in the world right now.
He's going to have a weapon on wheels on the drag strip in the coming days at the Sick Summer 2024.
Supercharging all the way and smoke after donuts
Cleetus McFarland and his team have got a thing for superchargers. In mid-May, they did the same to a GMC Sierra, turning it into a 1,000-horsepower supertruck. The candy red GMC was a giveaway won by Anthony from Mississippi.
But he and his wife came all the way to Florida to drive back home onboard their brand-new Sierra. But they had to extend their trip because a very nasty surprise happened on the first test drive.
The 7.4-liter naturally aspirated ZR7 engine gave in after a few donuts. Smoke came out from under the hood. So, they had to make an engine transplant. Cleetus and his team came up with an LT that was originally built for another project.
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