2002 Ford FR100 Concept Pictures, Specifications, Information

Calling it “the perfect project to follow our FR500 Mustang and FR200 Focus efforts,” Ford Racing Technology unveiled its FR100 concept at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show on November 5, 2002. The FR100 is a vintage 1953 F-Series pickup with a modern modular V-8 engine that melds Ford’s heritage in pickup trucks with today’s performance and advanced powertrain technologies.

“We wanted to package our new 5.0-liter Cammer crate engine in a living, breathing vehicle that can be seen and driven in order to provide an accurate look at the performance potential engineered into the new parts,” said Dan Davis, director Ford Racing Technology (FRT).

“We picked a vintage Ford truck as the showcase because it’s both eye-catching and something any enthusiast can relate to. A lot of customers build hot-rod trucks, so we felt that building up a ’53 with modern performance and technology was the perfect project.”

Based on an original 1953 F-100, the truck was transformed into the FR100 with contemporary design touches. The foundation of FRT’s hot new 5.0-liter Cammer crate engine is the Ford SVT Mustang Cobra 4.6-liter 4-valve engine. However, the crate version has several unique qualities and components.

Key differences include larger cylinders for five liters of displacement, forged pistons, an 11.0:1 compression ratio, ported heads, higher-lift cams, beehive-shaped valve springs, higher-flow fuel injectors, and a magnesium variable geometry intake manifold.

Ford Racing has created one of the most technologically advanced crate engines ever manufactured. Then the package was taken one step further by manufacturing the 4.6-liter 4-valve modular wiring harness to make the crate engine as retrofit-friendly as possible for vintage Mustangs, street rods or classic truck projects.

During recent preliminary testing at Grattan Raceway in Michigan, the FR100 circulated the 10 turn, 2.0-mile road course at an average time only two seconds slower than the Mustang FR500.

Like other Ford Racing project vehicles, the FR100 is greater than the sum of its parts. Blending a traditional appearance with state-of-the-art technology is no mean feat, but the FR100 pulls off the task convincingly.